Roaring with Laughter: “The Lion in Winter”
When master cinematographer Douglas Slocombe passed away last month at age 103, tributes began pouring in from cinephiles around the globe, many of them citing his infamous work on the […]
Tag Archives: The Criterion Collection
Here’s to You, Mrs. Henderson: Albert Brooks’s “Mother”
At nearly two decades old, Albert Brooks’s wonderful film, “Mother,” offers many nostalgic staples of ‘90s Americana: cutting-edge “picture phones,” gasoline priced at $1.21 per gallon and smart comedy for […]
All Things Shining in Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life”
Four years ago this month, Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. I published the following piece at HollywoodChicago.com on June 3, 2011. “Where is […]
Neither Safe Nor Still: The Genius of Julianne Moore
Throughout her extraordinary career, Julianne Moore has often excelled at playing characters who are ostracized. Consider her 1950s housewife who develops forbidden feelings for her black neighbor in “Far from […]
Persona Non Grata: The Persona of 3 Women on Mulholland Drive
I wrote the following essay back in college and later presented it at the University of Notre Dame’s Midwest Undergraduate Film Conference. It was written for Dan Rybicky’s class on […]
Kieslowski, Eroticism and Véronique
I don’t think there’s ever been a film quite like Krzysztof Kieslowski’s 1991 masterpiece, “The Double Life of Véronique.” Those who complain it lacks substance or coherence somehow managed to […]
The Living Dead
“Scottie, do you believe that someone out of the past—someone dead—can enter and take possession of a living being?”—Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) in “Vertigo” This ominous query forms the basis […]
Five Trailers That Upstaged Their Own Movies
The “Godzilla” reboot from Gareth Edwards was a reasonably diverting spectacle, though it doesn’t hold a candle to its own magnificent teaser trailer. Brilliantly utilizing the ferocious tones of Bryan […]
Blue Heart: A Tale of Two Portraits
“Time it was, and what a time it was, it was A time of innocence, a time of confidences Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph Preserve your […]
