9 years ago
261 results found for: under the skin
“White Bird in a Blizzard”
A good mystery is never about the reveal. The reveal is a backdrop, or a catalyst for characters to be jerked out of complacency and into orbit. Circumstances of chaos and desperation deliver them from one point to another, always the same shore, regardless of...
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“Force Majeure”
What if you took the premise of the Seinfeld episode “The Fire,” doused it in Scandinavian seriousness (though still with a sense of humor, but of a more wry, subdued flavor), and made it about marriage? That would be an inelegant but accurate descriptor for F...
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Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor”: Beneath the Gold Ornamentation
Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor (1987) chronicles the story of a man unable to break out of his destiny. The Chinese Emperor Pu Yi (played as an adult by John Lone) receives the throne as a child. “The son of heaven,” he is the most powerful person in t...
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The Directors Who Influenced “Dear White People”
Like so many others before me, I fell into the trap: After sitting down with Dear White People director Justin Simien, the first thing I brought up was Spike Lee. And while my comment didn’t directly concern the fact that both Simien and Lee are black American...
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Beyond Narrative: When Cinema Stops Making Sense
Stand outside of your local cineplex one evening and eavesdrop on people chatting as they exit the theater. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll hear someone grouse, “Damn, I wish that movie had been more difficult to understand.” But inscrutability is by no means...
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We Need To Talk About Kevin (Smith)
Editor’s note: With the release of TUSK today, Boston film critics Sean Burns and Jake Mulligan thought it would be interesting to reflect on the films Kevin Smith. What follows is a candid conversation.
Jake Mulligan: We need to talk about Kevin Smith....
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Mean Girls and Bad Boys: The Messy Gender Politics of “Grease” in 5 Songs
Grease is the word. Its first iteration was as a stage musical, conceived by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, first appearing on stage in Chicago in 1971, and then on Broadway in 1972. With book, music, and lyrics by Jacobs and Warren, the two tackled teenage life...
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Finally! “A Most Violent Year” Trailer to Consume
While film festival favorites like Birdman and Inherent Vice are gathering all the buzz, J.C. Chandor's upcoming crime film A Most Violent Year has been quietly biding its time until a release date was announced. A24 has assembled a fantastic group of 2014 rel...
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If Only The “Game” Was This Easy
What starts as an intriguing exploration of national disillusionment quickly turns simple and sappy.
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“Jealousy” Starts Strong, But Never Delivers On Its Promise
Philippe Garrel’s Jealousy (La Jalousie) opens with a static medium shot of Clothilde (Rebecca Convenant). The young, blond woman’s lips begin to tremble and tears gradually stream down her face. It’s a stunning composition and one that instantly throws us in ...
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