DIRECTOR
How Grant Singer Accidentally Made the Biggest Movie in America
October 20, 2023
“Holy fuck. I’m going to have to act against Benicio Del Toro.”
Exit Poll
Three Directorial Debuts That Stood Out at Sundance
February 4, 2021
Robin Wright, Prano Bailey-Bond, and Pascual Sisto have made three wildly different, but equally impressive first features.
Exit Poll
El Planeta Heralds Amalia Ulman as an Invigorating New Cinematic Voice
February 1, 2021
The conceptual artist’s dazzling first feature is a throwback to the glory days of Sundance.
exit poll
Pixar’s Soul Isn’t as Deep as It Wants to Be
December 17, 2020
The animation studio’s latest raises the question of what constitutes a human soul, only to never land at a satisfactory answer.
no distractions
Grant Singer and Sky Ferreira on the Gift and the Curse of Seeking Perfection
December 7, 2020
To mark the release of his Netflix documentary “Shawn Mendes: In Wonder,” the filmmaker sits down with his frequent collaborator to discuss how music and cinema intertwine, and the highs and lows of making stuff.
arrival
Call Him Deacon: The Rising Producer Makes a Bid for Music Stardom
December 4, 2020
17-year-old Deacon Phillippe already knows Hollywood like the back of his hand. That’s why he’s getting into music.
exit poll
Hillbilly Elegy Is an Accidental Camp Masterpiece
November 25, 2020
Ron Howard’s latest arrives on Netflix with unwanted baggage, but even still, the movie has its saving graces.
exit poll
Mank Is a Salvo to Righteous Dissent
November 11, 2020
David Fincher’s astonishing paean to Old Hollywood is surprisingly political, and should set bitter hearts everywhere ablaze.
Three Movies That Prove the Year in Cinema Still Has Something to Offer
October 20, 2020
“Lovers Rock,” “Notturno,” and “American Utopia,” which recently screened at the NYFF, offer a measure of hope.
TIFF
Another Dispatch from TIFF: Nomadland Has Big Oscar Energy
September 17, 2020
Chloé Zhao’s latest arrives with a prewritten destiny attached, while Vanessa Kirby, Shia LaBeouf, and Ellen Burstyn deliver a trio of astonishing performances.
tiff
Dispatch from TIFF: Bruce LaBruce, Errol Morris, and a Wallop of Star Power
September 14, 2020
As the Toronto International Film Festival goes mostly virtual this year, three films still pack a punch.