Sharp Stick
SimilarA Real Young Girl (1976), Copying Beethoven (2006), The Holiday (2006),
Watch afterEverything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021),
StudioFilmNation Entertainment,
Lena Dunham’s latest feature, Sharp Stick, combines her best and worst tendencies. It’s a coming-of-age dramedy about a young woman’s journey of sexual and self-discovery handled with refreshing tenderness and understanding. But it’s also a story that sees Dunham unwisely wading into waters out of her depth, drowning her characters in quirky affectation that distracts from her purpose. Where the film goes is somewhere surprising, affirming, and even beautiful. The issue is its route. Continue Reading →
Titane
SimilarA Real Young Girl (1976), Copying Beethoven (2006),
StudioARTE France Cinéma,
Julia Ducourneau's followup to her stunning debut Raw makes for brutal, beautiful, brilliant body horror.
(This review is part of our coverage of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.)
Titane begins with the pluck of banjo strings and an extreme closeup of chrome. It’s a clash that’s jarring and compelling: the earthy, fire-and-brimstone howl of David Eugene Edwards’s take on the American folk standard “Wayfaring Stranger” set against an almost voyeuristic tour through a car’s inner workings. Continue Reading →