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Author: Jonah Koslofsky

“John Lewis: Good Trouble” calls us to action through the past of an icon

John Lewis Good Trouble
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Dawn Porter offers up a heartfelt, accessible tribute to one of Congress’ most stalwart Civil Rights leaders.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on July 3, 2020July 3, 2020

“Capote” teaches us as much about Philip Seymour Hoffman as its subject

PSH Capote
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Playing a creator who needs adoration, Philip Seymour Hoffman revels in the idiosyncrasies of famed author Truman Capote in Bennett Miller’s biopic.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on June 29, 2020July 9, 2020

“Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn” hides behind fake objectivity

Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn
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The second doc about the disgraced lawyer in months makes the cardinal sin of avoiding its own viewpoints.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on June 20, 2020July 2, 2020

Josephine Decker on the dreamy subjectivity of “Shirley”

Josephine Decker Shirley
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The director of Shirley talks about Elisabeth Moss, structuring scenes, and taking creative license with a real-life figure.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on June 19, 2020June 20, 2020

“Villain” is a rubbish, sluggish British crime caper

Villain
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Craig Fairbrass’ textured mug can’t save this low-budget crime flick that tumbles headfirst into cliche.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on May 19, 2020May 19, 2020

“Spaceship Earth” is a more bizarre quarantine than our own

Spaceship Earth
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Matt Wolf’s documentary about the ill-fated science project is a bizarrely perfect fit for our self-isolating times.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on May 12, 2020May 12, 2020

“Arkansas” is an okay quarantine viewing, but that doesn’t mean it’s good

Arkansas
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Despite a solid supporting cast, Clark Duke’s debut is a small-scale caper with that doesn’t have the attention span to ever truly work.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on May 2, 2020May 2, 2020

“Sea Fever” Is a Deep-Sea Thriller Worth Catching

Sea Fever
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Neasa Hardiman’s low-budget Irish thriller is taut, claustrophobic, and evocative of the greats in all the right ways.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on April 10, 2020April 10, 2020

“Iron Man 2” Offers Marvel’s First Stumble Out of the Gate

Iron Man 2
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Jon Favreau’s 2010 followup to the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe also shows the weaknesses of worldbuilding over structure.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on April 9, 2020April 9, 2020

“Iron Man” built a hero – and a blueprint for a franchise

Iron Man
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Jon Favreau’s acerbic superhero adventure set the template for the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and rehabilitated Robert Downey Jr. into a movie star once again.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on April 6, 2020April 6, 2020

“Spenser Confidential” Should Stay Anonymous

Spenser Confidential
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Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg’s latest exercise in macho posturing is both aesthetically and thematically ugly.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on March 9, 2020March 9, 2020

Troop Zero Review: Lite-le Miss Sunshine

Troop Zero
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Amazon Prime’s girl scout comedy wastes its cast and period setting to make for an involving, generically cute indie.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on January 21, 2020January 22, 2020

“Weathering With You” Is an Animated Ray of Sunshine

Weathering With You
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Makoto Shinkai’s followup to Your Name is another charming coming-of-age tale with a supernatural twist.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on January 18, 2020January 18, 2020

The Top 25 Movies of 2019

Top 25 Movies of 2019
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From Ad Astra to Us, we celebrate the cream of the cinematic crop in 2019.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on December 13, 2019December 18, 2019

NYFF: “The Whistlers” Never Rises Above a Whisper

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Romania’s Corneliu Pourumbiou bogs down excellent production design in droopy, exposition-heavy noir trappings.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on October 6, 2019October 6, 2019

NYFF 57: “Synonyms” Is an Israeli Drama Packed With Meaning

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Nadav Lapid’s latest film loads its narrative with impactful stories about masculinity, language, and nationality.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on September 29, 2019September 30, 2019

NYFF 57: “Pain & Glory” Is Sumptuous, Autobiographic Almodóvar

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Pedro Almodóvar graces us with a shaggy but rewarding portrait of a middle-aged director wrestling with his demons, with an arresting turn by Banderas.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on September 29, 2019September 28, 2019

NYFF 57: “The Irishman” Is Scorsese’s Most Ambitious, Indulgent Film Yet

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Martin Scorsese returns with another long, sumptuous opus, whose crackling performances and scintillating script are held up by some wonky de-aging tech and a leaden runtime.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on September 27, 2019September 30, 2019

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