Blue Jean
SimilarJFK (1991), Kolya (1996), Maria Full of Grace (2004),
StudioBBC Film, BFI,
A portrait of a closeted lesbian woman living in England during Margaret Thatcher’s oppressively homophobic 1980s reign, Georgia Oakley’s Blue Jean illustrates a unique paradox for a critic. How does one navigate criticizing a film’s self-imposed binaries while also accounting for the realities of a restrictive period, the gravity of the subject matter (and parallel current circumstances), and the differentiation of what is intended as cinematic affect and what constitutes clumsy filmmaking? Continue Reading →
Palm Trees and Power Lines
SimilarA Real Young Girl (1976), Copying Beethoven (2006),
Watch afterJohn Wick: Chapter 4 (2023),
Among the increasingly insane and dangerous culture wars we’ve found ourselves thrust into in recent years is whether or not merely explaining to a child what it means to be queer or transgender is inappropriate. For the rational-minded, it teaches children empathy and acceptance. For those less so, it’s akin to showing them pornography, and corrupting their innocence. The word “grooming” is used, although no one seems to know exactly what that means, except that it’s inflammatory and effectively shuts down any hope of a productive conversation. Continue Reading →
To Leslie
Watch afterTriangle of Sadness (2022),
Andrea Riseborough and Marc Maron shine in a study of a one-time lottery winner years after her life has gone bust.
(This review is part of our coverage of the 2022 South by Southwest Festival)
To Leslie tells a story of painful loss and possible redemption as familiar as the ones recounted in the country songs born out of its West Texas setting. In the case of Michael Morris’s feature debut, familiarity does not breed contempt. What To Leslie lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in terms of its craft and very impressive central performances from Andrea Riseborough and Marc Maron. Continue Reading →