Holy Smoke! burns poisoned masculinity but chokes on Orientalist smog

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Holy Smoke! burns poisoned masculinity but chokes on Orientalist smog

Kate Winslet and Harvey Keitel deliver powerhouse performances in Jane Campion's cult-deprogramming dramedy, but the script fails in its thoughtless colonialism.

Features

In The Piano, Jane Campion and Holly Hunter navigate silence

Campion's multi-Oscar winner studies the thorns of speaking, silence, and desire through impeccable performances.

Reviews

“Fatima” is a timely story of the endless battle between science & belief

Marco Pontecorvo directs a thoughtful look at why we often choose faith over fact.

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time

The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.

Anniversaries

“It Never Goes Away”: “The Two Jakes” At 30

Jack Nicholson's disastrously-received sequel to Chinatown is far more interesting than its reputation implies.

Reviews

“The Painted Bird” loses itself in its own detached misery

Václav Marhoul's three-hour WW2 fable is a brutal film tied up a bit too rigidly in its meticulous depictions of violence.

Features

The Wild Contradictions of Giuliani’s New York in “Clockers”

One of Spike Lee's most underrated films depicts a New York in which the more things change, the more racism stays the same.

Features

The Score and the Psyche: Music in “Taxi Driver”

Bernard Herrmann's iconic score is a supporting character in Martin Scorsese's drama about a dangerous loner.

Festivals

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

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.

Features

“From Dusk Till Dawn” and Tarantino the Actor

Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's grindhouse vampire thriller is a fascinating but flawed glimpse into their collaboration.

Features

With “Pulp Fiction,” Tarantino Resisted the Mundane

Quentin Tarantino's classic 1994 new-cool drama set the stage for a new era of independent film, and saw the end of his own sense of mercy.

Features

“Reservoir Dogs” is Quentin Tarantino’s Bloody Rosetta Stone

Quentin Tarantino's breakout debut feature is a bloody distillation of his best and worst instincts.

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