Colin Stetson makes a meal out of The Menu’s disturbing score

ralph fiennes Archives - The Spool

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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.

Reviews

“The Dig” explores our aching need to be remembered

Simon Stone crafts an exquisite drama about the importance of history on our personal and societal stories, anchored by beautiful turns from Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes.

Features

“The Hurt Locker” told a starkly modern war story

Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar winning drama tossed aside the bombastic, jingoistic cliches of war pictures in favor of something more chilling.

Reviews

“Strange Days” says more about 2020 than it did about 1999

Kathryn Bigelow's vision of a grim future was mostly rejected by audiences -- now we're living in it.

Columns

P.S.H. I Love You: Hoffman serves up sleaze in the middling “Red Dragon”

Try as he might, Philip Seymour Hoffman can't lend enough sleaze to Brett Ratner's Hannibal Lecter sequel to make it feel less like a bland retread.

“Dolittle” Does Just Enough to Treat the January Blues

Despite some strange tonal shifts, this warm family film has sweetness & heart.

Filmmaker of the Month

“Spectre” Loses Itself in the Ghosts of Franchise Past

While Skyfall was a rousing success, Mendes' return to the Bond franchise, bogs itself down in tiresome lore and continuity.

The White Crow Review: Lots of Technique, But Not Enough Purpose

Ralph Fiennes' tale of real-life Russian dancer and defector Rudolph Nureyev is stylish enough but fails to slip deeply into its' characters ballet flats.

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