An intense logic underpins the tone of writer/director Paul Schrader's latest feature, "The Card Counter." While the film has its eccentricities, occasionally indulging in tangents or dangling threads, it never shows its whole hand and keeps an unreadable poker-face the whole time. At first the film may seem random, but beneath the surface lies an [...]
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Films about films or the process, nature and culture of their creation are part of a storied tradition, from classics like “Rear Window” (1954) that muse on the voyeuristic nature of cinema to newer films like “Mulholland Drive” (2001) that critique Hollywood and the film business’ mistreatment of actresses. Baltimore filmmaker Theo Anthony’s documentary, “All [...]
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When I started “Identifying Features,” a story of a mother searching for her missing son, I expected an overtly dramatic ride. However, what surprised me most was how much ground the film covers in an understated manner. Despite its heavy themes of grief, our desire for closure and the struggle for survival, the film rarely [...]
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In 2020, art provided both an escape from reality and a way to see it anew. We asked several Arts & Entertainment writers to reflect on the art they connected with this year and received a mix of responses from old classics, new discoveries, long-awaited releases and stumbled-upon favorites. 1. All the movies I’ve been [...]
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They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, but sincerity and flattery do not always go hand in hand with artistry. When “Citizen Kane'' premiered in 1941, it readily showcased the inherent insincerities of narrators in storytelling and malleability of personal truths, and it was far from flattering to its allegorical subject, William [...]
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