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- Reviews: Currents (2026)
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- sheila on 2026 Shakespeare Reading Project: Hamlet
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- sheila on “I just love telling stories. That’s what we do and it’s a good business to be in, especially if you know you have talent.” –Jensen Ackles
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Tag Archives: reviews
Review: Jawline (2019)
This documentary is sweet and surprisingly sad, but not sad in the expected way. Tender. And that’s unexpected, considering the topic (a kid who wants to be a social media star). I reviewed Jawline for Rogerebert.com.
Review: Blinded by the Light (2019)
I really loved Blinded by the Light, based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir Greetings From Bury Park, about growing up the son of Pakistani immigrants in England, and his life-changing discovery of Bruce Springsteen. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, who also directed … Continue reading
Present Tense: On Dennis Hopper’s Out of the Blue (1980)
My new column for Film Comment is about Dennis Hopper’s wild and nihilistic Out of the Blue, starring Linda Manz, in a definite high watermark for performances by teenagers. She’s an icon, and WAS an icon to me when I … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
Tagged Dennis Hopper, drama, Elvis Presley, Linda Manz, Out of the Blue, Present Tense, reviews
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Review: Light of My Life (2019)
Light of My Life, a dystopian father-daughter survival drama, is Casey Affleck’s narrative feature directorial debut. He also wrote and starred. I found it quite effective. My review of Light of My Life is now up at Rogerebert.com.
Review: The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Your mileage may vary but this film – costarring Shia LaBeouf and newcomer Zac Gottsagen (who has Down Syndrome) worked like gangbusters. I loved it. My review of The Peanut Butter Falcon is up on Rogerebert.com.
Review: The Nightingale (2019)
The Nightingale – Jennifer Kent’s follow-up to her insanely great debut The Babadook – has been getting great reviews. I, however, was … not so into it.
Review: The Mountain (2019)
Rick Alverson is not an ingratiating film-maker and seems to not care whether or not you follow him. He’s going to do what he’s going to do. I respect that attitude, even if sometimes I find his work exasperating. His … Continue reading
Review: Lying and Stealing (2019)
I reviewed Lying and Stealing, a fun new art heist movie, for Rogerebert.com.
Present Tense: On What Happened Was…, one of the great films about loneliness
For my next “Present Tense” column at Film Comment, I wrote about Tom Noonan’s award-winning 1994 film What Happened Was… It was impossible to see the film for a good 10 years too (it was never released on DVD. If … Continue reading
Posted in Movies
Tagged drama, Edward Hopper, Olivia Laing, Present Tense, reviews, Tom Noonan, What Happened Was
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Review: Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (2019)
I reviewed Marianne & Leonard for Ebert, a documentary about Marianne Ihlen and Leonard Cohen, and their muse/artist relationship. Cohen’s love of her was immortalized in song, her picture on the back of one of his albums. She remains somewhat … Continue reading