All of the usual suspects are here: Barry Jenkins and his deft, un-preachy but still potently lyrical storytelling, Viola Davis and her steely vulnerability that breaks your heart, Naomie Harris and her gift for settling into a character like a second skin, and Natalie Portman with her ability to get you the viewer to believe anything and everything she's selling. BUT….. I want to direct your attention to the quiet, transformative work turned in by 8 year old newcomer Sunny Pawar in Lion. I'd argue that his…
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MY TOP 15 FAVORITE FILMS OF 2014
It only took me forever to compile this list. It wasn't because of any apathy or spiritlessness about my film going experience last year. The problem is that Philly isn't like LA and NYC: films, for the most part, don't screen here early. Films that are released in NYC and LA in order to make the early December awards season deadlines often don't open in Philly until 2-3 months later, at the earliest.
2014 wasn't the strongest year cinematically, especially with the relative paucity of features films…Read more
2014 wasn't the strongest year cinematically, especially with the relative paucity of features films…Read more
MY TOP FILMS OF 2014 THUS FAR
This summer has been a cinematically fallow. Most of my favorite films were released in winter and spring, but....
MY TOP 10 FILMS FOR 2013
I see 1-2 new films every week in theaters, a mix of art house offerings and standard HollyWeird fare. Below is my top 10 list. I have to say that, of my favorites, Jill Solloway's slyly resonant Afternoon Delight and Thomas Vinterberg's psychologically taut The Hunt are the 2 films I most look forward to re-watching on DVD.