“Each of us is a priest of Christ. Me, you. Each and every one of you.” Oscar-nominated Corpus Christi (for Best International Feature Film) explores what it means to be a priest of Christ. But it does so through the story of an imposter who finds a community in need. The story is inspired by… [Read More]
Bombshell – Another #MeToo Moment
Workplace sexual harassment and abuse doesn’t qualify as “man bites dog” news. But in recent years it has become news because of the rich and powerful people involved. #MeToo has become the catchall term for such abuse, especially in the entertainment industry. Bombshell is based on the 2016 scandal that led to the ouster of… [Read More]
Darrel’s Dozen 2020 – and some bonuses
It’s time for me to put up my favorite movies of the last year. So here’s Darrel’s Dozen for 2019 (with a few bonuses at the end). This year I’ll only rank the top film; all the rest will be alphabetical. Links are to my reviews, unless noted.) The #1 film for 2019 (according to… [Read More]
1on1 with Jan Komasa (CORPUS CHRISTI)
I recently had the opportunity to speak by phone with Jan Komasa, director of the Polish film Corpus Christi, which is on the shortlist of films being considered for an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Feature. The film is the story of a young man (Daniel) who impersonates a priest in a small town parish…. [Read More]
Clemency – A Warden’s Walls
“You want to be whole.” A couple of hours before viewing Clemency, I took in an excellent photo exhibition focusing on walls. That influenced how I understood this powerful film. The obvious reason is that the film takes place mostly within a prison, but that is only one of the kinds of walls we encounter…. [Read More]
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
The first words in the scrolling text that opens Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker are “The dead speak!” It continues on with a few things to remind us where the story left off. But those first three words are all we really need, because as the film progresses, the dead will indeed… [Read More]
1917: Down to Gehenna or up to the Throne
Director/co-writer Sam Mendes used stories his grandfather told about World War I, plus others’ stories from the Imperial War Museum archives, for the foundation of 1917. It is the story of friendship, loyalty, determination, and courage. But it also touches at times on the futility that is inherent in war. The film opens with Lance… [Read More]
Queen & Slim: Running into Love
I have heard Queen & Slim called a black Bonnie and Clyde (which references a line in the film) and a heterosexual Thelma & Louise. The latter is more apt, but neither really quite captures the way this film fuses the on-the-run trope with today’s cultural affairs. This is the story of a black man… [Read More]
Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood – A Tarantino Fairy Tale
When I first heard that Quenton Tarantino was going to be making a movie that involved the Manson Family killings, I assumed the violence and blood would be overwhelming. But Once Upon a Time . . . in Hollywood turns out to be his least violent film. All of Tarantino’s films have an aspect of… [Read More]
Hala – Between Two Worlds
Hala is the story of a young woman caught between two world—her parents’ and the culture she has grown up in. It is a stereotypical coming-of-age story with the additional conflict of having to live by additional rules that grow out of her parents’ values. But it also turns into not just about her yearning… [Read More]
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