Author Archives: philipbrasor

Review: Casting By

Posted on April 2, 2022 by philipbrasor

As everyone knows, movies are a collaborative art form, and while critics tend to judge their quality based on reductionist criteria concerning direction, writing, and acting, more often than not our opinions are shaped by more prosaic choices. As Martin … Continue reading →

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Media column April 2022

Posted on April 2, 2022 by philipbrasor

Here is a link to our April media column for the Number 1 Shimbun, which is about the push in Japan for “nuclear sharing” and reopening nuclear power plants in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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Review: A Hero

Posted on April 1, 2022 by philipbrasor

It’s interesting that Asghar Farhadi’s movies are appreciated by so many people from so many different countries since they address legal and cultural matters so specific to Iran. In fact, I’ve often had problems navigating his plots because I’ve missed … Continue reading →

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Reviews: Annette and Titane

Posted on March 30, 2022 by philipbrasor

If Cannes is, as its organizers claim, the greatest film festival in the world, it’s probably because the French film industry dutifully treats it as such. In fact, it’s impossible to distinguish the French film industry from the Cannes sensibility—just … Continue reading →

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Review: Nightmare Alley

Posted on March 26, 2022 by philipbrasor

The Hollywood melodramas of the late 40s and early 50s had a discomfiting story-telling quality that seems exclusive to that particular era, meaning right after a war that many deemed “good” but which nevertheless haunted those who had seen it … Continue reading →

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Review: Belfast

Posted on March 25, 2022 by philipbrasor

Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical feature isn’t the first movie to depict an historical tragedy through the filter of heartwarming nostalgia, but it definitely feels as if it sets out to be the standard for such depictions. Branagh’s avatar is Buddy (Jude … Continue reading →

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Media watch: New children’s agency may not necessarily be there for children

Posted on March 23, 2022 by philipbrasor

On March 14, the Mainichi Shimbun published an article about an ordinance proposed in the Okayama prefectural assembly to bolster so-called home education in order to “encourage children to become parents in the future.” The proposal received pushback from certain … Continue reading →

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Review: Sing 2

Posted on March 19, 2022 by philipbrasor

Talking animals have always been a staple—if not the default subjects—of cartoons, their appeal reduced to a confluence of familiar species behaviors and anthropomorphic acting out. This particular credo became even more pronounced as CGI made those behaviors more lifelike, … Continue reading →

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Review: Stray

Posted on March 18, 2022 by philipbrasor

What is it about Istanbul and stray animals? In 2016 we had the documentary Kedi, which celebrated the famous stray cats of the city. Now, we have director Elizabeth Lo, who grew up in Hong Kong and studied film in … Continue reading →

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Review: Apples

Posted on March 12, 2022 by philipbrasor

Greek directors have in recent years coopted that species of European ennui that used to be associated with Scandinavia, but filtered through a more mordant sensibility. There’s a fatalism inherent in the work of the most celebrated of these filmmakers, … Continue reading →

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