Author Archives: philipbrasor

Review: No Other Choice

Posted on March 6, 2026 by philipbrasor

Celebrated for his meticulous, almost stately mise en scene, and noted for his often extreme use of violence, Park Chan-wook is rarely lauded for his visual jokes. In his last movie, the mystery thriller Decision to Leave, I smiled almost … Continue reading →

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Review: Blue Moon, Wicked: For Good, Elis & Tom

Posted on March 5, 2026 by philipbrasor

Richard Linklater’s chamber piece about the early 20th century American lyricist Lorenz Hart, Blue Moon, analyzes the nexus of art and entertainment, with the latter prevailing because the movie itself is nothing if not self-consciously witty and contrived. With a … Continue reading →

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Review: Late Shift

Posted on March 4, 2026 by philipbrasor

Leonie Benesch is one of those seasoned European actors who wins awards and garners serious critical acclaim without breaking out in a big way. Her lead performance in the education drama The Teachers Lounge, as a Polish immigrant instructor trying … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Election workers try to make dodgy numbers add up, get busted

Posted on March 3, 2026 by philipbrasor

After the Lower House election took place in February, some people on social media called into question the surprisingly good results of the newish Team Mirai party, which managed to secure 11 seats out of a total 14 candidates. There … Continue reading →

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Review: Wuthering Heights and Shiva Baby

Posted on February 27, 2026 by philipbrasor

As with much of the classic literature I read in high school and college, Charlotte Bronte’s Wuthering Heights remains in my memory as more of a vibe than a story, and I imagine it’s this dynamic that director Emerald Fennell … Continue reading →

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Review: The Disappearance of Josef Mengele and Malum

Posted on February 26, 2026 by philipbrasor

Though based on a French novel, The Disappearance of Josef Mengele, directed by the prolific expatriate Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov, offers enough convincing detail to make it feel not only closely researched but redolent of the historical moments it depicts. … Continue reading →

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Review: Sentimental Value

Posted on February 20, 2026 by philipbrasor

Tolstoy’s famous opening line from Anna Karenina about families sounds as if it could have been the jumping off point for Joachim Trier’s latest Oslo-set film, which is both a domestic melodrama and a slyly comic analysis of his chosen … Continue reading →

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Review: In Our Day

Posted on February 14, 2026 by philipbrasor

The fun of a new Hong Sangsoo movie is in discovering what the prolific, wily director is doing this time in terms of structure. This 2023 feature has two narratives that alternate back-and-forth while sharing certain story elements. However, anyone … Continue reading →

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Review: Bugonia and Crime 101

Posted on February 13, 2026 by philipbrasor

Though I don’t remember many of the particulars of Jang Joon-hwan’s iconic environmental thriller Save the Green Planet!, which I only saw once when it first came out in 2003, its creepy uniqueness has somehow lingered. It’s one of those … Continue reading →

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Review: My Everything

Posted on February 12, 2026 by philipbrasor

Director Anne-Sophie Bailly piles one melodramatic layer on top of another in her tale about Mona (Laure Calamy), a late middle aged single mother trying to live her life as naturally as she can while caring for her thirty-something special-needs … Continue reading →

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