Category Archives: Movies

Review: Gladiator II

Posted on November 15, 2024 by philipbrasor

Though I don’t expect much hard history when I take in a historical drama, I always appreciate it more if I leave it knowing more about the past than I did going in. Ridley Scott’s latest epic, a long-simmering sequel … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Review: The Devil’s Deal

Posted on November 14, 2024 by philipbrasor

Cynical to the point of nihilism, this 2023 Korean box office hit is touted as a political thriller, though it’s really just another bloody gangster fable that happens to take place against the background of the 1992 general election. Politics … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Review: Weekend Rebels

Posted on November 13, 2024 by philipbrasor

The latest in a series of German movies on the theme of neuro-divergency was a box office hit in its native land, and it’s easy to see why. Clearly a mainstream effort, Weekend Rebels is based on a popular blog-turned-bestseller … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Leave a comment

Review: The Animal Kingdom

Posted on November 8, 2024 by philipbrasor

I already started having problems with the premise of this horror-fantasy in the first minutes, despite how masterfully conceived the opening scene is. A father, Francois (Romain Duris), and his teenage son, Emile (Paul Kircher), are sitting in a Paris … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Robot Dreams

Posted on November 7, 2024 by philipbrasor

Straightforwardly a film about loneliness and the search for connection, Pablo Berger’s animated feature, based on a graphic novel by Sara Varon, eschews dialogue for a rich sound design that complements its colorful, densely built 2D visuals. The setting is … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Leave a comment

Tokyo International Film Festival 2024

Posted on November 5, 2024 by philipbrasor

Here are links to the articles I wrote for this year’s TIFF website. Thanks to Karen Severns and Fumi Kawakubo. Or Utopia Q&A She Taught Me Serendipity Q&A TIFF Lounge: Payal Kapadia and Hirokazu Kore-eda The Englishman’s Papers Q&A Lust … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Gondola

Posted on November 1, 2024 by philipbrasor

The German director Veit Helmer is famous for shooting movies in Eastern Europe and Western Asia, though the locations seem to have less to do with thematic settings than with convenience. His latest is set in Georgia, and in interviews … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Review: Riddle of Fire

Posted on October 25, 2024 by philipbrasor

Just as lo-fi was once an indicator of indie authenticity in the realm of recorded music, the Tarantinoian idea of reviving the use of actual film stock will automatically strike some movie fans as a demonstration of genuine moviemaking rigor … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Review: Grace

Posted on October 19, 2024 by philipbrasor

With Russia in the international cultural dog house thanks to its antics in Ukraine, it might be surprising that this art house film has made such an impact on the festival circuit. But not only are there no martial or … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Leave a comment

Review: Joyland

Posted on October 18, 2024 by philipbrasor

In this debut feature by Pakistani filmmaker Saim Sadiq, the protagonist, Haider (Ali Junejo), is introduced playing hide-and-seek with his nieces in the family compound in Lahore. Haider is comfortable with kids in a milieu lorded over by his wheelchair-bound … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged | Leave a comment