Category Archives: Movies

Review: Vortex

Posted on December 8, 2023 by philipbrasor

It’s logical that Gaspar Noé’s latest film be compared to Michael Haneke’s Amour. Both are about impending death. Both focus on elderly couples. Both are unflinching in their depiction of how the body deteriorates in real time. The main difference … Continue reading →

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Review: Winter Boy

Posted on December 7, 2023 by philipbrasor

Christophe Honoré’s film about a troubled 17-year-old boy is as conflicted and frustrating as its protagonist, qualities that make it difficult to get a purchase on its intentions and the direction of the story in the beginning, which turns out … Continue reading →

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Review: A Boy’s Life

Posted on December 3, 2023 by philipbrasor

The Japanese title of this Austrian documentary translates as “Mengele and I,” which is misleading but in a different way than the English title is misleading. The film is basically a monologue by Holocaust survivor Daniel Chanoch who, as a … Continue reading →

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Review: Retribution

Posted on December 2, 2023 by philipbrasor

You can set your watch to the release of any new Liam Neeson action vehicle, and in this particular case “vehicle” is the operative word, since all said action takes place in a car that’s wired to explode if anyone … Continue reading →

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Review: Napoleon

Posted on December 1, 2023 by philipbrasor

People tend to complain when movies that endeavor to explain an important historical event fudge the facts, though anyone who has seriously studied history understands that there are always multiple versions of specific narratives, and the really important thing is … Continue reading →

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Review: This Is What I Remember

Posted on November 30, 2023 by philipbrasor

Kyrgyzstan director Aktan Arym Kubat says his latest film is a sequel to his debut fiction feature, The Adopted Son, which came out in 1998. Given that all his subsequent work has been autobiographical in nature, the “sequel” label may … Continue reading →

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Review: The Exorcist: Believer

Posted on November 29, 2023 by philipbrasor

When The Exorcist was released in 1973, it was considered the scariest studio movie since Psycho, with audience members actually fainting during intense scenes. Nowadays, it’s more of a relic than an experience, which means its importance lies in what … Continue reading →

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Review: Hokage (Shadow of Fire)

Posted on November 24, 2023 by philipbrasor

The news that director Shinya Tsukamoto was concluding his “antiwar trilogy” with a film about the Tokyo firebombing was compelling. The March 1945 aerial attack killed more than 100,000 people in one night and yet receives much less attention than … Continue reading →

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Review: Plane

Posted on November 22, 2023 by philipbrasor

Some find the trend of ultra-simple titles for blood simple action movies—Cocaine Bear, Snakes on a Plane—refreshingly honest, if not appropriately dumb, but this Gerard Butler vehicle, which was produced by Butler himself, would seem to be the last word … Continue reading →

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Review: Strays

Posted on November 17, 2023 by philipbrasor

As talking animal movies go, Strays isn’t very innovative visually, and its premise that the kind of typical dog behavior that humans find funny or gross is for dogs a point of pride is difficult to sustain for 90 minutes, … Continue reading →

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