Category Archives: Movies

Review: Chess Story (The Royal Game)

Posted on July 20, 2023 by philipbrasor

Film adaptations of fiction that plays with form and structure offer unique challenges, and while I haven’t read the Stefan Zweig bestseller on which Chess Story is based, there are enough odd, disconcerting turns to the development to make me … Continue reading →

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Review: Saint Omer

Posted on July 14, 2023 by philipbrasor

There is a scene near the beginning of Saint Omer that suggests why director Alice Diop chose to render this tale, based on a real incident and a real trial, as a fiction film rather than as a documentary, which … Continue reading →

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Review: Close

Posted on July 13, 2023 by philipbrasor

I can’t remember where, but I once read an article that said our first realization of our place in the world comes when we experience loss. The two protagonists of Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s Oscar-nominated feature are old enough that … Continue reading →

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Review: The Pope’s Exorcist

Posted on July 12, 2023 by philipbrasor

Though The Pope’s Exorcist is not a particularly good movie, it’s a fitting vehicle for Russell Crowe’s return to top billing, albeit one in which he appears grey-bearded and paunchy. As the titular priest, Crowe brings a welcome measure of … Continue reading →

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Review: Great Freedom

Posted on July 7, 2023 by philipbrasor

Sebastian Meise’s prison movie jumps around between 1945, 1958, and 1968, but starts near the end with a trial in which prosecutors use clandestinely shot film of male-on-male couplings in a public toilet to convict Hans Hoffman (Franz Rogowski) of … Continue reading →

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Review: Pearl

Posted on July 6, 2023 by philipbrasor

As an origin story, Ti West’s prequel to his hit horror comedy X seems under-conceived, and, according to reports, West and his star, Mia Goth, mostly came up with the idea on the fly not long after X finished shooting, … Continue reading →

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Review: The Novelist’s Film

Posted on June 30, 2023 by philipbrasor

As a formalist, Hong Sangsoo rarely sticks to the same set structure, though, given his stylistic distinctions, many may assume he does. He often plays with time, linearity, and alternate outcomes in order to demonstrate how stories can be told, … Continue reading →

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Review: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Posted on June 29, 2023 by philipbrasor

The obvious outlier among last year’s Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations, Dean Fleisher-Camp and Jenny Slate’s story about a talking seashell never had a chance, which is probably why film cognoscenti tripped all over themselves in a rush to claim … Continue reading →

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Review: Calendar Girls

Posted on June 24, 2023 by philipbrasor

Not to be confused with the 2003 Helen Mirren comedy with the same title, Maria Loohufvud and Love Martinsen’s documentary nevertheless covers similar ground; namely, women of a “certain age” flaunting what they’ve still got to make a point about … Continue reading →

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Review: Confession

Posted on June 23, 2023 by philipbrasor

The first minute of Yoon Jong-seok’s convoluted thriller, based on the Spanish movie Contratiempo, neatly sets up the basic story. Powerful IT entrepreneur Min-ho (So Ji-sub) has been arrested for the murder of his mistress but is released due to … Continue reading →

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