Category Archives: Movies

Review: Summer of Soul

Posted on August 26, 2021 by philipbrasor

Ahmir Questlove Thompson, the drummer of The Roots and the self-styled keeper of the flame of African-American music style and history, is ostensibly the director of this documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival that took place over the course of … Continue reading →

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Review: IWeirDO

Posted on August 19, 2021 by philipbrasor

Taiwanese filmmaker Liao Ming-yi’s debut is said to be the first Asian movie shot on iPhones, a gimmick that no longer feels particularly fresh but one that is peculiarly suited to the themes he addresses. The portrait mode does a … Continue reading →

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Review: Song Without a Name

Posted on July 31, 2021 by philipbrasor

This Peruvian black-and-white film, directed by Melina Leon, who also wrote it with Michael J. White, feels schematically predictable on paper. It presents the all too common tragedy of an indigenous woman who is cheated by a nameless, criminal entity … Continue reading →

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Review: Inside (uncut)

Posted on July 30, 2021 by philipbrasor

Not particularly a fan of horror movies, I was nonetheless curious about this rerelease of an infamous 2007 slasher flick that has since become identified as a prime example of the so-called new wave of French horror, which tends to … Continue reading →

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Review: In the Heights

Posted on July 29, 2021 by philipbrasor

So much has happened in the world that could affect the basic premise of the musical In the Heights between its Broadway stage beginnings in 2008 and its cinematic manifestation last year that it’s impossible not to ponder them while … Continue reading →

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Review: Plan A

Posted on July 24, 2021 by philipbrasor

Having been pleasantly surprised by the 2018 German-Israeli co-production The Cakemaker, I was looking forward to Plan A, another German-Israeli co-production. The Cakemaker had explored the still difficult relationship between the two countries but on an intimate scale and in … Continue reading →

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Review: Last and First Men

Posted on July 23, 2021 by philipbrasor

The late Icelandic film composer Johann Johannsson amassed an admirably ecelctic body of soundtrack work that ranged from Hollywood potboilers to pure art cinema, and the posthumously released Last and First Men is the only film he directed. The score … Continue reading →

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Review: Jallikattu

Posted on July 17, 2021 by philipbrasor

Though India has always flourished as a prime source of original films, most of the world still only thinks of Bollywood. In fact, there are myriad subdivisions of Indian cinema depending on region and language that have achieved their own … Continue reading →

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Review: Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Posted on July 16, 2021 by philipbrasor

Regardless of the moral or religious arguments wielded by pro-life activists, there is one truth they cannot deny: Even if abortion is outlawed, pregnant women who don’t want to give birth will try to find ways to rid themselves of … Continue reading →

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Review: Better Days

Posted on July 15, 2021 by philipbrasor

Now that China has effectively exercised its mandate over Hong Kong and all that entails in terms of freedoms for the former British territory, it remains to be seen how independent of party influence the city’s famously independent film industry … Continue reading →

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