Shane Slater

Shane Slater
Tomatometer-approved critic
Publications: AwardsCircuit.com

Movie Reviews Only

T-Meter Title | Year
3/4 86% The Third Wife (2019) There's a subversive undercurrent to the film which manifests in genuinely surprising ways. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted May 16, 2019
3/4 95% Shadow (2019) Grabbing attention from the very first frame, there are few films as visually striking as Zhang Yimou's Shadow. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted May 2, 2019
3/4 60% Sprinter (2019) Plot threads play out in mostly expected ways. But Saulter elevates the material through the specificity of its Jamaican context. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 24, 2019
3/4 91% Sauvage / Wild (2019) The film initially feels aimless in its voyeurism, but it gradually reveals deeper layers through Félix Maritaud's touching performance. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 11, 2019
3/4 97% Working Woman (2019) While Aviad's subtle direction may not deliver riveting melodrama, it taps into deeply felt truths about gender and power dynamics. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 28, 2019
2.5/4 55% Yardie (2019) The committed performances and unique setting are wasted on a rather predictable revenge plot. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 14, 2019
3/4 98% 3 Faces (2019) 3 Faces poignantly examines the tensions within a society where art and culture don't always make a perfect match. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 8, 2019
2.5/4 64% Memoir of War (La douleur) (2018) A somewhat lifeless film saved by handsome production values and a strong central performance. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 16, 2018
3/4 100% Supa Modo (2018) A true delight in its unbridled humanity. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 10, 2018
2/4 93% Village Rockstars (2017) Das' warm direction conveys a palpable affection for these people. But the thin plot keeps the audience at a distance. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 5, 2018
3/4 89% Tito and the Birds (Tito e os Pássaros) (2018) What makes it stand out among this year's animated films is the underlying philosophical themes which will spur conversations. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 26, 2018
3/4 59% Sunset (Napszállta) (2019) Like its beguiling lead actress Juli Jakab, "Sunset" is enigmatic, beautiful and full of grace. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 16, 2018
3/4 95% Birds of Passage (Pájaros de verano) (2019) A fascinating portrayal of a world we've rarely seen before. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 12, 2018
2.5/4 92% Donbass (2018) Like it or not, you won't see another war film like it this year. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 7, 2018
3/4 98% The Guilty (Den skyldige) (2018) A tremendously involving film which will keep you guessing all the way up to its shattering conclusion. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 16, 2018
3/4 70% Champions (Campeones) (2018) The film is too entertaining to resist. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 12, 2018
2.5/4 97% The Heiresses (Las Herederas) (2019) The film succeeds mostly in Martinessi's direction. His shadowy visual aesthetic compensates for the narrative's shortcomings by evoking an absorbing sense of melancholy. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 4, 2018
3/4 95% No Date, No Signature (Bedoune Tarikh, Bedoune Emza) (2018) The journey towards the conclusion is a rollercoaster of raw emotion that deftly lays bare the fragility of humanity. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 1, 2018
3/4 76% Five Fingers for Marseilles (2018) Though its opening act may hint at some missed thematic potential, fans of the Western genre will surely find much to appreciate in Five Fingers for Marseilles. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 10, 2018
1.5/4 88% John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection (L'empire de la perfection) (2018) The film approaches McEnroe like a special animal to be studied. But ultimately, the effect is more akin to counting sheep. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Aug 22, 2018
3/4 98% The Cakemaker (2018) It's a warm, empathetic and satisfying story. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Jun 29, 2018
3/4 79% Believer (2018) ...solid mainstream entertainment for those seeking slick production values, exciting action scenes, and an engaging storyline. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Jun 7, 2018
3/4 89% The Desert Bride (La Novia del Desierto) (2018) Garcia's nuanced performance is indeed a marvel to watch, guided by Atán and Pivato's humanistic direction and storytelling. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted May 4, 2018
3/4 80% In the Last Days of the City (Akher ayam el madina) (2018) While the film is shot with a loving warmth that conveys an almost perpetual 'magic hour', there's a distant feeling to the film's overly studied approach. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 26, 2018
2.5/4 54% Godard Mon Amour (Le redoutable) (2018) Part love story, part character study, and part homage, Godard Mon Amour is a mixed bag of cinematic tricks. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 20, 2018
2.5/4 96% Zama (2018) Lucrecia Martel remains one of cinema's best visual stylists. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 10, 2018
4/4 96% Boyz n the Hood (1991) All of these supporting characters proved indispensable to the film's lasting power. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 2, 2018
3/4 77% The China Hustle (2018) An eye-opening yet somewhat underwhelming documentary. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 28, 2018
3/4 100% Keep the Change (2018) Israel delivers a precious take on the classic romantic comedy. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 15, 2018
2.5/4 90% Claire's Camera (La caméra de Claire) (2018) If nothing else, Claire's Camera succeeds in providing dreamy escapism. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 10, 2018
3/4 94% The Cage Fighter (2018) Carman may initially seem like an "average Joe," but both he and this thoughtful film contain multitudes. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 2, 2018
3/4 88% Mary and The Witch's Flower (2018) When the film eventually embraces the razzle-dazzle of magic and adventure, it's a thrilling ride. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Jan 23, 2018
3/4 89% On Body and Soul (A Teströl és Lélekröl) (2018) On Body and Soul is arguably too cerebral to fully resonate as a romance. But ...there's something enchanting in its inexplicable love affair. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Jan 17, 2018
3.5/4 86% The Insult (L'insulte) (2018) The Insult grips the audience from start to finish. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Jan 10, 2018
3/4 98% Quest (2017) Director Jonathan Olshefski stumbles on a profoundly bittersweet testament to the human condition. At once universal and specific, Quest is a truly American story. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 12, 2017
3/4 77% Woodpeckers (Carpinteros) (2017) Woodpeckers is a film that showcases an emerging talent. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 4, 2017
3/4 89% A Ciambra (2018) The curiosity of Carpignano's sharp directorial vision ... brings these characters and their world to life. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Dec 3, 2017
3/4 96% A Taxi Driver (2017) While conventional wisdom would lead to you expect a somber affair, Jang instead takes a national tragedy and crafts a winning film about sacrifice and honor. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 13, 2017
2.5/4 84% Song of Granite (2017) Song of Granite ... begins to outstay its welcome. But until then, it's an undeniable beauty. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 12, 2017
3/4 96% Félicité (2017) Félicité expresses the moods of life with a magnetic, potent grace. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 31, 2017
3/4 84% The Divine Order (Die göttliche Ordnung) (2017) The film is merely heartwarming without inspiring the rousing spirit of activism it depicts. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 28, 2017
3/4 98% BPM (Beats Per Minute) (120 battements par minute) (2017) BPM (Beats Per Minute) is so fascinating and lovingly crafted that it leaves you wanting more. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 23, 2017
2/4 80% Thy Father's Chair (2017) Rarely has a film felt so literally like a chore to watch. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 12, 2017
3/4 90% The Wound (Inxeba) (2017) The Wound may not be the incendiary whistle-blower it could have been, but its engaging array of perspectives offers immense potential as a conversation starter... - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 6, 2017
3/4 91% Window Horses (2017) Satisfying on both an emotional and intellectual level, Window Horses is an animated film any family can enjoy. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 29, 2017
3/4 59% Bobbi Jene (2017) Lind doesn't quite illuminate what exactly makes Bobbi Jene so groundbreaking. But ultimately, the emotions expressed ... speak for themselves. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 21, 2017
3.5/4 76% In the Fade (Aus dem Nichts) (2017) Through the efficient storytelling and the skillful editing, In The Fade thus transforms seamlessly from gut-wrenching tragedy to a lean, propulsive revenge thriller. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 15, 2017
3/4 75% Sheikh Jackson (2018) What could have been just a quirky tale of a boy's pop star obsession ultimately becomes an amazingly profound tale of self-love above all else. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 15, 2017
2.5/4 100% Wajib (2017) In the end, it all boils down to a rather simple father-son drama. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 15, 2017
2.5/4 34% Racer and the Jailbird (Le Fidèle) (2018) Though Roskam and Schoenaarts eventually hit the mark, Racer and the Jailbird provides little more than superficial entertainment. - AwardsCircuit.com EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 14, 2017