Amelie Lasker
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Danzon (1991) |
The soundtrack lends the film a feeling of joy and celebration. And although this is a tragic story, not a dance movie, the danzón as a theme feels like Julia reclaiming her joy. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Smithereens (1982) |
A punk classic, with a soundtrack that includes the Feelies and Richard Hell & the Voidoids. If anything, Wren's failures make it even more punk: she's following a city, a scene, and a dream -- no matter how desperate she becomes. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles (2019) |
Funny and clever, and it makes me want to go and watch the musical again, which I'd say is the best thing such a documentary can do. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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The Day I Became a Woman (2000) |
Makhmalbaf's skill as a storyteller shines in her ability to condense meaning into an image or snippet of dialogue. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) |
It's a treasure trove of interviews with influential bands and footage from performances, featuring Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, the Germs, Catholic Discipline, the Circle Jerks, and more. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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27 Missing Kisses (2000) |
I love Sybilla. I wish she weren't so sexualized, by men and by the camera (she's fourteen, let's remember). But she's spirited and candid and an entertaining heroine to watch. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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The Day I Will Never Forget (2002) |
It's filled with kind, resilient people fighting for themselves and others; I highly recommend it. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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The Connection (1961) |
Director Shirley Clarke's performance background strongly influences this carefully paced, masterfully acted, beautifully scored drama. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Meek's Cutoff (2010) |
Slowly, our own exhaustion and concern grow with the travelers' weariness. With deft acting and skillful pacing, you can feel the heat and dryness in their throats. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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The Company of Strangers (1990) |
Strangers in Good Company is a beautifully unique work, both in its topic and its docufiction execution. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Antonia's Line (1995) |
Gorris's work is impressive throughout, both in how she handles tonal shifts and builds a large cast of characters and weaves the story around them. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976) |
Despite all this exhaustion, desperation, and anger, I'm struck by the joy and hope in this documentary. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Girlfriends (1978) |
Its warm sense of humor and its images of a New York fantasy -- the stoops, the galleries, the spacious, well-lit apartments even for people without much money -- make it feel like a classic. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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XXY (2007) |
Lucía Puenzo explores all of this sensitively and beautifully. She portrays these teenagers joyfully. The camera doesn't shy away from heartbreaking and difficult scenes, either. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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The House is Black (2008) |
Brea's film explores the emotional effects of experiencing chronic illness, and at the same time, it sheds light on a wide, warm world of people connecting over their experience of the same illness. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Seven Beauties (1976) |
A masterclass in shifting tone. It manages to mingle humor in with the atrocities without trivializing what the Nazis are doing. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Stuffed (2019) |
This movie is bearable, even for sensitive viewers. The filmmaker is definitely interested in making a case for taxidermy as an art, demonstrating its beauty, and how it is valued and refined. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Vitalina Varela (2019) |
The movie's production design and cinematography work well with this story of mystery and grief. Often, we feel as if we are in a mine, or maybe moving through spotlighted dollhouse rooms, everything too delicate and dim to be real. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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First Cow (2019) |
Most of the interactions we see onscreen in this movie are tenderly funny. It makes for a wonderful story that highlights the strength of friendship in tenuous and even dangerous circumstances. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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The Addams Family (2019) |
The wisdom comes from the children, and the story that emerges feels pure and sweet. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Feb 25, 2021
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Born in Flames (1983) |
All these perspectives on revolution and post-revolution political discourse come together, asking nuanced questions that still preoccupy us in the current decade: how can we make feminism inclusive? - FF2 Media
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| Posted Dec 28, 2020
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Wanda (1970) |
It's delicious to see this kind of character taking up so much space on screen: unkempt, dazed, and aimless, with occasional moments of alertness to take pleasure in something tiny, just because she wants to. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Dec 28, 2020
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Olivia (1951) |
Olivia is a particularly beautiful watch. Within lavish costumes, bedrooms, and ballrooms, the story is surprisingly intimate. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Dec 28, 2020
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Flannery (2019) |
Flannery is more about the person than the work. It reminds me a lot in tone of Brad Gooch's biography of O'Connor: playful, intimate, and appreciative of the unique challenges and joys of O'Connor's life. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 05, 2020
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The Most Dangerous Year (2018) |
Through her daughter's story, Knowlton illustrates why it's so important that lawmakers protect transgender children's rights. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Apr 25, 2019
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Catching Sight of Thelma & Louise (2017) |
This documentary is great at raising these kinds of questions, at exploring the variation in their answers. For some people, the original movie provides healing that is highly personal. For others, it is heartwarming, funny, or tragic. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Apr 04, 2019
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Lou Andreas-Salomé, the Audacity to Be Free (2016) |
A gentle score and soft, dreamy flashbacks give this film the feel of a period romance, though the story's loyalty to Lou's own obstinate personality ultimately makes it a fascinating character study. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Let the Sunshine In (2017) |
Through a repetitive narrative cycle and an intimate arc portrayed by lead actress Binoche, Denis explores how depressing and isolating the search for love can be. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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The Rider (2017) |
Zhao has shown herself to be a wonderful storyteller, and I can't wait to see what she does next. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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This Is Home: A Refugee Story (2018) |
This Is Home's creators, a team of mostly women, have wrought an intimate story of the four families and their new American lives, a story which gives essential attention to the larger implications of the Syrian refugee crisis. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Juliet, Naked (2018) |
Thanks to the filmmakers' handle on the romantic comedy genre, Juliet, Naked is highly watchable, a fun take on a winning premise. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Pacific Rim Uprising (2018) |
Pacific Rim: Uprising has memorable characters and a satisfyingly complex story, and for lovers of action, it comes highly recommended. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Tomb Raider (2018) |
It's hard to feel really pulled along by the story. Still, a charismatic heroine and a father-daughter arc keep us invested. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Werewolf (2016) |
The film is at many times hard to watch, but its nuanced character development makes it a story worth telling. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Forever My Girl (2018) |
While undoubtedly a romance, Forever My Girl is also a story of forgiveness, grief, and family. It's a success of its genre. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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On Body and Soul (2017) |
Partially shot in a real slaughterhouse, the film is visually and conceptually both beautiful and viscerally sickening, a fascinating exploration of loneliness and attention in an unusual environment. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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My Art (2016) |
With a casual pace and some particularly poignant and funny moments, My Art is a quiet enjoyment. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Itzhak (2017) |
With glimpses into Itzhak's married life, Jewish heritage, and warm circle of friends, Itzhak is a charming portrait of a beloved musician. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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The Opera House (2017) |
Froemke has created a fascinating picture of how art and humanity survive across time and place. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Finding Your Feet (2017) |
It's rare to see a movie with a cast of characters who are almost entirely retirement age or older, and it's even rarer to see these characters portrayed in full depth. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) |
For the audience members who are only looking for some light fun along with energized vocal versions of familiar pop songs, Pitch Perfect 3 succeeds. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Lady Bird (2017) |
I can't wait to see what Gerwig does next. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Killing for Love (2016) |
While Killing for Love ends up being a call for justice, it is framed as a psychological thriller and a court drama, an exploration of what happened within the young couple and the Haysom family. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Félicité (2017) |
Félicité's wonderful soundtrack supplements its incredible writing and editing, and it is my favorite movie so far this year. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Bill Frisell: A Portrait (2017) |
This movie is not going to pull you along: rather, you have to be willing to sit with Bill and his friends and listen to the music carefully. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) |
Though not as full of fantasy and pathos as the original story of A Christmas Carol, Dickens's personal journey makes for a charming Christmas movie. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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The Tribes of Palos Verdes (2017) |
The Tribes of Palos Verdes has a gorgeous stylistic mood. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Cook Off! (2017) |
While the humor is overtly silly and light, I found some of it quite troubling. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Woodshock (2017) |
Woodshock is a quiet psychological thriller, and it creates more mysteries for us than it resolves. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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Novitiate (2017) |
While the story is effective in delving into that more human side to one's personal relationship with religion, its characters could be portrayed with more depth and respect. - FF2 Media
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| Posted Aug 26, 2018
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