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La Syndicaliste
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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This is the well-told story of a whistleblower who was unable to combat the steamroller coming for her.
Posted Dec 01, 2023
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Fallen Leaves
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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If Kaurismäki intended this to be love among the lonely and poor, he hasn't made that case to me, although apparently I'm an outlier.
Posted Nov 27, 2023
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It's a Wonderful Knife
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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This is a relatively fun, mindless 90 minutes.
Posted Nov 07, 2023
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Bella
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Although seen entirely through her eyes, suffering no contrary opinions, it is wonderful to renew an acquaintance with one of the most important dancers of the 20th century.
Posted Nov 06, 2023
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Subject
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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More in depth than just “where are they now,” the filmmakers try to dig into the long-term effects of living a part of your life in front of an audience.
Posted Nov 01, 2023
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King on Screen
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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“King on Screen” is more than the sum of its parts, so much so that you can forgive the director the lame imitation of King in her opening foray before she dives into the meat of the issue with the director interviews and fun film clips.
Posted Aug 25, 2023
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Love Life
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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A melancholic treatise on life and love, Fukada gives us a portrait of a people wrestling with the very idea of family.
Posted Aug 22, 2023
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Passages
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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The story is strong, character is well developed and the direction flows.
Posted Aug 02, 2023
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Revoir Paris
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Efira needs little or no dialogue to communicate what she’s feeling. Her expressive eyes are truly the window into her characters’ souls.
Posted Jul 20, 2023
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Close to Vermeer
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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There are many takeaways from this remarkable film, not the least of which is the sheer enjoyment of seeing something from the inside out even if you couldn’t see the exhibit itself.
Posted Jul 16, 2023
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The Miracle Club
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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Not a masterpiece, despite the cast, “The Miracle Club” is an enjoyable 90 minutes. After all, when will you see those actors together in something else?
Posted Jul 13, 2023
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They Cloned Tyrone
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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“They Cloned Tyrone” is a complicated film that succeeds most of the time in its journey to entertain and to warn.
Posted Jul 12, 2023
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Afire
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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A major problem with Petzold’s film is that... he doesn’t seem to have a view to articulate.
Posted Jul 12, 2023
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The Out-Laws
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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The dialogue is dreadful, the acting is overly broad and the jokes are juvenile.
Posted Jul 07, 2023
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Make Me Famous
(2021)
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Neely Swanson
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Where this film excels is in the archival footage of the many artists interviewed in the present day.
Posted Jul 06, 2023
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Biosphere
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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This entertaining film surprises with its depth, humor and intelligence.
Posted Jul 05, 2023
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Scarlet
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Watching this film is like reading a lovely, lyrical elegy with a beginning as enigmatic as its ending.
Posted Jun 20, 2023
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All Man: The International Male Story
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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They put a straight face on outrageous designs and were satirized for it, only increasing awareness of the brand.
Posted Jun 07, 2023
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Blue Jean
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Oakley has an agenda, and that’s okay, but she doesn’t develop either it or her characters in a convincing manner.
Posted Jun 02, 2023
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Monica
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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There’s no way around it. This is an excruciatingly long movie on a topic that could have been interesting had it been presented less portentously.
Posted May 29, 2023
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Film, the Living Record of Our Memory
(2021)
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Neely Swanson
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A must see for anyone who has ever been dazzled by the sleight of hand that is a movie. Your appreciation for the art form and the dangers it faces will increase geometrically.
Posted May 05, 2023
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Sisu
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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I can’t say I’m proud that I enjoyed this movie, but just remembering how outrageous everything was brings a smile to my face.
Posted Apr 25, 2023
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R.M.N.
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Mungiu does a great job at exposing the hypocrisy of his fellow citizens, he just has a hard time pulling it all together.
Posted Apr 24, 2023
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Gringa
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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Eng and Forester more than do their jobs by keeping things moving and trying to bring out the development of all their characters. To say that Patrick Hasburgh’s script let them down is an understatement.
Posted Apr 17, 2023
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You're Killing Me
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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A bit of fun, if definitely bloody. Not a masterpiece by any means but there’s probably an audience.
Posted Apr 06, 2023
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One True Loves
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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The effectiveness of the movie lies squarely on the shoulders of Phillipa Soo as Emma.
Posted Apr 03, 2023
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Kubrick by Kubrick
(2020)
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Neely Swanson
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“Kubrick by Kubrick,” the richly informative documentary by Gregory Monro, is a marvel of information gleaned from interviews of the master himself.
Posted Mar 27, 2023
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Wildflower
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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If your heartstrings are tugged and your eyes water a bit, it’s all earned.
Posted Mar 14, 2023
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I Got a Monster
(2023)
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Neely Swanson
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This is a slam bang thriller that will leave you breathless as you hear the evidence and experience the difficulties of the few good men.
Posted Mar 06, 2023
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iMordecai
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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In the end, this film that had some promise, is shallow and, like Judd Hirsch’s character, a Catskills portrait that’s meant to leave you laughing but just leaves you.
Posted Feb 24, 2023
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Emily
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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O’Connor has made very good use of her pout and dark eyes, but Mackey takes full advantage of the script, infusing Emily with a personality of much complexity.
Posted Feb 14, 2023
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Filmmakers for the Prosecution
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Interviews with survivors of the main players, including the son of one of the prosecuted Nazis, add depth to the story.
Posted Feb 04, 2023
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She Is Love
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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The questions Adams asks are all interesting but the execution is somewhat muddled.
Posted Jan 31, 2023
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Children of the Mist
(2021)
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Neely Swanson
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HÀ Lê Diêm has done a remarkable job of documenting the collision between old ways and new.
Posted Jan 26, 2023
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Poppy
(2021)
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Neely Swanson
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Niccol’s film, based on her own short story, is a lovely narrative that gives voice to a character that is rarely seen.
Posted Jan 20, 2023
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Christmas with The Campbells
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Santa must be very unhappy this year because he left us with a piece of coal (actually something a lot smellier) in our stockings called “Christmas with the Campbells.”
Posted Nov 29, 2022
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Confessions of a Hitman
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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That you end up caring about (but not for) Gérald is a tribute to Picard’s interpretation.
Posted Nov 29, 2022
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Four Samosas
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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The dialogue is mundane and the comedy is rather juvenile. The acting is not particularly good, with everyone trying too hard. Despite all of that, and this is the intangible, the film will leave you smiling. Go figure.
Posted Nov 28, 2022
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In Her Hands
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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[Zarifa's] story has been and continues to be an inspiration to many throughout the world.
Posted Nov 13, 2022
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Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams
(2020)
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Neely Swanson
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The conversations with fashion historians and family members, carrying on his tradition, are informative and fascinating, giving a broader portrait of Ferragamo.
Posted Nov 04, 2022
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Holy Spider
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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As your stomach tightens, waiting to see what will or won’t happen to Saeed and how blame will be showered on Rahimi, you are witness to a history that happened and continues to happen in Iran.
Posted Nov 02, 2022
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God Forbid: The Sex Scandal that Brought Down a Dynasty
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Watch this fascinating documentary told with speed, humor, and horror.
Posted Nov 02, 2022
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Paul Taylor: Creative Domain
(2014)
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Neely Swanson
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Throughout this excellent documentary, company dancers, former dancers, and rehearsal assistants discuss what they do, how they do it, and their never-ending reverence and love for Taylor.
Posted Oct 30, 2022
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All That Breathes
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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“All that Breathes” is definitely informative and succeeds more than it fails, but it could have been so much more.
Posted Oct 24, 2022
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A Chance Encounter
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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“A Chance Encounter” is the very definition of a small film, in all of the best ways.
Posted Oct 24, 2022
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The Banshees of Inisherin
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Elegiac, humorous, and tragic, all at the same time.
Posted Oct 23, 2022
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Raymond & Ray
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Complicated family dynamics are surely in Garcia’s wheelhouse and his exploration in “Raymond & Ray” is deep and infused with the understanding of what happens when promise is unfulfilled and life derails.
Posted Oct 17, 2022
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Ask Me to Dance
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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“Ask Me to Dance” has its heart in the right place and tells a story as old as the hills. In this particular case, however, it should have stayed buried.
Posted Oct 13, 2022
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The Inhabitant
(2022)
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Neely Swanson
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Writer Kevin Bachar and director Jerren Lauder have made a film that transcends genre and finds a way to layer psychology, teen angst, and family drama into the fright.
Posted Oct 04, 2022
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Hinterland
(2021)
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Neely Swanson
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An excellent treatise on the hell of war and the reintegration of soldiers into society, it is also a thrilling murder mystery with dark undercurrents.
Posted Oct 02, 2022
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