|
B+
|
Shtetlers
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
This colorful but tragic look at Jewish settlements brings to mind "Fiddler on the Roof."
Posted Jan 23, 2023
|
|
B+
|
Kompromat
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Stunning performance from Gilles Lellouch shows the French standing up to the Russians.
Posted Jan 23, 2023
|
|
B
|
Filmmakers for the Prosecution
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Newly released films of Nazi war crimes are covered. The archival films should have received more attention even at the expense of the talking heads.
Posted Jan 21, 2023
|
|
B
|
White Noise
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
The movie captures the absurdities in the novel.
Posted Jan 04, 2023
|
|
B+
|
The Menu
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
From amuse bouch to dessert, this thriller earns its stripes in satirizing pretensions.
Posted Dec 07, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Living
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
This year you are not likely to find a movie about repression that is as finely honed as this one.
Posted Dec 04, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Wildcat
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Lush jungle photography captures the emotional connection between an English war veteran and the ocelots he prepares for life in the wilds of Peru.
Posted Nov 29, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Tantura
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Not a movie that will please an Israeli audience. That's a compliment.
Posted Nov 27, 2022
|
|
B
|
EO
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Travel broadens as we meet people who are different from us. EO, a donkey, discovers through travel that people are different from him; that even those who are called asses are not like him.
Posted Nov 19, 2022
|
|
B
|
Eternal Spring
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Live action complements stunning 3D animation centering on how the Chinese Communist government has arrested, imprisoned and tortured vocal members of the Falun Gong society. The documentary ignores a dark side of the group.
Posted Oct 11, 2022
|
|
C
|
Conception
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Can any movie about fertility problems be more banal? Inconceivable.
Posted Oct 09, 2022
|
|
C+
|
Blonde
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A well-acted slog.
Posted Sep 29, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Bandit
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
The title character makes robbing banks as easy as go-to-Canada.
Posted Sep 20, 2022
|
|
B
|
Young Plato
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Inspiration tale of elementary school kids majoring in philosophy.
Posted Sep 18, 2022
|
|
B
|
Carmen
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Cute tale of a woman who becomes an amateur priest, with a Maltese Pigeon serving as symbol.
Posted Sep 18, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Breaking
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Though the movie proceeds at a snail's pace, it serves as a bold indictment of the Veterans Administration.
Posted Aug 21, 2022
|
|
B
|
Free Puppies!
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Nice southern ladies are the Harriet Tubmans of the canine fraternity, rescuing dogs from the South and sending them North to freedom.
Posted Aug 04, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Image of Victory
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
This view of a little-known conflict between Israeli kibbutzniks and Egyptians may be looked upon by awards groups for its vivid ensemble acting.
Posted Jul 14, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Murina
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A stunning debut features a rebellious teen in a remote Croatian area overlooking the Adriatic.
Posted Jul 06, 2022
|
|
B+
|
The Forgiven
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
If this is what the rich do with their money, I do not envy them.
Posted Jun 28, 2022
|
|
B+
|
The Courtroom
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A stunning, theatrical example of government overreach.
Posted Jun 13, 2022
|
|
B-
|
Reflection
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
An otherwise simply story serves as an excuse for artistic cinematic flourishes.
Posted Apr 22, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Ahed's Knee
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
You may not agree with the filmmaker's left-wing views of Israeli's government but you're likely to be transfixed by his cinematic flourishes.
Posted Apr 21, 2022
|
|
C+
|
The Quest for Sleep
(2022)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
This soporific documentary is itself a partial cure for insomnia.
Posted Apr 12, 2022
|
|
A-
|
Playground
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
The Brussels-born director certainly has a way with these adorable sprouts.
Posted Apr 06, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Ride Till I Die
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Portrays a person who is so committed to bull riding--and we feel his enthusiasm throughout--that he hopes to die in the ring.
Posted Apr 05, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Ballad of a White Cow
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A dignified performance by the film's co-director serving as principal performer lends stature to what is largely a chamber piece.
Posted Feb 08, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Breaking Bread
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Mouthwatering foods prepared by a diverse bunch of chefs.
Posted Jan 29, 2022
|
|
B
|
The Automat
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
The best five-cent coffee in the land described elegantly.
Posted Jan 21, 2022
|
|
B
|
The Card Counter
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Considerably involving tale of a card sharp bent on revenge.
Posted Dec 21, 2021
|
|
B+
|
Cyrano
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
An irresistible reimagining of Rostand's classic that takes place in the France of 1670. Swashbuckling, melodious, romantic.
Posted Dec 05, 2021
|
|
A-
|
The Power of the Dog
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A well-crafted film that digs deeply into the emotional lives of two brothers.
Posted Dec 03, 2021
|
|
B+
|
C'mon C'mon
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A refreshing look at the bond between a middle-aged, single man and his precocious 9-year-old nephew.
Posted Dec 01, 2021
|
|
B
|
Sophie Jones
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A movie as authentic as the title character's name.
Posted Nov 29, 2021
|
|
B+
|
Belfast
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Now we know how Kenneth Branagh fell in love with the movies--when he was nine!
Posted Nov 26, 2021
|
|
B+
|
The Worst Person in the World
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
This depicts romance as it really is.
Posted Nov 25, 2021
|
|
A-
|
King Richard
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A feel-good movie but one with nuanced characterizations of the heroes.
Posted Nov 23, 2021
|
|
B+
|
Benedetta
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Part Showgirls, part Black Book.
Posted Nov 20, 2021
|
|
A-
|
Small Time
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Terrific regional filmmaking.
Posted Nov 20, 2021
|
|
A-
|
Small Time
(2014)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Regional filmmaking at its best.
Posted Nov 17, 2021
|
|
A-
|
Passing
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
A vibrant, challenging film on the dangers of being inauthentic.
Posted Nov 13, 2021
|
|
B_
|
The Diabetes Solution
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Though some of the doc's ideas are not effectively nuanced, you come away with some disgust at Big Pharma and Big Agriculture and broad knowledge about Type 1 Diabetes and suggested treatments.
Posted Nov 11, 2021
|
|
B+
|
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Anchored by Jessica Chastain's stunning performance as a woman going from innocence to corruption, finally becoming redeemed.
Posted Nov 07, 2021
|
|
B
|
The Gig is Up
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
An incisive doc about people on whom you depend but do not really see.
Posted Nov 02, 2021
|
|
B+
|
Gaza Mon Amour
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
An adorable tale showing that more important things are happening in Gaza than planning for terrorism.
Posted Oct 30, 2021
|
|
A-
|
The Rescue
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
If you did not know the ending, this could have been the year's most suspenseful documentary.
Posted Oct 08, 2021
|
|
A-
|
Only the Animals
(2019)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Told from the points of view of five principal characters, "Only the Animals" is a riveting mystery that exquisitely bring those five lives together in the final chapter.
Posted Oct 05, 2021
|
|
A-
|
Not Going Quietly
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Will convince you that our government should spend more on medical research.
Posted Sep 29, 2021
|
|
A-
|
Titane
(2021)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
Agathe Rousselle's stunning debut performance anchors a film of visceral horror.
Posted Sep 28, 2021
|
|
C+
|
Adventures of a Mathematician
(2020)
|
Harvey S. Karten
|
An overly sober adventure: mathematics by the numbers.
Posted Sep 27, 2021
|
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