Programmed contemporary world cinema at the Emory Cinematheque / 1/2 of @FreeTheCinema
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Articles by Evan Amaral
Barry Jenkins Talks Makings From “Beale Street” After Winning Oscar
Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures In 2016, underdog Barry Jenkins took the American film scene by storm with his sophomore feature “Moonlight.” The film became the best-reviewed film of the year and won three Academy Awards — including Best Picture. It was the first Best Picture winner with an all-black cast, as well as the lowest-budgeted winner in history. To say “Moonlight” is a cultural watermark would be an understatement.
Layne, Domingo Talk Bringing Baldwin to Life in ‘Beale Street’
Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures After a platform release, Oscar-winning writer-director Barry Jenkins’ third feature, “If Beale Street Could Talk,” rolls into 65 theaters this Christmas. Based on the 1974 novel by James Baldwin, “Beale Street” is the first narrative film to be based on one of the legendary writer’s works. The film follows a young Harlem couple, Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James), who are expecting their first child.
‘Widows’ a Troubled Marriage Between Ambition and Genre
Courtesy of Merrick Morton. A group of brooding men teams up to pull off the impossible task of stealing a large chunk of cash from a heavily guarded safe. Some live and some die, but someone goes home with the loot. It’s a classic setup in Hollywood genre filmmaking, from the postwar Noir era to the neon-soaked thrillers of Michael Mann.
With 'The Other Side of the Wind,' Welles Reconstructs Cinema from the Grave
Cinema is, by definition, spectral. When we watch old films, we are not only witnessing history; we are seeing the movements of those long dead, their ghosts captured in a strip of flammable plastic. The projected image is our medium, allowing us to communicate with our past. And in cinema’s past, perhaps no name carries more weight than Orson Welles. His first feature, 1941’s “Citizen Kane,” has been widely considered the greatest film ever made.
Carpenter, Curtis Return to Give 'Halloween' a New Shape
In 1978, writer-producer Debra Hill and director John Carpenter put their heads together to give horror a new name. That name was Michael Myers, the most terrifying slasher villain since “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”’s Leatherface. Grossing an adjusted $46 million on a $300,000 budget, Carpenter’s “Halloween” stands as one of the most successful independent films of all time.
‘Hal’ Gives an Unsung Hollywood Hero His Due
Hollywood, a decades-old dream factory speckled by the brightest stars, is often nothing more than a dream itself. Beneath that magical commune lies a cold, ruthless machine — one that grinds some of its most brilliant artists into a pulp, consuming their energy and spitting out a used-up lump of white matter. Filmmaker Hal Ashby suffered this fate.
‘A Star Is Born’ is a Terrific Telling of a Timeless Tale
A young, ambitious talent longs for stardom. Show business swallows their soul — it’s a desperate deal with the devil in exchange for fame and fortune. It’s a tale as old as time, and it’s become one of American popular culture’s stock narratives — partially thanks to the five “A Star is Born” films, released in 1932, 1937, 1954, 1976 and 2018, respectively. All five movies take this stock narrative as their subject, and adapt it to the stylistic rhythms and cultural trends of each era.
Summer 2018 Brought the Heat to the Movies
This summer, moviegoers took part in an annual ritual, flocking to theaters for entertainment, emotional experiences and an escape from the heat.
‘Support the Girls’ is a Tragicomic Triumph for an Excellent Ensemble
Starting in the mid-2000s, the Mumblecore movement was seen by critics as the future of American independent cinema. Its films were made on shoestring budgets, emphasizing dialogue and character relationships above plot. Some of Mumblecore’s most influential figures have risen to considerable fame in the years since the movement’s peak (Joe Swanberg, Greta Gerwig, the Duplass brothers), but director Andrew Bujalski remains one of its most critically acclaimed.
Crystal Moselle Brings Documentary Realism to ‘Skate Kitchen’
In documentaries, individuals are often presented as they are, as a “real” person. But what happens when they are cast as themselves in a narrative feature? At best, it lends a sense of authenticity to a film that a director cannot achieve with professional actors. At worst, it can lead to stilted, awkward screen presences that come from a natural discomfort with the camera.
Sundance Winner ‘Cameron Post’ Takes Conversion Therapy to Task
With her brilliant 2014 debut film “Appropriate Behaviour,” director Desiree Akhavan probed into her own identity as a bisexual, Persian-American woman. While that film starred Akhavan herself and found comedy in the tribulations of New York youth, her second feature takes a different direction. “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” based on Emily M.
Lauren Greenfield Puts ‘Generation Wealth’ Under the Microscope
At a time when the one percent owns an alarmingly disproportionate amount of wealth, images of upper-class grandeur saturate our culture and portray excess as something to aspire to, symbols of the all-too-abstract notion of “making it.” In her new documentary “Generation Wealth,” artist Lauren Greenfield, a veteran of the upper-echelon of contemporary society, cuts open this malignant malaise with a scalpel, revealing how deeply it has invaded our everyday lives.
A ‘Custody’ Battle Turns Brutal in Xavier Legrand’s Disturbing Debut
European cinema has often thrived within an acclaimed tradition of social realist films that portray the struggles of everyday life and criticise the political conditions that spawned them. French filmmaker Xavier Legrand’s “Custody” is that sort of motion picture, but one injected with the ambiguous sensibilities of a cold-blooded thriller.
Your Review of the Marvelous ‘M:I 6,’ Should You Choose to Accept It
Tom Cruise is a living relic of Hollywood’s shimmering golden days that refuses to go gently with the industry’s dying of the light. His roles as producer and star of the “Mission: Impossible” series has anchored him to one of our strongest ongoing movie franchises — a series that continues to test the boundaries of blockbuster filmmaking. And “Fallout,” the sixth and latest entry, is possibly the best to date, a fervent reminder of the still-to-be-mined possibilities of onscreen spectacle.
Beaton Was a True Original, But ‘Love, Cecil’ is Not
Cecil Beaton was among the most well-known British artists of the 20th century, earning great acclaim and influence as a photographer, costume designer and art director. He was equally respected and controversial, always marching to the beat of his own drum. In documentary “Love, Cecil,” Lisa Immordino Vreeland explores Beaton’s legendary work ethic and baroque style, even if it fails to live up to his iconoclasm.
This Summer, ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ is All You Need
There’s no genre more cinematic than the musical. Perfect blends of sound and image, musicals feed on all levels of movement — actors’ bodies, musical notes and the camera itself. In other words, they’re pure feeling. Movie musicals are rarer now than they were 50 years ago, but 2008’s “Mamma Mia!,” a jukebox musical set to the songs of Swedish band ABBA, was a bona fide hit.
In ‘The King,’ America Can’t Help Falling Apart
Elvis Presley’s name is associated with many things, chief among them rock ‘n’ roll royalty and rags-to-riches folklore. The man is undoubtedly American — he’s a symbol of how our nation sees itself in fiction. But America’s truth holds darker secrets, among them decay and corruption under the exploitative weight of unbridled capitalism.
‘The Cakemaker’ is a Goodie Bag of Dramatic Grub
There’s nothing that brings people together quite like food. It can remind one of long lost memories or bridge cultural gaps while providing nourishment and pleasure. And there’s nothing so political, completely informed by the lives of those cooking it and those eating it.
In ‘Damsel,’ the West is No Country for Thirsty Men
“I hope you’re not looking to be saved, because you’re going about it the wrong way!” Spewed by a town drunkard in David and Nathan Zellner’s new film “Damsel,” this warning could not have been more prescient. “Damsel” demolishes the mythic status of the American West as a land of salvation, an expectation forged in early film history. Playing like a hairbrained, Sartrean take on “The Searchers,” the film takes an ambitious dive into despair and detachment — with a garnish of gallows humor.
Tag’ Scores Laughs, Plays by The Rules
Following the critical and commercial successes of “Game Night” and “Blockers” earlier this year, mainstream studio comedies have enjoyed a minor renaissance in American filmmaking. “Tag” continues this trend with a gleefully anarchic spin on the underappreciated art of physical comedy, even if it doesn’t contain the sterling wit or forward-thinking politics of its recent predecessors.
Riseborough Rivets as ‘Nancy’ in Christina Choe’s Debut Feature
Social interaction and interpersonal relationships are crucial to the human experience. “Nancy” is the latest film to explore how a lack of social belonging can destroy a human being. Director Christina Choe’s feature debut, in which she dissects the crippling effects of loneliness with razor-sharp, heartbreaking precision, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in the U.S. competition.
Household Horror Show 'Hereditary' is a Measured Marvel
Since its premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, critics can’t stop raving about Ari Aster’s debut film, “Hereditary.” They describe it as “The Exorcist” for a new generation. Part of a new breed of contemplative horror (in line with recent hits such as 2015’s “The Witch”), “Hereditary” isn’t exactly the game changer that its passionate defenders claim, but it will undoubtedly leave a shocking impression on any adventurous viewer.
Carla Simon Soars With Stellar ‘Summer 1993’
Time slows to a halt in the dog days of summer, as the inevitable boredom of liminal freedom begins to sink in like the gentle heat of the sun. But it’s not always so luminous, as the new film “Summer 1993” suggests. The debut film by Spanish filmmaker Carla Simon, who won the 2017 Berlin Film Festival’s first feature award when it premiered there, is the ideal cure for the blockbuster blues.
'Filmworker' Pays Tribute to a Life Behind the Camera
Directors often get all the credit for successful movies. It’s a problematic notion that often leads to the critical worship of messianic auteurs famous for their meticulous control. However, an army of dedicated craftspeople expend their blood, sweat and tears to bring these visions to life, often going unrecognized in the oral histories of filmmaking.
Theron Tackles Motherhood in Uneven ‘Tully’
Motherhood, a frequent favorite subject of Hollywood, has been the source of conflict in many a melodrama in film’s early days of glory (see the enduring popularity of stories such as “Mildred Pierce”). But filmmakers — largely male — often don’t give the topic the nuanced treatment it deserves. “Tully,” the latest collaboration between director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody, delivers this nuanced treatment at times but produces inconsistent results overall.
‘The Rider’ Finds Truth in the American Way
There is, perhaps, no more potent symbol of the American imagination than the cowboy. Images of 10 gallon hats, wide open prairies and wild horses permeate our popular culture, and stories of these cowboys formed the basis of the first truly American genre: the Western. But in the masterful film, “The Rider,” director Chloe Zhao seeks to redefine the West by bringing an indigenous community to the forefront.
With 'Solo,' the Cup is Half Empty
“Solo,” the latest installment in the “Star Wars” series, retreads its title character’s legendary shenanigans with occasional bursts of entertainment. Sadly, it’s a pointless motion picture. “Star Wars” has built upon its already massive cultural following since Disney purchased the franchise in October 2012. The newest trilogy of films is set to end next year, with standalone films planned for the foreseeable future.
‘Isle of Dogs’ Boasts a Strong Pack of Good Boys
You won’t hear a more instantly recognizable name in American independent cinema than Wes Anderson. The Austin, Texas-based auteur has carved out his own corner of the cinematic landscape, filling it with his idiosyncratic style and continued cult and mainstream success. As detailed as he is visually, and as singular in his comedic timing, animation seems like a logical playground for him to explore.
A Historic Oscars Ceremony Plays It Safe
This year’s Academy Awards were some of the most unpredictable that I’ve witnessed, as they provided answers to several burning questions in the cultural conversation — notably, who would take home Best Picture in the most open field of the decade, and how the #MeToo movement would factor into Hollywood’s biggest night. Clocking in at nearly four hours, Sunday night’s ceremony was seemingly the snappiest but also most boring broadcast of the past few years.
‘Annihilation’ is Bold Sci-Fi for the Environmental Age
Science fiction has long been one of the most popular genres in film and literature. It allows us to project questions of personal, social and philosophical depth onto the cold field of science, humanizing these fields and making them more digestible. The modern era is plagued by questions, and the need for science to answer them has never felt so pressing.
Lower the Drinking Age: Ineffective Restrictions Promote Toxic Culture
For the millionth time, lower the drinking age. Whether it’s drinking socially in moderation or getting totally drunk with friends, alcohol is bound to social traditions across the globe. In the United States, the national drinking age of 21 is a complete legislative and social failure. Conceived as a way to curb deaths due to drunk driving, the drinking age has instead contributed to the creation of a toxic drinking culture.
Vega Carries the Uneven ‘A Fantastic Woman’
It’s frustrating when a great performance is trapped in a mediocre film. Such is the case of Daniela Vega, an immensely gifted performer and one of the most extraordinary recent breakout talents. In fact, she made history as the first transgender actress to receive an Oscar campaign for Best Actress (but was not nominated). She plays Marina Vidal in Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio’s new drama “A Fantastic Woman” — a standout piece of acting marred by weak, unimaginative direction.
The Problem With Puzzle Films | The Emory Wheel
From the first day of my introductory film class, there was one particular type of film that, frustratingly, everyone wanted to talk about — the puzzle film. These films focus on plot twists and storytelling that diverges from standard definitions of time and space, thus making the viewer’s goal to piece together the chronology and truth of the narrative like a puzzle.
The State of the Race: The Academy Awards 2018 | The Emory Wheel
Just like any awards season, this year’s Oscar nominations revealed no shortage of snubs or surprises when they were announced Jan. 23. But this highly competitive race will end in a photo finish, with the potential to either be frustratingly predictable or a shock to the system when the 90th Academy Awards air March 4, on ABC.
The Best Films of 2017 | The Emory Wheel
Director Sean Baker makes films for purely empathetic reasons, working overtime to tell the stories of communities living in the margins of society. His latest, a colorful, verite portrait of the poverty looming in the shadows of Disney World, exemplifies why independent cinema matters. Meticulously researched and created by a crack team of amateur and professional collaborators, it takes American capitalism to task while creating a uniquely sweet and devastating cinematic language.
‘Call Me by Your Name’ One of Cinema’s Greatest Love Stories | The Emory Wheel
When discussing works of art, nothing is truly “perfect,” but plenty of works come close. Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me by Your Name” is one of those films. Audiences are greeted with one of the warmest, most moving and heartbreaking films of the year. Adapted from Andre Aciman’s acclaimed debut novel, it is a film that lives and breathes through the energy of romance and the emotional hurricane of youth.
‘The Last Jedi’ Reinvents Star Wars Universe | The Emory Wheel
In a Death Star-sized count of 4,232 theaters, one of the year’s most surprisingly idiosyncratic films arrived this December.
Dee Rees Mints a New American Classic with ‘Mudbound’ | The Emory Wheel
Every so often, a filmmaker comes along who proves himself or herself as a master of their craft. In 2017, that filmmaker is Dee Rees. Her breakout first feature, 2011’s “Pariah,” is a low-budget independent film about the adolescence of a black lesbian teenager. Jump forward a few years and some television work later, and Rees has produced an earth-shattering period epic the likes of which American cinema has not seen for nearly 20 years.
Greta Gerwig Soars with 'Lady Bird' | The Emory Wheel
The places and times in which we grow up often become inextricable from our future selves, whether we like it or not. Some films attempt to capture that sentiment, but few achieve it as perfectly as Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird,” a film that feels like a nostalgic haze of memory.
Family-Friendly ‘Wonderstruck’ is Pure Todd Haynes | The Emory Wheel
Today’s Hollywood producers appear to not take children seriously. Family-friendly film is often a problematic genre for this reason, with studio executives at times pandering to cheap laughs and messages that insult the intelligence and imagination of their intended audience. In the world of art cinema, however, some of the greatest films ever made center on the lives of children, using them as a lens through which to view the adult world.
Ai Weiwei’s Ambitious ‘Human Flow’ is Flawed but Essential | The Emory Wheel
Sixty-five million people in the world today have been forcibly displaced from their homes. Those millions flee the lives they were born into because of war, oppression, resource scarcity and a variety of other factors. It’s a human rights challenge on a massively global scale, affecting nearly every country in the world.
The Nightmarish “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” is Deliciously Shocking | The Emory Wheel
The scariest film of the year isn’t about killer clowns or possessed dolls or a baby-faced murderer. It’s a film about a man with the perfect life. A man whose past comes back to torment him. Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos (“Dogtooth,” “The Lobster”) has one of the most instantly recognizable styles of any modern auteur — symmetrical framing, the deadest of deadpan dialogue and a disturbing look at social constructs — so it was only a matter of time before he tried his hand at a horror film.
‘Lucky’ is a Lovely Swan Song for an Acting Legend | The Emory Wheel
In September, we lost one of America’s greatest actors at the ripe age of 91. Harry Dean Stanton was a man forever eluding time, his road-map face and cigarette-scruffed voice instantly recognizable since his rise to a niche brand of prominence in the 1970s.
‘Dolores’ is the Riveting Story of a Civil Rights Hero | The Emory Wheel
American history is one marked by tragedies, oppression and inequality, but the way that history has been told is perhaps the greatest of these tragedies. Systematic attempts to sweep social terror under the rug while omitting women and people of color from the narrative are hallmarks of both American popular culture and history. One of the victims of such omission is 87-year-old Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) and still-working political activist.
‘Battle of the Sexes’ is a Patriarchy-Smashing Blast | The Emory Wheel
With the arrival of this summer’s “Wonder Woman” by director Patty Jenkins — arguably the best superhero film in years — empowering, female-led narratives have occasionally absorbed the spotlight of mainstream American cinema this past year. There is still much work to be done, but directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton’s “Battle of the Sexes” represents another step in the right direction. This film will hopefully become a hit of a similar caliber.
Austin Abrams Goes to College in ‘Brad’s Status’ | The Emory Wheel
“I always want to try to find different things within myself,” Austin Abrams tells me when I ask about his acting process. In the middle of a hot Sunday afternoon, Abrams and I are on a conference call. At 21, “The Walking Dead” alumnus Abrams faces a career breakthrough with this year’s “Brad’s Status,” now playing nationwide through Annapurna Pictures and Amazon Studios.
Gyllenhaal and Maslany Help ‘Stronger’ Stand Out | The Emory Wheel
The phrase “based on a true story” can serve as a warning sign for any discerning viewer as American cinema often exploits such stories as a cheap source of inspiration or, even worse, as an easy way to gain Academy attention. It seems that every year viewers are subjected to countless examples of this dreaded subgenre, one of thoughtless filmmaking and emotional manipulation. On the surface, director David Gordon Green’s “Stronger” appears to be another one of those far-too-common eye rollers.
‘First They Killed My Father’ Remembers Personal, Historical Trauma | The Emory Wheel
Often, an actor turned director can lead to a dangerous sort of vanity project. But in the case of Angelina Jolie, her humanitarian nature genuinely extends to her relatively young career as a writer/director. Her four films in this role run the gamut from biopic to marital drama to historical horror.
The Mediocre 'Home Again' Has Its Pleasures | The Emory Wheel
Nancy Meyers has directed her fair share of romantic comedies since the 1990s — including “The Holiday” and “Something’s Gotta Give.” Meyers has a characteristic lightness to her style and an obsession with kitchens and homes. In “Home Again,” she takes a step back into the producer’s chair for her daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s debut feature. Reese Witherspoon stars as Alice Kinney, a Los Angeles single mother who lives in the estate of her late father, a world-renowned filmmaker.
Kogonada Arrives with The Quietly Masterful 'Columbus' | The Emory Wheel
After a long, hot summer of lifeless franchise burnouts (sprinkled with the occasional gem), filmgoers are lucky to have had three of the year’s absolute best films expanding their limited releases this past month: Bertrand Bonello’s French terrorism thriller “Nocturama,” the Safdie brothers’ seedy crime picture “Good Time” and Kogonada’s indie drama “Columbus,” coming to Atlanta for a weeklong run at Midtown Art Cinema.
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