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Articles by Igor Fishman
The Painter and the Thief (2020)
The take The Painter and the Thief opens with a great hook: an artist tracks down and confronts the man who stole her painting. In a surprising turn, the two become close and develop an intimacy that deepens when she begins to paint the troubled man. Yet, director Benjamin Ree pushes past where other documentarians would have been content to stop, and instead begins to deconstruct the very narrative we’ve followed up till now.
Close-Up (1990) Movie Review - A Good Movie to Watch
The take The apex of Abbas Kiarostami’s monumental filmography, Close-Up is a testament to the late directors’ ingenuity and humanism. Kiarostami documents the real-life trial of a man who impersonated fellow Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and ingratiated himself to a family believing him to be the real deal. The courtroom drama and interviews are fascinating enough, but Kiarostami takes it one step further by having everyone involved reenact the events as they happened.
Long Day's Journey Into Night (2019)
The take A man returns to a town chasing the memory of a woman he loved years ago. Poet turned filmmaker Bi Gan coats his idiosyncratic filmmaking with a thick layer of neo-noir in this sumptuous follow up to his remarkable debut Kaili Blues. This time around, Kaili City is a neon-drenched dreamscape dripping in style and calling to mind the work of Tarkovsky and Wong Kar-wai.
Vera Drake (2004)
The take Mike Leigh’s forthright and compassionate depiction of working-class life extends to his period pieces as well. Imelda Staunton is remarkable as Vera Drake, a housekeeper in 1950’s London who quietly performs abortions on the side. Leigh’s vigilant portrayal of class highlights the stark divide between abortion access for the poor and what is offered to the rich.
Kaili Blues (2015)
The take This startling debut from Chinese director Bi Gan is a mesmerizing synthesis of cinema and poetry. A man searching for his nephew goes on a journey that blurs the boundaries between time and space, and dreams and reality. All this is expressed through gorgeous and understated camerawork reminiscent of Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s languorous lens.
Wrestle (2018) Movie Review
The take A portrait of an Alabama high school wrestling team springboards from a sports documentary into an encompassing exploration of the American working class and institutional racism. The film operates on both levels as it zooms in on the lives of four students and their friendly yet overbearing coach. From the opening moments, Coach Sribner makes it clear that the State Championship is about much more than sport.
Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (2020)
The take This stirring peek into the final days of a shuttering Las Vegas dive might be one of the finest odes to American bar culture yet. It also serves as a powerful portrait of a particular moment deep into the disastrous Trump years, yet right before the pandemic struck. Directors Bill and Turner Ross capture the good, bad, and ugly, allowing conversations to unfold naturally.
Crystal Swan (2018)
The take A nostalgic look at '90s Belarus brings to bear a sharp generational divide. Evalina is a young DJ living in Minsk with her mother, but dreaming of Chicago, the birthplace of House music. Her attempts to gain a US visa land her in a small factory town, where the tensions between her modern lifestyle and old-time traditions boil over.
Tom at the Farm (2015)
The take What starts as an unsettling drama quickly morphs into a searing psychological thriller. The film, based on a play of the same title, tells the story of Tom, a young man who while attending his boyfriend’s funeral, stays with the grieving family unaware of his relationship with their son. During his stay, Tom becomes subject to the violent whims of his boyfriend’s brother.
Apollo 11 (2019)
What it's about A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin. The take What makes Apollo 11 stand out is its sharp minimalist approach, allowing the archival footage of the mission to the moon to speak for itself.
Broadcast News (1987)
The take A marvelous combination of perfect casting and a sizzling script. William Hurt, Albert Brooks, and Holly Hunter are such natural talents they could make reading a dictionary watchable, but seeing them weave through James L Brooks punchy dialogue is a delight to behold. The three form the foundation of this drama that is as much about journalistic ambition as it is about love.
High Hopes (1988)
The take Mike Leigh’s films have always touched on class politics, but seldom as directly as in this lowkey portrait of Thatcher-era London. Cyril and Shirley are a sweet working-class couple at a crossroads in their relationship. Their lifestyle is contrasted with Cyril’s sister and her husband who exist in a more comfortable middle-class setting, and then paralleled again with an upper-class couple living next door from Cyril’s mother.
Moonstruck (1987)
The take It’s easy enough to pitch Moonstruck with the promise of Cher and a young Nicolas Cage getting hot and heavy in 80s New York, but it’s so much more than its two outsized leads. Loretta (Cher) is on track to marry Johnny (Danny Aiello) when he tasks her with inviting his brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage) to their wedding. Before long Loretta and Ronny are having a whirlwind affair that threatens to derail everything.
Wings of Desire (1987)
The take Two angels wander the streets of a monochrome Berlin, invisible to the colorful world that bustles around them. When one of them falls in love, he begins to question his place and yearns to give up immortality to join the ranks of the living. Wim Wender’s exceptional film is a poetic meditation on faith, cinema, and a mournful tour of a city in the grip of the Cold War.
Right Now, Wrong Then (2016)
The take In the West, South Korean film is largely defined by the ingenious (oft violent) bombast of directors like Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) and Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), but there is a quieter tradition championed by director Hong Sang-soo that is just as imaginative and worthy of your time. This fascinating film serves as a perfect entry point to a director whose filmography is full of similar riches.
Crooklyn (1994) Movie Review - A Good Movie to Watch
The take Spike Lee’s semi-autobiographical film is a loving and nostalgic ode to the Brooklyn of his childhood. It also happens to be his sweetest work and while overshadowed by the explosive Do The Right Thing, remains an easy contender for one of his very best. The world of Crooklyn is told through the eyes of Troy, a young girl growing up with her four brothers, and her mother and father in a cramped brownstone. Lee’s Brooklyn is a colorful delight set aloft by a swooning soul soundtrack.
Perfect Blue (1997)
The take Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue is a chilling psychological thriller and a fantastic next step for those looking to explore anime’s dark side. Kon animates with Hitchcockian flair and is so successful at memorable compositions that Darren Aronofsky even lifted a scene from this into Requiem for a Dream. Mima is a pop idol who abandons her singing career to become an actress. Shaken by a series of murders, and a stalker who knows her every move, she begins to lose her grip on reality.
Living in Oblivion (1995)
The take A young Steve Buscemi leads this wry farce about a calamitous film set where nothing goes right. The sardonic script skewers the ins and outs of low budget film production and the various personalities on set from belligerent directors, pretentious cinematographers, and egotistic actors.
Wendy and Lucy (2008)
The take Wendy (Michelle Williams) is a drifter driving up to Alaska in hopes of finding work. When her car breaks down, she and her dog Lucy are stranded and forced to scrounge for food and repairs, hitting one roadblock after another on her path to an uncertain dream. This sympathetic and solemn look at poverty from director Kelly Reichardt serves as a reminder of how easy it is to fall through the fragile American safety net.
Clockers (1995) Movie Review - A Good Movie to Watch
The take Spike Lee’s adaptation of Richard Price’s novel might appear lesser next to his best work, but it still a gorgeous showcase for all of his talents as a director. Its case is further bolstered by a stacked cast including Delroy Lindo, Harvey Keitel, Mekhi Pfifer, Isaiah Washington, and John Turturro. Clockers is set in the world of small-time drug-dealers during the crack epidemic, and much like The Wire (which Price would go on to write for) applies a multifaceted lens to the material.
35 Shots of Rum (2008)
The take This bittersweet film about a father and a daughter marks one of the more tender spots in Claire Denis’ brilliant filmography. Frequent collaborator Alex Descas plays Lionel (the father), while Mati Diop, now a director in her own right, plays Josephine (the daughter.) The film captures the two at a crossroads, with their closely-knit relationship tested as Josephine grows closer to her boyfriend, and Lionel must face the possibility of finally letting her go.
To Sleep with Anger (1990)
The take An old friend shows up on the doorstep of a happy family home and brings a whirlwind of trouble with him. Charles Burnett’s startling parable is tinged with magic and creeping danger. It digs into the tensions between African American folklore of the rural South and the assimilated middle-class lifestyle out West. This rift takes the form of Harry, whose disquieting presence throws his old friend Gideon’s Los Angeles home into disarray.
Streetwise (1984)
The take Martin Bell documents the lives of youth living in the streets of Seattle in the early eighties with profound empathy. It's a type of filmmaking that doesn’t judge or condescend, but seeks to capture the humanity of its subjects. The result is a film bursting with life and laughter, and although tragedy lurks around every corner it isn’t over-sentimentalized or exploited, taking a backseat to the compassionate depiction of everyday moments.
All or Nothing (2002)
The take Grounded by Lesley Manville and Timothy Spall’s powerhouse performances, this gut-wrenching family drama from Mike Leigh is an acting juggernaut. Penny and Phil are a working-class couple whose marriage is rapidly deteriorating and pushed to the brink when their son, played by a young James Corden, is hospitalized. While Manville and Spall are centered as the leads, Leigh draws a staggering amount of depth from Corden as well as a young Sally Hawkins who plays a neighbor.
The Wolf House (2018)
The take This mortifying stop-motion fairy-tale is inspired by the very real horrors of Chile’s Colonia Dignidad: a cult colony turned torture camp under the Pinochet regime. Presented as colony propaganda, the tale tells the story of Maria, a girl who runs away from the safety of the colony into the forest and takes refuge in a house with two pigs. What transpires is a gut-wrenching allegory for the rise of fascism, colonialism, and white supremacy.
Daddy Longlegs (2009)
The take The Safdie Brothers spent over a decade making films before their mainstream breakout with Good Time and Uncut Gems. Their rich backlog captures New York City in its raw vibrant glory. Daddy Longlegs is the sardonic semi-autobiographical portrait of the Safdies’ childhood spent with their father after their parents' divorce. Lenny (Ronald Bronstein) is an awful dad whose parenting style ranges from the wildly irresponsible to the criminally negligent.
Beau travail (1999)
The take Often considered Claire Denis’ best film, Beau Travail is an epic exploration of both masculinity and colonialism. Inspired by Melville’s Billy Budd, she transplants the story to Djibouti where the French Foreign Legion run seemingly aimless drills in an arid desert landscape while largely alienated from the local community. Denis inverts the male gaze and imbues charged eroticism to the bodies in motion as the men train and wrestle.
Secrets & Lies (1997)
The take A woman yearns to find her biological mother, another woman struggles with infertility, a third wants to connect with her rebellious daughter. Director Mike Leigh has the prowess to seamlessly weave these stories together, and part of the joy is knowing, that like clockwork, these narratives are set on a spectacular collision course.
Gunda (2020) Movie Review
The take Gunda offers an empathetic look at the lives of farm animals with its minimalist approach to the nature doc. Director Victor Kossakosvsky films without a sentimental score or voice-over narration, and shoots in a sparse yet striking black and white. This decision gives the film an intimacy often missing from more traditional modes. We watch a sow named Gunda, her piglets, and a few other animals through their daily routines.
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
The take This drama was the first feature written and directed by an out Black lesbian, Cheryl Dunye, and it is an absolute joy: a cheeky faux-documentary that ingeniously blends lesbian dating life with a historical dive into Black actors in 30s Hollywood. Dunye plays Cheryl, a self-effacing version of herself, an aspiring director working at a video store who begins to research an actress known as the Watermelon Woman for a documentary.
Swallow (2019) Movie Review
The take The disturbing conceit of a housewife swallowing inanimate objects may push some away, but those that can stomach it will find a searing exploration of patriarchal control over women’s bodies - an issue more relevant than ever in the US, as anti-choice zealots push closer to overturning abortion rights nationwide. An odd twist towards the end, and a tone-deaf bit about a Syrian refugee, make the film uneven.
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)
The take Mr. Lazarescu is a widower living with his cats in a small Bucharest apartment. One night when he begins to feel sick and calls for help, he sets in motion a kafkaesque parade of nurses, doctors, and hospitals as he is ferried through a bureaucratic maze unable to get treatment for his rapidly deteriorating condition. Cristi Puiu’s searing indictment of a failed healthcare system mixes kitchen-sink realism with tinges of gallows humor for a remarkable one-of-a-kind experience.
Spaceman — Johan Renck | In Review Online
The elevator pitch for Spaceman sounds like the wind-up to a bad joke. Here’s a somber metaphysical tone poem wherein a scrappy Czech space program run by Isabella Rossellini sends astronaut Adam Sandler on a months-long solo mission, only to be derailed by a giant talking spider, Paul Dano, who via mind-meld psychoanalyzes the spaceman’s failing marriage to Carey Mulligan.
Dead Ringers | In Review Online
Credit: Niko Tavernise/Prime Video It’s hard not to see the Dead Ringers miniseries as yet another domino tumbling on the remake assembly line that turns everything from The Parallax View to Fatal Attraction into half-hearted content, primed for couch-locked consumption.
InRO Weekly — Volume 1, Issue 16 | In Review Online
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InRO Weekly — Volume 1, Issue 13 | In Review Online
Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies.
Geographies of Solitude — Jacquelyn Mills | In Review Online
Sable Island is a thin crescent of land (twenty-six miles long and less than a mile wide) located southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. This sandbar planted at the lonely edge of the Atlantic continental shelf, burdened by histories of shipwrecks and ghost stories, is home to a quietly resilient ecosystem; horses roam wild, seals lounge in the sands, beetles scurry in the underbrush, and one naturalist Zoe Lucas keeps watch of it all as both guest and de facto caretaker.
The Heartbreak Kid — Elaine May | In Review Online
If the arc of the moral universe indeed bends toward justice, then there just might have been a sliver of proof in the sold-out screening of Elaine May’s The Heartbreak Kid at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last month. The infinitely quotable Neil Simon script filtered through May’s effortless comic direction turns effervescent when watched with a full house that is laughing, gasping, and cringing all around you.
The Super 8 Years — Annie Ernaux | In Review Online
Credit: Les Fillms Pelleas Step back while reading Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical opus The Years, and you will find yourself pausing a survey of a collection of photographs. These still images declared ephemera by the opening dictum “All the images will disappear,” and conjured to life by Ernaux’s ecstatic prose, are centerpieced through the work as remnants of her past woven into the broader twentieth-century fabric.
Soft & Quiet — Beth de Araújo | In Review Online
Soft & Quiet doesn’t know what to do with its thorny subject matter and disturbing imagery, allowing it all to just linger on screen as wanton shock value. In her The Moth podcast story “Don’t Move,” writer/director Beth de Araújo recounts witnessing a sexual assault at a very young age.
Aftersun — Charlotte Wells | In Review Online
Aftersun evokes the rending nostalgia of Terence Davies, lensing a father-daughter story through quiet, melancholic remembrance. Memories are fragile; they weather with time, fray around the edges, and sometimes, when left to their devices, fade altogether. Photographs and film can store them, but this act of preservation has a flattening effect, its artificial finality eating memories alive until only the recorded image remains.
Showing Up — Kelly Reichardt [NYFF '22 Review] | In Review Online
Despite the steady repetition of themes that define Kelly Reichardt’s filmography (alienation, class, gender, the American West), her output has remained surprisingly unpredictable moving from one film to the next.
NYFF22 Archives | In Review Online
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website.
Don't Worry Darling — Olivia Wilde | In Review Online
Credit: Warner Bros/Everett Collection Don’t Worry Darling fails to deliver even as much intrigue as its publicity tour, its shallow, ridiculous script resulting in a film that lands with a dire thud. It’s hard to recall a time in recent memory when a troubled production so thoroughly overshadowed its film as it has Don’t Worry Darling.
Death Becomes Her — Robert Zemeckis | In Review Online
No matter how many times I see it, Death Becomes Her exists first and foremost as a VHS box sitting on the cramped shelf of my old video store right next to Sister Act; the cast is faint from a distance, and susceptible to tricks of the Mandela effect — it’s Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, and Goldie Hawn, though if you tell me otherwise, I just might believe you.
The Executioner — Luis García Berlanga - In Review Online
There’s a wistful touch of George Bailey to the fatefully doomed protagonist of The Executioner (El Verdugo): José Luis is a Spanish undertaker yearning to go to Germany and become a mechanic, a man with big dreams of escaping his morbid career as each and every circumstance ushers him in the other direction. To think of it, there’s even a bit of Capra-like sweetness to Luis García Berlanga’s satiric scalpel.
Clara Sola — Nathalie Álvarez Mesén - In Review Online
Clara Sola is a bold, confrontational work, perhaps a bit too blunt in its symbolism, but carried through by Chinchilla Araya’s raw, enigmatic performance. The debut feature of Costa Rican-Swedish director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén neatly lays its cards out in the opening shot. The titular Clara, a woman of middle age with dark hair and a piercing gaze, stands facing an unbridled white stallion, urging it to approach her.
A Man of Integrity — Mohammad Rasoulof - In Review Online
A Man of Integrity is a probing, challenging film, a poetic latticework of sadness and anger. Leave it to the fates of film distribution that Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof’s latest release is actually his 2017 Prix Un Certain Regard winner, A Man of Integrity.
Hatching — Hanna Bergholm - In Review Online
Credit: Andrejs Strokins / IFC Midnight Hatching is an intelligent, visceral film that avoids metaphor-heavy horror pitfalls and delivers an impressive creature feature. The coming-of-age horror film is a staple with good reason: its visceral terrors serve as neat stand-ins for fraught adolescent emotions while the turmoil of puberty manifests as the monstrous grotesque.
The Whaler Boy | Philipp Yuryev
The Whaler Boy undermines any potential for naturalism and rawness with slick artifice and discordant commercial style. Philipp Yuryev’s debut feature The Whaler Boy takes us to the far reaches of the Chukotka Peninsula, the northeastern edge of Russia’s territory, with only fifty-five miles of Bering Strait separating it from Alaska and the United States. This distance between the two countries forms the thematic bedrock of the film, and at its outset, Yuryev crosses this gap metaphorically.
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