TIFF 2021: KICKING BLOOD is a too-cool vampire tale
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Kicking Blood is oddly both toothless and bloodless.
TIFF 2021: TO KILL THE BEAST is ambiguous but not evasive
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The sensorial drama, To Kill the Beast, the impressive feature directorial debut of Argentine filmmaker Agustina San Martín, exacts a hypnotic pull over viewers.
THE CARD COUNTER seduces audiences into its games
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The Card Counter maintains a tone that, like its protagonist, is at once cool, detached, and seductive.
TIFF 2021: THE ODD-JOB MEN is both minor and awkward
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The Odd-Job Men bills itself as a comedy, but director co-writer Neus Ballús’s film is really more like a frustration comedy.
POWDER KEG (Krudttønden) bungles an important story
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
A well-meaning attempt to portray the horrific events in Copenhagen on February 14 and 15, 2015, but the film generates more tedium than tension.
WHITE AS SNOW lacks magic
by Gary M. Kramer
Much of White as Snow feels like a missed opportunity.
BLOOD ON THE DOCKS' second season is a satisfying procedural
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The crimes are intriguing, more puzzles for the cops (and viewers) to solve than taut, suspenseful mysteries. The series is an efficient police proced
CASANOVA, LAST LOVE lavishly explores control and yearning
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
Acclaimed French writer/director Benoît Jacquot’s elegant film, Casanova, Last Love, is a tale of love and suffering.
SUMMER OF SOUL deftly mixes Black joy with political history
by Gary M. Kramer., Staff Writer
Questlove’s marvelous documentary, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) presents the music and messages — and it could not be timelier.
Tribeca 2021: Interview with shorts curator Sharon Badal
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
”If you see the program as a whole, every piece has a different style to it. You’re getting this mixtape.
THE BIRTHDAY CAKE is a stale mob confection
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
The cast of The Birthday Cake, which includes Ewan McGregor, Lorraine Bracco, Aldis Hodge, William Fichtner, Paul Sorvino, Vincent Pastore, Emory Cohen, Luis Guzman, Penn Badgley, and Val Kilmer, may sound like cause for celebration, but don’t RSVP for this party.
Tribeca 2021: RÉPUBLIQUE tries to put viewers in the director's chair
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
It’s not quite “choose your own adventure”—viewers cannot direct the characters to open a door (or not)—rather, it is more like switching channels to follow the most interesting storyline.
Tribeca 2021: NO FUTURE never connects viewers with the drama within
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
No Future does feature some artfully composed shots, but this downbeat indie never does what it should, which is make viewers feel the characters’ pain
Tribeca 2021: WITH/IN Vols. 1 and 2 are two strong shorts programs made during COVID
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
With/in, which is having its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, is a two-volume anthology of short films, all shot on iPhones during COVID. T
Tribeca 2021: ROARING 20s offers a breezy look at right now
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
Viewers get to eavesdrop on the lives of these friends and strangers in the city in the age of COVID.
EDGE OF THE WORLD presents a compelling history lesson
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
The film depicts the colonization of Sarawak by the British who, at the time, owned half the world.
Remembering Joan Micklin Silver on her birthday
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
Her impact on me was profound; three of her films—Chilly Scenes of Winter, Between the Lines, and Crossing Delancey—rank among my all-time favorites.
HIGH GROUND takes the Western to colonial task
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
Despite its flaws, High Ground is gorgeously filmed and features timely lessons about race and colonization. Its insights into Aboriginal culture are both valuable and welcome.
EASTERN is a curious and engaging genre riff
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Eastern contains very little dialogue, and the film is shot in an austere, minimalist style that creates a nifty atmosphere of unease.
HOLLOW POINT is an empty genre exercise
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Hollow Point lays every detail on thick, which blunts the film’s effectiveness.