THE PENGUIN LESSONS
Agitprop, Argentinean Cinema, British Cinema, Capsules Blog, Comedy, FIVE STARS, Memoir, Political History
Based on Tom Michell’s 2016 memoir about his time spent teaching English during a coup in Argentina in 1976, “The…
Political History
PRIDE
Agitprop, Biopic, British Cinema, Capsules Blog, LGBTQ, Political History, sex, TWO STARS, Women's Cinema
All attempts fail at forcing a by-the-numbers narrative template on a fact-based story about unlikely bedfellows uniting against Prime Minister…
THE DAMNED — SHOCKTOBER!
Capsules Blog, Classic Cinema, Cult Film, FIVE STARS, Historical Epic, Horror, Italian Cinema, Political History, sex, Sexploitation, SHOCKTOBER!, Transgressive Cinema, True Crime, War, Women's Cinema
That Visconti’s iconic vision became a cinematic touchstone for other influential filmmakers is a testament to the Italian director’s lasting…
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7
Capsules Blog, Corporate Corruption, Courtroom Drama, Historical Drama, Political History, Politics, TWO STARS
Glib. Forgettable. Writer/director Aaron Sorkin gets out his arsenal of narrative formula templates to simplify an otherwise complex story of…
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI — THE CRITERION COLLECTION
African American Cinema, Capsules Blog, Criterion Collection, Drama, FIVE STARS, Music, Political History, Politics
Barnburner. It speaks volumes that the two best films of 2020 were based on plays (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and…
JFK — CLASSIC FILM PICK
Oliver Stone’s “JFK” (1992) is a milestone filmic achievement based on New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison’s investigation into the…
PRIDE
Agitprop, Biopic, British Cinema, LGBTQ, Political History, Reviews Blog, sex, TWO STARS, Women's Cinema
All attempts fail at forcing a by-the-numbers narrative template on a fact-based story about unlikely bedfellows uniting against Prime Minister…
THE CONQUEST — CANNES 2011
“The Conquest” is true anomaly in cinema. Director Xavier Durringer’s solely-devoted character study of Nicolas Sarkozy, during his rise to…
GARBO: THE SPY
After rattling around film festivals for a couple of years Edmon Roch’s wildly entertaining documentary thriller is finally enjoying its…
INTO THE ABYSS
Werner Herzog and Errol Morris have more than a few things in common. Back in the late ’70s when Herzog…
THE IDES OF MARCH
Beau Willimon’s low-simmer stage play “Farragut North” fails to come to a boil in this George Clooney-directed film adaptation. The…
CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY
In case you forgot about how, in spite of widespread public disapproval, the banks responsible for America’s biggest economic crisis…
PERESTROIKA
Writer/director Slava Tsukerman (“Liquid Sky”) examines early post-communist Russia with a determinedly left-handed approach that comes across in the experiences…
THE DAMNED — THE CRITERION COLLECTION
Capsules Blog, Criterion Collection, FIVE STARS, Historical Drama, Horror, Italian Cinema, LGBTQ, Political History, sex, Sexploitation, SHOCKTOBER!, True Crime, War
That Visconti’s iconic vision became a cinematic touchstone for other influential filmmakers is a testament to the Italian director’s lasting…
HUNGER — CANNES 2008
“Hunger” comes off as a piece of stunt filmmaking that places physical reality above historic relevance. Cole Smithey.
HARLAN COUNTY, U.S.A. — THE CRITERION COLLECTION
Capsules Blog, Criterion Collection, Documentary, FIVE STARS, Political History, Politics, Women Filmmakers, Women's Cinema
One of the most scathing examples of cinema vérité documentaries ever made, Barbara Kopple’s “Harlan County, U.S.A.” is a powerful…
MUST READ AFTER MY DEATH
Complex and percolating with a cruel subtext of reckless psychiatrists, “Must Read After My Death” is deeply personal and troubling…
FROST/NIXON
At heart, “Frost/Nixon” is a study of two wildly ambitious men engaging in a public test of intelligence, wit, and…
W.
Welcome! Groupthink doesn’t live here, critical thought does.This ad-free website is dedicated to Agnès Varda and to Luis Buñuel. Get…
SACCO & VANZETTI
Essential. A long-held cause célèbre for leftists the world over, the story of immigrant activists Sacco & Vanzetti, is told…
COLE SMITHEY’S CLASSIC CINEMA
