Salon.com

Concrete Cowboy works best as a vehicle into the little-known and -seen world of the riders, and it is most enjoyable when it is in that world.

Posted Sep 16, 2020

Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne (2020)

That willingness to be vulnerable displayed in "Nine Lives" makes it an essential watch for fans of the musician, also serves to illuminate Ozzy and Sharon's shift in the early 2000s to television.

Posted Sep 16, 2020

This Is Paris (2020)

This Is Paris isn't apt to change the minds of any Paris Hilton detractors. But as a whole, it stands as a fascinating study of what happens when a human being's personality is entirely subsumed by the construct she creates.

Posted Sep 15, 2020

Coastal Elites (2020)

It's about as direct in its play to the anti-Trump crowd as it can possibly be. Nevertheless, I can't help but wonder who actually has the stomach for Rudnick's Trump-enraged quarantine view into the left-leaning electorate psyche.

Posted Sep 14, 2020

Nomadland (2020)

McDormand, who is in every scene, makes Fern as tough at the plant she named for in that she adapts and survives. The actress gives a committed performance that will likely garner her an Oscar nomination.

Posted Sep 13, 2020

Unpregnant (2020)

The insouciant spirit fueling Unpregnant is admirable, in fact, and amply pumped up by Ferreira and Richardson's ebullient performances.

Posted Sep 11, 2020

Mulan (2020)

Nicole Clark

It might have been an excellent reinterpretation, were it not so heavy-handed and, well, Disney-fied. But what remains bears minimal discernible relationship to the original, while reading too much like a basic Marvel film.

Posted Sep 4, 2020

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

"I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is as provocative as it is exasperating. It may require repeated viewings to understand everything Kaufman is trying to achieve...but the prospect of sitting through this film twice just feels excruciating.

Posted Sep 3, 2020

Critical Thinking (2020)

This may be a textbook case of an inspirational teacher/underdog sports drama, but it surehandedly delivers the feels.

Posted Sep 2, 2020

#Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump (2020)

Hopefully we care about these violations. Those who don't aren't going to be moved by this movie. However, #Unfit successfully makes its case concerning why Trump's psychological instability should be of concern to the public.

Posted Aug 31, 2020

Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)

[T]o its credit, "Bill & Ted Face the Music" delivers the sweet message that music has the power to unite the world in its special-effect laden mash-up finale.

Posted Aug 28, 2020

The One and Only Ivan (2020)

Whether you think of yourself as a marshmallow or believe you have a heart of steel, there's a strong probability that The One and Only Ivan is going to make you cry... or well up, at least.

Posted Aug 24, 2020

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula (2020)

Hanh Nguyen

Peninsula couldn't possibly have lived up to Train to Busan... Nevertheless, even with lowered expectations, Yeon's follow-up is a disappointment, from the pointless story to the zombies, who somehow have less character development than before.

Posted Aug 24, 2020

Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story (2020)

The clues, tidily packaged, explain away Kricfalusi's pathology. "Happy Happy Joy Joy" is a cautionary tale not a hagiography

Posted Aug 13, 2020

Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (2020)

Voices past and present give Storm Over Brooklyn a piercing relevance in the here and now, whether by what they're saying or what they represent.

Posted Aug 13, 2020

An American Pickle (2020)

Rogen's acting alongside himself is the film's most potent ingredient. In Herschel and Ben, he creates two very distinct characters with two sets of unique mannerisms.

Posted Aug 7, 2020

On the Trail: Inside the 2020 Primaries (2020)

On the Trail opens the door to important conversations regarding objectivity and bias, and the deeply flawed tendency to perpetuate false equivalency in the effort to appear objective and unbiased.

Posted Aug 7, 2020

The Sunset Limited (2011)

Matt Zoller Seitz

The Sunset Limited is a dog's breakfast of dramaturgy, interspersing brilliant bits with greeting-card wisdom, ostentatious philosophical throat-clearing, and an unseemly strain of self-congratulation.

Posted Aug 6, 2020

Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning (2020)

She possesses a certain rawness in her presentation that simultaneously elevates jokes that fall onto well-trodden ground and imbues even most contentious political content with the familiarity of a discussion with a friend at a bar.

Posted Aug 5, 2020

The Go-Go's (2020)

Watching the film, it's pure pleasure to witness such scrappy exuberance, such mayhem so enthusiastically pursued.

Posted Aug 3, 2020

Black Is King (2020)

Black Is King is as carefully realized a construct as Beyoncé's previous videos and visual albums with the sort of vibrant cinematography and international scope tailor made for the Disney brand.

Posted Aug 3, 2020

The Speed Cubers (2020)

Hanh Nguyen

Yes, the thrill of competition and watching feats of strength and agility are enough reasons to tune in, but the truly compelling aspect is the storytelling.

Posted Jul 31, 2020

The Weight of Gold (2020)

Some insight into the specific struggles and biases faced by athletes of color would have added to the documentary's timeliness. However, especially in the absence of the 2020 Olympics, Weight of Gold remains essential viewing.

Posted Jul 29, 2020

The Painted Bird (2020)

The Painted Bird is a potent, visceral but rewarding film for viewers who can withstand the onslaught of traumatizing moments.

Posted Jul 17, 2020

The Old Guard (2020)

In drawing our attention to who these characters are as opposed to leaning upon the awe-inspiring moves they can pull off, the movie opts to be rich with emotional resonance as opposed to lousy with quips and explosions.

Posted Jul 14, 2020

First Cow (2020)

"First Cow" is a wonderfully unhurried film, which may be why it is so captivating. It allows viewers to sink in and absorb the story and its setting.

Posted Jul 10, 2020

The Tobacconist (Der trafikant) (2018)

Much of director and co-writer Nikolaus Leytner's drama, which alternates between starchy and hyperventilating, generates eye rolls.... "The Tobacconist" should have been richer and provided something for viewers to think about and chew on.

Posted Jul 9, 2020

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (2020)

Mucho Mucho Amor works for many reasons -- the insightful interviews, the tight editing, revealing archival footage, and some stunning tarot-inspired animations -- but also in its recognition that not all that glitters is gold.

Posted Jul 9, 2020

John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020)

Priscilla Ward

There's a lot to glean from the battleground Lewis has stood on for six decades while demanding fairness, a hope, and dream, of every American. Good Trouble is of importance now more than ever.

Posted Jul 6, 2020

Welcome to Chechnya (2020)

An illuminative work that never feels entirely safe, placing the observer in the midst of its subjects in moments where not even they can be entirely sure they'll make it.

Posted Jul 1, 2020

Athlete A (2020)

There are moments in Athlete A that will make you gasp at the brazen brutality of Nassar's crimes. Yet it never feels prurient or sensationalized.

Posted Jun 25, 2020

Disclosure (2020)

With absolute precision Disclosure makes the case that the all-too-common portrayals of transgender characters on TV over the years have contributed to this epidemic through the reckless objectification of transgender people.

Posted Jun 19, 2020

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Foremost among its accomplishments is the confident ease with which it traverses many shades of human experience... Lee does this by skillfully fading discrete genres into each other over the course of its two hour and 35 minute runtime.

Posted Jun 15, 2020

Cinema Verite (2011)

Matt Zoller Seitz

Cinema Verite is smart and often moving, but unsatisfying overall. It compresses seven months of shooting, 3,000 hours of raw footage, and 12 hours' worth of televised story into a little over 90 minutes, losing complexity along the way.

Posted Jun 10, 2020

Hannah Gadsby: Douglas (2020)

Gadsby is no everywoman, her worldview is entirely her own. That's why she stands out, at once fiercely and quietly, like a tiny, perfect lion.

Posted Jun 5, 2020

Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012)

Willa Paskin

In almost every instance, the script and direction settle for the simplest, dullest explanation of its main characters' behavior, even when that's in direct contradiction of something mentioned earlier.

Posted Jun 1, 2020

The Lovebirds (2020)

It belongs in that category of movies each should ask to be left out of any career achievement retrospective montages awaiting them down the road.

Posted May 26, 2020

James Dean (2001)

Joyce Millman

Even those of us who suspected that Franco had a great performance in him couldn't have imagined it would be this great... In his spectacular, heartfelt performance, Franco walks Dean's walk and feels his pain.

Posted May 11, 2020

Call Your Mother (2020)

An affectionate valentine to those mothers (and one grandmother) whose children became comedians....There are inspiring, embarrassing, and amusing stories throughout this affable 73-minute film.

Posted May 10, 2020

Becoming (2020)

Maybe you plan to settle in for an 89-minute feel-good experience that allows you to bask in Obama's calm dignity... If that is all you desire, "Becoming" will oblige you.

Posted May 7, 2020

Beastie Boys Story (2020)

Annie Zaleski

Beastie Boys Story is bittersweet more than sad, and doesn't dwell on what-ifs. Instead, the documentary celebrates a singular group that never lost their desire to innovate, create and become better people.

Posted Apr 27, 2020

Circus of Books (2020)

Both Circus of Books locations have since closed, but this documentary is a necessary, if incomplete, homage to their influence.

Posted Apr 24, 2020

Uncorked (2020)

D. Watkins

Captures an energy that's far too common in modern culture in regards to what we pursue, why we pursue it, and the way we dream. We all should be paying attention.

Posted Mar 31, 2020

Resistance (2020)

It feels important to remember what humans can endure in the darkest hours, and that those hours can pass. Most significantly, Resistance is a reminder of the truly lifesaving work of artists.

Posted Mar 30, 2020

Uncorked (2020)

It's sweet, medium-bodied, and unchallenging. It's the kind of movie anyone can easily curl up with, without too much thought. Just don't forget the wine.

Posted Mar 30, 2020

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020)

Using a treasure trove of archived footage and colorful contemporary interviews, Lebrecht and Newnham weave together a punchy, straightforward and inspiring documentary that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Posted Mar 26, 2020

Aziz Ansari: Right Now (2019)