Godland (2023) Hlynur Pálmason’s Masterpiece A+
Pálmason, his cinematographer (Maria von Hausswolff), and his composer (Alex Zhang Hungtai) evoke colonial memories reminiscent of films like “Black Robe”.
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Category: Ratings: Movies and Television
How to Have Sex (2023) Mia McKenna-Bruce shines in Manning Walker’s debut A-
“How to Have Sex” follows three teenage girls on vacation in Greece. Mia McKenna-Bruce delivers a heartbreaking performance as Tara. One of 2023’s best.
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Maestro (2023) Bradley Cooper’s Vain Impersonation of a Vain Man. B+
Leaving out vast chunks of the great conductor’s life, Cooper gives a vain impersonation of a vain man while Carey Mulligan takes the acting honors.
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The Road Dog (2023) Road Movie Meets Stand-Up B+
Doug Stanhope is “The Road Dog” of the title in writer/director Greg Glienna’s inspired blend of the road movie and stand-up comedy.
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Saltburn (2023) Emerald Fennell’s Sophomore Triumph A
Fennell’s writing and directing are brilliantly inventive, with humor, tragedy, and horror mixing perfectly. She gets immense support from her cinematographer, Linus Sandgren, whose work here is truly breathtaking.
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Shortcomings (2023) An Asian-American Comedy. B+
Min, playing a dislikeable character, manages to make Ben, if not exactly likable, then certainly sympathetic. Both Sherry Cola and Debby Ryan are superb.
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Sick of Myself (2023) More Horror Movie Than Social Satire B+
If you can take moments of extreme gore and disfigurement – it succeeds more as a horror movie than as a piece of social satire – you could do worse.
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You Can Live Forever (2023) Queer Film A-
Laporte is tremendous in portraying a complex character who appears to have an “escape” but really doesn’t. It’s a heartbreaking performance.
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Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (2022) Queer Film! A-
Beautifully Queer friendly, the relationship between Bee (Maria Bakalova) and Sophiie (Amanda Stenberg) is the emotional center of the movie.
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Causeway (2022) Queer Film (A)
And Henry gives a tour de force performance that matches his spine-tingling monologue in “If Beale Street Could Talk”. Like Lawrence he is one of the all-time greats.
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Emily The Criminal (2022) Audrey Plaza (A)
Plaza’s performance is something to behold. All of that nervous energy is now bursting out in a performance that is always true and believable.
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Girl Picture (2022) Queer Film B+
Aamu Milonoff is exceptionally good, giving a beautifully grounded yet magical performance. The kind that makes you sit up and take notice.
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Nitram (2022) Caleb Landry Jones A+
As for Judy Davis she gives what is probably her most outstanding performance, which means it’s one of the greatest performances ever captured on film.
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The Tale of King Crab (2022) Enchanting! Directors Alessio Rigo de Righi & Matteo Zoppis A-
The directors are extremely cine-literate. However, their references never seemed forced and I basked in their cinematic vision.
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White Noise (2022) Another Superb Performance from Adam Driver B
Our savior is Driver, who, against all odds, manages to give another superb performance in inhospitable settings.
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Flee (2021) Queer Film A+
I left “Flee” with that “floating-on-air feeling” that you get after seeing something special. After seeing a masterpiece.
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Great Freedom (2021) Queer Film A-
Meise directs what must be some of the most beautiful and heartfelt scenes ever captured on film between two men in love.
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The Hand of God (2021) Film Review A+
Memories of Fellini and the Taviani Brothers at their peak. It’s his “Amarcord” (I remember). It’s also his “La Dolce Vita.”
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Shiva Baby (2021) Queer Film (B).
Finally, a toast, amid all this great food, to four extraordinarily talented actresses: Sennott, Draper, Gordon, and Argon.
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Dance of the Forty-One (2020) Queer Film A-
Ignacio de la Torre was the son in law of Mexico’s president for life and dictator Porfirio Díaz’s. But he was leading a double life with his lover Evaristo.
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Quo Vadis Aida (2020) Film Review A+
Aida knows the horrific fate that awaits her husband and two sons if they are found and, for two hours, you watch as she frantically tries to get them out.
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Beanpole (2019) Queer Film A+
“Beanpole” conveys, beautifully, the ability of human beings to find moments of intimacy and even love under the most horrific of circumstances.
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Under The Skin (2014) Scarlett Johansson A+
Explore the haunting world of ‘Under the Skin’ with Scarlett Johansson as an alien preying on Glasgow’s men.
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Take Shelter (2011) A Horror Masterpiece. A+
It boasts a tremendous performance by Michael Shannon as a quiet man, raising a family, who has horrific nightmares and daytime visions of a meteorological disturbance followed by a feeling that we (the Earth) are being visited by something alien.
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The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) Queer Film A+
“Ripley”, Minghella’s masterpiece, boasts Matt Damon’s best performance plus stunning turns by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jude Law.
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Grace of My Heart (1996) Queer Film- Bridget does Lesley B+
Bridget Fonda does a fabulous Lesley Gore (thinly disguised) in Alison Anders’ 1996 movie “Grace of My Heart”
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Polyester (1981) Queer Film (B) High Camp at a Midnight Screening.
It’s delirious fun in classic Waters mode, with the incomparable Divine scaling Crawford‑level heights of Sirkian melodrama.
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Fame (1980) Queer Film B-
Actor Paul McCrane’s token gay character, Montgomery, stood out as an honest and moving portrayal of a shy, talented young man.
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Cruising (1980) Queer Film (F)
Gay men in New York protested the making of this movie, and they were right. It boasts not a single redeeming feature. Exploitation, anyone?
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American Gigolo (1980) Queer Film (A)
Watching American Gigolo, you knew that Courtesy of Giorgio and Nando, two gay Italian men, glamor and fashion had returned to the world, not just Hollywood but the entire world.
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