Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Collateral Damage 2002

  ★★½ Rewatched 21 Mar 2025 1

  COLLATERAL DAMAGE marked the end of an era. Action movies had moved on from Schwarzenegger somewhere in the late 1990s. In this Andrew Davis film, Schwarzenegger seems to be trying to adapt. What kind of hero do folks need at the turn of the century. In a way, he nailed it. They will want a more naturalistic, everyman type of do-gooder. They'd want a more grounded form of onscreen action. There'd still be room for escapism at the box office,…

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  Conclave 2024

  ★★★★½ Watched 21 Mar 2025 1

  CONCLAVE reminded me of 12 ANGRY MEN. Personalities and political cattiness in a world of "I'd appreciate your vote, but don't vote for me because I don't want to win." I quite like well-written verbal sparring, so coming from men of the cloth, CONCLAVE is golden. Plus, the visuals afforded by the setting of the Vatican and Berger's keen eye production design, costuming, and lighting make nearly every frame lovely.
  A-

Popular reviews

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  1917 2019

  ★★★½ Watched 18 Jan 2020 7

  With all of its production value, gimmicky roving camera, and (falsely advertised) real-time narrative, 1917 is impressive to experience, but honestly is a little light on an emotional core. George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman lack the weight, it seems, to make me care about them. Honestly, the long, 'look-at-me' shots have such forward momentum and 'what's next' drama, the audience never really gets a moment to slow down and get to know these young soldiers. And, that's what I think…

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  After Blue (Dirty Paradise) 2021

  ½ Watched 18 Sep 2021 10

  TIFF 2021
  #30

  A few years ago, directors Bertrand Mandico and Katrin Olafsdottir decided to develop their own alt-movie style manifesto akin to the Vinterberg/Von Trier ‘Dogma 95’ articles. The Mandico-Olafsdottir proclamation is known as the ‘Incoherence Manifesto’. Its rules mandate avoiding digital effects, doing all sound in post, using expired film stock, creating vague and dreamy sets, and having actors either overact or underact. ‘Incoherent’ films are meant to be liberating, disturbed, and dreamlike with a freeing aesthetic.

  AFTER…