Frederick Wiseman’s World of Institutions Frederick Wiseman’s World of Institutions
In his 42nd film, the documentarian examines the New York Public Library from both his Olympian and activist perspectives.
Sep 19, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
A Pitiless Heist Movie A Pitiless Heist Movie
The one thing you can’t do is look away from Benny and Josh Safdie’s acidly titled Good Time.
Aug 18, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
More Than Motown More Than Motown
Kathryn Bigelow’s instinct for the visceral overflows her chosen subject, making a mess of the themes in her new film Detroit.
Aug 4, 2017 / Stuart Klawans
A Summer of Special Effects A Summer of Special Effects
On one end of the scale, there’s the stroke of cinematic inspiration in A Ghost Story; on the other are CGI inventions like the astonishing Okja.
Jul 21, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
The Manufactured Images of ‘The Reagan Show’ The Manufactured Images of ‘The Reagan Show’
The new documentary film is both a valiant exposé and a victim of the president’s publicity machine.
Jul 1, 2017 / Stuart Klawans
Wonder Women Wonder Women
If you’re looking for a heroine at the movies this summer, you should look beyond the latest superhero story.
Jun 9, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
Acts of Insolence Acts of Insolence
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is earnest in a way that’s ill-suited to a movie that pretends to razz the whole superhero business.
May 12, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
The Decade Before the LA Riots The Decade Before the LA Riots
Let It Fall is a comprehensive history of how Los Angeles tore itself apart from 1982 to 1992, as well as the story of a dozen or more personal tragedies.
Apr 26, 2017 / Stuart Klawans
When Big Names Are Everywhere When Big Names Are Everywhere
Norman and Obit are movies lovingly dedicated to the virtues of the small and the anonymous.
Apr 21, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans
Terence Davies’s Counter-Séance Terence Davies’s Counter-Séance
A Quiet Passion doesn’t pretend to recall the skeptical spirit of Emily Dickinson to the land of the living but rather projects you into her departed world.
Mar 28, 2017 / Books & the Arts / Stuart Klawans