Aki Kaurismäki’s latest gets by on the simple pleasures unique to his oeuvre.
La La Land
Preoccupied with failure and compromise, La La Land is a fascinating companion piece to Chazelle’s earlier Whiplash.
The Eyes of My Mother
THE EYES OF MY MOTHER is a grisly, artful debut feature by Nicolas Pesce that’s at its best when letting its impressive lead actors carry the tone.
Carol
Todd Haynes’ CAROL powerfully captures the thrill of a romantic encounter, lifted by Rooney Mara’s impressive performance and Ed Lachman’s stunning 16mm cinematography.
Anomalisa
Despite being rendered in stop-motion animation, ANOMALISA is the closest Kaufman has come to a pure, unencumbered emotional directness.
How Heavy This Hammer
Kazik Radwanski’s threadbare character study is a stunningly empathetic portrait, with an engaging lead performance from Erwin Van Cottheim.
Green Room
GREEN ROOM is a fiery and nuanced tribute to DIY punk and hardcore scenes that oscillates between music and politics throughout.
Stinking Heaven
Nathan Silver’s latest effort continues thematic elements of his past filmography, a discombobulating slice-of-life study of a group of drug addicts and its cryptic dynamic.
Hill of Freedom
Hong Sang-soo’s latest film is a deeply satisfying puzzle without a solution, and one of his funniest and richest films to date.
Birdman
A film that only feigns creative risk-taking, Iñárritu’s BIRDMAN disappoints; though lifted by its acting performances and some formal flourishes, its clumsy screenplay both aimed at and the embodiment of pretension drags the feature down.