My Opinion: 7.2 || Intellectually absorbing prison film that ignores the usual genre elements to focus on the mechanics of escape. The minimalist approach means that although we spend every minute with the protagonist… Continue reading
My Opinion: 8.2 || A philosophically ambitious, Escher-like story told with spectacular visuals. One of the most fascinating movie-watching experiences I’ve had recently.
My Opinion: 6.9 || Good fantasy-horror fun, with a very entertaining premise and excellent balance of humor, chills, and tenderness. Wonderful economy in the storytelling too — not a wasted minute and the short… Continue reading
My Opinion: 6.1 || A crime drama on the outside, but really a drama about friendships. It’s nothing special as a thriller, but once you stop looking for genre satisfaction and accept the film… Continue reading
My Opinion: 6.9 || Sumptuous, sensual movie with brilliant use of visuals and ambient sounds. More a sensory experience than a piece of storytelling, though, as the plot and characterizations are disappointingly thin. Notwithstanding… Continue reading
My Opinion: 6.5 || Relentlessly bleak. Devoid of characterization and plot. And numbingly slow. But — the best black-and-white cinematography I’ve ever seen. It’s a revelation. The film is like a succession of still… Continue reading
My Opinion: 6.0 || Good social commentary but disappointingly prosaic direction from a filmmaker with Kieslowski’s gifts. The premise of split lives is one that he went on to explore poignantly in later films,… Continue reading
My Opinion: 6.5 || Sharp action thriller that efficiently hits all the genre elements. Nothing very original, but that’s okay — it’s viscerally exciting, well shot, and doesn’t hurt your head with (too much) implausibility.… Continue reading
My Opinion: 6.8 || A well-designed, light-on-its-feet film that manages to imbue a seemingly threadbare plot with significance. It meanders a bit, and there are a couple unconvincing dream sequences. But good performances, a… Continue reading
My Opinion: 7.7 || An absorbing, beautifully textured story. The young protagonist is an impressively three-dimensional character, and Nairobi itself is such a vibrant presence that you can almost taste and feel it. The… Continue reading
I'm an author and consultant in Portland, Oregon. My novel 'Beheld' will be published this June.
