coming of age archives - Page 9 of 36

Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts (89th Academy Awards) review

Mon, Feb 06, 2017

I would give the Oscar in a three-way tie to the Syrian-themed nominees, which offer stunningly intimate observations on the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

The White King movie review: a boy’s-eye view on dystopia

Thu, Jan 26, 2017

1 comment

This sad mess of a vaguely sci-fi coming-of-age tale seemingly could not be more plugged into current fears, and yet it feels utterly irrelevant.

A Monster Calls movie review: the monster is within us all

Tue, Jan 03, 2017

11 comments

A fairy tale of the Grimm sort: no happy ending, no heroes or villains, just hard truths about life and human nature. Important, beautiful, heartbreaking.

Best and Most Beautiful Things documentary review: hacking “normal”

Thu, Dec 08, 2016

1 comment

This lively portrait of a young woman with disabilities and her ordinary hopes and dreams is an explicit, engaging challenge to our ideas of what “normal” is.

Moana movie review: the hero with a thousand faces finally has a female one

Tue, Nov 22, 2016

14 comments

A wonderful mythology of demons and demigods. A heroine who embodies the bold spirit of her people. Another sweet, funny, exciting triumph from Disney.

Moonlight movie review: the empathy machine in action (but only if you’re watching)

Wed, Nov 16, 2016

25 comments

Luminous and plaintive, Moonlight is emotional virtual reality, transforming a unique human experience into something universal and unforgettable.

Fire Song movie review: finding a path through a broken world

Tue, Nov 08, 2016

no comments yet

A sensitive portrait, but often a wretched one, of young people at crossroads, set on a Canadian First Nations reservation but with resonance far beyond.

Girls Lost (Pojkarna) movie review: girls found

Fri, Nov 04, 2016

no comments yet

A beautiful film with a wonderful young cast that flows with sinister sorcery and tender sympathy for the physical and emotional upheavals of adolescence.