handcrafted film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
My pick: “Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405,” a marvelous portrait of artist Mindy Alper, one that challenges us all to know ourselves as well as she seems to, even when it’s incredibly painful.
How can it be that this powerful, exciting, provocative movie has been all but overlooked this year? Once upon a not-so-long-ago time, a film this epic, this relevant, this emotional would have been celebrated by the industry and by audiences as a great entertainment that was also great, important storytelling with something vital to say about the state of our world today.
