film criticism by maryann johanson | handcrafted since 1997
Two very different films, replete with emotionally engaging performances, examine the impact of the American death penalty from the large-scale legal and political to that of intimate personal grief.
Tali Shalom-Ezer directs romantic drama My Days of Mercy, starring Ellen Page and Kate Mara; more… [This post is for Patreon patrons only for the first month.]
A thriller about a real-life female Indian spy, a documentary about a Saudi woman who fights religious extremism, and more…
Natalie Portman and Bingbing Li have scientific adventures, Rachel McAdams has a nerd adventure, and more…
A slow, mild exploration of guilt, grief, bigotry, and militant sectarianism, all in the context of a treatment for a zombie virus. Tepid and frustratingly underdeveloped, with few surprises.
The reboot no one asked for of a movie no one much remembers has landed… and it’s dead on arrival, with nothing new to say and no new way to say it.
Simply a lovely film, with some of the most striking — and haunting — animation I’ve ever seen, and full of a remarkable and palpable warmth and humanity.
An atypical disaster movie, less about the failure of technology than the failure — and perhaps the resurgence — of the human spirit in the face of that.
May be a familiar David-versus-Goliath tale, but it is also an inspiring and hugely emotional experience, due in large part to the powerful performances.
Spotlight takes four awards, including Best Film…
