film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
What could possibly be offensive about artist-filmmaker Julian Schnabel taking on an underdog tale and imbuing it with his usual warm, empathetic, humanist touch? Ah, here is Schnabel’s mistake: his story is about a Palestinian girl, and he fails to give equal time to the Israeli side of the story, an unforgivable transgression in the eyes of many. That said…
We all know how it is. You’d like to get out to see a new movie this weekend, but you dread heading to the multplex in case it’s clogged with people in Spock ears and Klingon foreheads, and anyway, Mom won’t want to beam up to the Enterprise for Mother’s Day. But you can have … more…
My picks for the best and worst movies of the year are no secret to anyone who follows my annual ranking of every new theatrical release I see. The ranking is a work-in-progress throughout the year. It begins when I see the first movie slated for release within a calendar year — for 2007, that … more…
