film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
I’ve been racking my brain for the last 12 hours, since I heard about the death of actress Brittany Murphy, for the best way to talk about her death, or, indeed, whether I should even mention her at all. Is there anything here worth talking about beyond the — let’s be honest — generic sorrow … more…
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN (encompassing production design, costumes, and makeup) The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou I usually favor invented worlds when picking the year’s best production work… and maybe I’ve done that here, too. Steve Zissou’s universe feels like it’s a baby step off skew with our own — the colors just a tad flat, … more…
Damn, but I had a good time at the movies this year. I sat through a lot of cinematic toxic waste, it’s true, but I also had a tough time winnowing down my best-of list to only ten films: the top 25 or 30 films in my annual ranking delighted me, made me laugh, moved … more…
