film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
Revisionist tale of the Australian folk hero rages against the dark forces that shaped him: emotional and economic neglect and abuse forged in patriarchy and colonialism. Electrifyingly punk and vulgar.
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…
The story of Australian cult figure Kelly — a 19th-century Robin Hood–esque outlaw, child of an underclass of Irish immigrants — is a tricky film, punctuated by bursts of staccato surrealism and bitter humor, hard to love unreservedly but easy to appreciate for its ambition. Heath Ledger (The Order) finds a wary, cautious groove as … more…
These reviews have moved — sorry for the inconvenience. Conan O’Brien 10th Anniversary Special Daughters of Afghanistan The Door in the Floor I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead Laverne & Shirley: The Complete First Season Millennium: The Complete First Season Ned Kelly Stander SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 Two Brothers Vanity Fair Wimbledon Young Adam
