Movies I’ve recently seen: Nomadland | Judas and the Black Messiah | Morocco & March of the Wooden Soldiers

Here again are two new films that everybody's talking about and two films made more than 80 years ago. That wasn't intended. A Nomadland (2020) After Fern loses her husband, job, and home (Frances McDormand), she goes on the road in her van, working temporary jobs, getting by, and befriending other "nomads." She doesn't consider … Continue reading Movies I’ve recently seen: Nomadland | Judas and the Black Messiah | Morocco & March of the Wooden Soldiers

Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Harnessed the Wind | The New World | Promising Young Woman | Yentl | Dishonored

Here are five movies I saw recently; four for the first time. The other I watched before I started writing about every film I saw. A The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) What a powerful story! A small, African village is on the brink of death. The lack of water, caused in part by government … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Harnessed the Wind | The New World | Promising Young Woman | Yentl | Dishonored

Three silent classics by Josef von Sternberg, now together on Criterion Blu-ray

When cinephiles consider Josef von Sternberg, they usually think about beautiful, erotic images of Marlene Dietrich, set in exotic, far-off places but shot entirely on the Paramount lot. Yet before he met Dietrich or made a talkie, he created three stunning silent dramas that are among his best work. These three films, Underworld, The Last … Continue reading Three silent classics by Josef von Sternberg, now together on Criterion Blu-ray