Pocket Cinephile on Whit Stillman's Metropolitan

Check out my essay on Metropolitan in the latest FLAUNT Magazine. On stands now!

Green Zone, Paul Greengrass, 2010

Greengrass' film has the strange and perhaps unprecedented distinction of being a revisionist, speculative, investigative action thriller. As such, the film is somewhat less than the sum of its parts and never quite finds a balance between Bourne-inspired action, Syriana-styled geopolitical wrangling, and Hurt Locker-bred veracity.

Exit Through the Gift Shop, Banksy, 2010

Banksy's is-it-or-isn't-it hoax film works only as a curiosity. As a straight documentary it falls woefully short, and, as such, the film retains value only as a (supposed) large scale cultural prank.

Senses of Cinema - World Poll 2010

The fine folks at Senses of Cinema have again incorporated our Top 10 into their annual World Poll. A must read!

Check it out!

The Fighter, David O. Russell, 2010

David O. Russell's tale of boxing and family dysfunction is not quite revelatory, but it doesn't have to be. That his framing of the Irish Micky Ward story is measured, credible, and well made in most every sense of the word makes the film an utter success.

The American, Anton Corbijn, 2010

Corbijn's film is a precise, deliberate, and labyrinthine thriller, recalling closely the classic European crime cinema of Jean-Pierre Melville and Julien Duvivier.