James RutherfordOct 22, 2022'Don’t Look Up': An Uncommonly Shrewd and Darkly Comical Satire of Modern SocietyDon’t Look Up (2021) is a darkly comical and uncommonly shrewd satire of modern society that imagines the sudden appearance of an...
James RutherfordOct 16, 2022'Steve Jobs': A Bold and Viscerally Compelling Depiction of the Preeminent Tech PioneerSteve Jobs (2015) is a bold and highly dynamic depiction of Apple Computers' titular co-founder and CEO, with Michael Fassbender...
James RutherfordOct 10, 2022'Far from Heaven': An Exquisite Drama Delving Under the Surface of 1950's-Era American SocietyFar from Heaven (2003) is an exquisite American drama starring Julianne Moore as Cathy Whitaker, a temperate young housewife and mother...
James RutherfordOct 2, 2022'After the Wedding': An Exemplary Danish Drama About an Orphanage Director's Life-Altering DiscoveryAfter the Wedding (Efter Brylluppet) (2006) is a wonderfully touching Danish drama starring Mads Mikkelsen as Jacob Petersen, a...
James RutherfordSep 25, 2022'The Basketball Diaries': The Gritty Depiction of a Basketball Phenom's Turn Toward Self-DestructionThe Basketball Diaries (1995) is a gritty and often harrowing biographical drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio as American punk...
James RutherfordSep 19, 2022'A History of Violence': A Gripping and Finely Calculated Depiction of One Man's Dark Hidden HistoryA History of Violence (2005) is a gripping thriller starring Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, the unassuming owner of a quaint diner in...
James RutherfordSep 12, 2022'45 Years': A Thought-Provoking British Drama About an Aging Couple's Profound Revelation 45 Years (2015) is an absorbing and thought-provoking British drama starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay as Kate and Geoff...
James RutherfordSep 4, 2022'La La Land': A Dazzling Musical-Drama Depicting Youthful Enchantment in Modern Day Los AngelesLa La Land (2016) is a dazzling musical-drama set in modern-day Los Angeles and detailing the burgeoning romance between Mia Dolan (Emma...
James RutherfordAug 30, 2022'Memories of Murder': A Haunting Thriller Detailing the Hunt for South Korea's First Serial KillerMemories of Murder (살인의 추억) (2003) is a meticulous and haunting South Korean crime thriller that begins in 1996 with the discovery of two...
James RutherfordAug 22, 2022'Never Rarely Sometimes Always': The Harrowing Tale of Two Teenage Girls on a Journey of DesperationNever Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) is a harrowing yet deeply absorbing drama about a pair of teenage girls who travel from Pennsylvania...
James RutherfordAug 12, 2022'Mad Max': The High-Octane First Chapter in the Legendary Australian Post-Apocalyptic Film SeriesMad Max (1979) is a frenetic Australian action thriller starring Mel Gibson as the titular Max Rockatansky, a determined young officer...
James RutherfordAug 7, 2022'A Fish Called Wanda': A Jaunty British Comedy Depicting the Fallout From a Daring Diamond HeistA Fish Called Wanda (1988) is a boisterous and jaunty British comedy about a quartet of criminals who stage a high stakes diamond heist...
James RutherfordAug 1, 2022'Hostiles': A Starkly Compelling Neo-Western Tale of Brutality, Injustice and ConciliationHostiles (2017) is a vivid and riveting neo-western starring Christian Bale as Joseph Blocker, a U.S. Army captain forced to escort...
James RutherfordJul 24, 2022'Gattaca': An Arresting Futuristic Exploration of Scientific Advancement, Identity and Ethics Gattaca (1997) is an arresting science-fiction film starring Ethan Hawke as Vincent, a genetically inferior laborer with dreams of space...
James RutherfordJul 19, 2022'Red': The Enlivening Final Installment in Krzysztof Kieślowski's Celebrated 'Three Colors' TrilogyRed (Trois Couleurs: Rouge) (1994) is a uniquely dramatic mystery-romance starring Irène Jacob as Valentine, a young model and university...
James RutherfordJul 10, 2022A Choice Selection of 10 Illuminating and Insightful Documentaries (Vol. II)1. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991) is a stunningly insightful and...
James RutherfordJul 8, 2022'C'mon C'mon': The Sincere and Emotive Tale of a Radio Journalist Caring for His Young NephewC'mon C'mon (2021) is the heartfelt tale of a radio journalist named Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) who travels America interviewing children...
James RutherfordJul 3, 2022'Three Kings': An Off-the-Wall Depiction of Hijinks and Humanism During the Persian Gulf WarThree Kings (1999) is a unique and darkly comical depiction of America's intervention in the Persian Gulf circa 1991. The storyline...
James RutherfordJun 26, 2022'The Nightingale': A Vicious and Palpable Tale of Revenge from 1800's-Era Colonial TasmaniaThe Nightingale (2018) is a vicious Australian drama-thriller starring Aisling Franciosi as Clare Carroll, an Irish convict inhabiting a...
James RutherfordJun 20, 2022'Red Rocket': A Wonderfully Transgressive Depiction of a Down-on-His Luck Adult Film StarRed Rocket (2021) is the serio-comic tale of a down-on-his-luck adult film actor named Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) forced to leave California...
James RutherfordJun 13, 2022'In the Mood for Love': Wong Kar-wai's Warmly Intoxicating Tale of Longing and AdorationIn the Mood for Love (2001) is an evocative romantic drama starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung as Su Li-shen and Chow Mo-wan, neighbors...
James RutherfordJun 4, 2022'Aguirre, the Wrath of God': The Ferocious Tale of an Ill-Fated Expedition in Search of El DoradoAguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) is a ferocious historical drama starring Klaus Kinski as Don Lope de Aguirre, an Age of Discovery-era...
James RutherfordMay 31, 2022'In a Better World': A Penetrating Dramatic Illustration of Complex Moral Ambiguity from DenmarkIn a Better World (Hævnen) is a penetrating Danish drama ostensibly focused on a Swedish doctor named Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) whose...
James RutherfordMay 26, 2022'Licorice Pizza': A Radiant Tale of Burgeoning Young Love in 1970's-Era San Fernando ValleyLicorice Pizza (2021) is a radiant coming-of-age comedy-drama starring Cooper Hoffman as fifteen-year-old Gary Valentine, a loquacious...