Defined In Isolation: Ryan Coogler on “Sinners” | Interviews
One of the great joys when watching a Ryan Coogler project is seeing how he’ll remix seemingly unrelated stories, themes, and genres into a wholly original creation. Proximity Media, the production company he formed with his wife Zinzi and friend Sev, helps bring audiences closer to often overlooked subjects. In
The Dream Within the Fairy Tale: Emilie Blichfeldt on “The Ugly Stepsister” | Interviews
Thousands of versions of Cinderella exist throughout the world, but it’s safe to say that only one variant of the classic fairy tale features rotting flesh and maggots in place of a pumpkin carriage and mice, tapeworm diets and sewn-on eyelashes instead of magical makeovers, and a pivotal shift in
He Communicated with Forces that Were Not in the Norm: Oliver Stone on Directing Val Kilmer | Interviews
Val Kilmer died last week of pneumonia after a long struggle against the cancer that took his voice. He left behind an extraordinary body of work and a reputation for being a difficult, sometimes volatile performer. Kilmer attempted to address both facets of the legend in “Val,” a documentary-apologia that
Revisiting the Bunker: Michael Shannon on “Eric LaRue” | Interviews
Michael Shannon’s feature directorial debut, “Eric LaRue,” is of a piece with the anguished psychological dramas for which he’s acclaimed as an actor. But its painful subject matter also reflects the burning social conscience he says he’s long been driven to interrogate through art. An adaptation of Brett Neveu’s 2002
Creating a Meta-Rom-Com: Karen Morey and Terence Chen on “Meet Cute in Manhattan” | Interviews
Director/co-screenwriter Karen Morey and co-screenwriter/star Terence Chen wanted to make a romantic comedy about romantic comedies, a meta-story that nods to many of the most beloved classics in the genre, from “Roman Holiday” to the oeuvre of Richard Curtis. In “Meet Cute in Manhattan,” the movie within the movie has
Life Sustained by Desire: Alain Guiraudie on “Misericordia” | Interviews
Death and desire make for strange bedfellows in the films of Alain Guiraudie. Predominantly set in cloistered, rural communities whose characters—and, indeed, whose auras and enclaves—are cast aswirl by crosscurrents of violence and eroticism, the French filmmaker’s cinema derives both comedy and tragedy from closeted compulsions. His latest, “Misericordia” (now
Finding a Way Home: André Holland Never Rests | Interviews
Few actors can command the screen with such sincerity and passion as André Holland. His visage is a home for a host of emotions to make their residency and whether he’s working with seasoned directors like Barry Jenkins and Steven Soderbergh or first-time directors like Titus Kaphar and Rachael Abigail
Ambient Comedy: Carson Lund on “Eephus” | Interviews
A poignant, slow-fading comedy about two teams running out of time, Carson Lund’s “Eephus” chronicles one final game for an amateur New England baseball league whose beloved field is about to be demolished. Set in 1990s Massachusetts (and populated by mostly older players whose love of the game far outpaces their
More Than Rage: Rungano Nyoni and Susan Chardy on “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” | Interviews
The absurdist drama “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” begins with one of the most indelible images to grace the silver screen in recent memory: a young woman, Shula (Susan Chardy, in a star-making debut performance), donning Missy Elliott’s iconic bejeweled mask and oversized inflatable black suit from her music video
Female Filmmakers in Focus: Fleur Fortuné on “The Assessment” | Interviews
Set in a future world where no one ages, there are no animals and precious few plants, Fleur Fortuné’s dystopian sci-fi drama “The Assessment” follows isolated scientists Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) as they endure an arduous, week-long, and ultimately absurd government-mandated test, led by the wildly unpredictable
