Screen
Lady liberty triumphant
If a revolution could ever be distilled into a single image, then let it be Delacroix’s commemoration of the French Revolution’s July 1830 victory,...
The children of Marx and Coca-Cola
It was the 1960s, and revolution was in the air. For French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, cinema was the way to express ideas artistic, political...
The power of a magic feather
In Life, Animated — the new documentary from Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams — one image in particular stands out: a toddler standing...
Out of the past
Mamma Roma has paid her dues and done her time. For nearly 30 years, she walked the sweaty streets of Rome, turning tricks and...
Nostalgic puppets to the rescue
A frisky new film showcasing some old pals made out of felt, charm and some kind of genius, the Disney release The Muppets overcomes a jaded streak reflecting its makers’ nervousness about selling Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and the gang to an audience ...
‘Somebody’s fool’
Orson Welles needed money. That’s how this story begins. Back in 1946, Welles was putting the finishing touches on an ambitious stage production of...
Tight pants and raw power
For better or for worse, rock ‘n’ roll has always been a commodity. Before there can be a movement, there must be equipment, electricity...
Fantastic furry fun in ‘Mr. Fox’
In a world of children’s films increasingly characterized by technological accomplishment and sophisticated rendering in lieu of good old-fashioned storytelling, it was a breath of fresh air to enjoy the stop-motion Fantastic Mr. Fox...
Went the war well?
Dunkirk — the latest feature from writer/director Christopher Nolan — isn’t like any other war movie. That’s because Dunkirk isn’t the story of a...
Forgettable
If you’ve ever seen an online profile picture, chances are you’re familiar with the pursed-lips, craned-neck, supposedly slimming contortion known affectionately as “the duckface.” Total Recall is the sci-fi tale of a quasi-postapocalyptic duckface war between Kate ...
