Review: ‘Becoming Cousteau’ Provides an Intimtate Look at the Underwater Explorer

“The only field in which I know I am gifted is cinema,” writes Jacques-Yves Cousteau, a man more remembered for his technological innovations, scientific discoveries, and charming personage than for the dozens of films and television specials that he directed. The documentary Becoming Cousteau revises the conception of the deep-sea explorer in the popular imagination, portraying him as he truly was: a complicated and multifaceted man whose passion for the sea was vital in establishing many of our modern-day environmental movements. Directed by American documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus, and produced by National Geographic, Becoming Cousteau uses a variety of multimedia sources to weave together a holistic portrait of Cousteau’s life and legacy. The film is a visual treat for anyone with an interest in marine life, and it is sure to impart upon audiences the urgency of environmentalism and ecological conversation.

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Review: ‘Flee’ is a Beautifully Intimate Portrait of an Afghan Refugee

What does it mean to have a home? Comfort? Security? Privacy? According to Amin, the mononymous subject of the recent Danish documentary Flee, home is somewhere permanent, a place where you no longer have to run. Amin Nawabi, a name that the film directly acknowledges is a pseudonym, fled his home in Afghanistan at a young age and eventually made his way to Denmark, where he began an academic career. Flee finds Amin on the brink of a new chapter in his life, as he and his boyfriend plan to get married and buy a house. But before he can settle down, Amin feels the need to address his past and tell the whole story of his years-long journey.

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Review: ‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever’ is a Fitting Conclusion to the Teen Romance Trilogy

Netflix’s latest teen romantic comedy sees Lana Condor and Noah Centineo reprise their roles as high school lovebirds in the third and final installment of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. Based on the 2017 young adult novel by Jenny Han, who briefly cameos in a flashback scene, Always and Forever returns to the lively and endearing spirit of the first film, while also demonstrating much more emotional depth than the rest of the trilogy. Continue reading “Review: ‘To All the Boys: Always and Forever’ is a Fitting Conclusion to the Teen Romance Trilogy” →

Piper Coyner’s Top 10 Films of 2020

The COVID pandemic provoked mass hysteria amongst the film industry, prompting theatres to be closed, release dates to be pushed back, productions to be halted, and even pushing some companies out of business. Countless articles wondered about the fate of cinema, and whether the availability of at-home film rental portended the end of communal viewing culture. Continue reading “Piper Coyner’s Top 10 Films of 2020” →

Retrospective: ‘The Young Girls of Rochefort’ is an Utterly Unique and Unfairly Overlooked French Musical

Perhaps because they have the capacity to inspire joy and happiness in their audiences, musicals have gained a reputation in high art circles for being purely entertainment: well-crafted, but lacking in emotional depth. The films of French director Jacques Demy defy this elitist categorization of musicals as low art, and they embrace both sorrow and glee to produce a unique and nuanced emotional complexity. Continue reading “Retrospective: ‘The Young Girls of Rochefort’ is an Utterly Unique and Unfairly Overlooked French Musical” →

Review: ‘Rebecca’ Adaptation Pales in Comparison to Hitchcock’s Original

Just in time for Halloween, Netflix has released Rebecca, the third adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s beloved 1938 novel about the sinister ongoings at an English country estate. The 1940 Alfred Hitchcock adaptation, winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture and starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, is often considered to be the best version of the story. Ben Wheatley’s rote adaptation of Rebecca only goes to proves the superiority and timelessness of Hitchcock’s. Continue reading “Review: ‘Rebecca’ Adaptation Pales in Comparison to Hitchcock’s Original” →

Review: ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ is a Treat For Fans of Kaufman’s Unique Style

Unlike the rest of the world, Charlie Kaufman has had a successful 2020. His debut novel, Antkind, was published to critical acclaim in July, while his third film, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, was just released on Netflix. Based on the 2016 novel by Canadian writer Ian Reid, I’m Thinking of Ending Things stars Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons as a young couple who are driving to meet his parents for dinner. The visit turns out to be much more eventful than anticipated. Continue reading “Review: ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ is a Treat For Fans of Kaufman’s Unique Style” →

Review: ‘One Way to Tomorrow’ is a Turkish Version of the Before Trilogy

One Way to Tomorrow, Netflix’s first original film from Turkey, is a pleasant if unimaginative tale of a chance encounter between two strangers who have more in common than they initially believe. The film’s somewhat confusingly translated title references the fact that the two main characters, Ali (Metin Akdülger), a lawyer, and Leyla (Dilan Çiçek Deniz), a violinist, have purchased one-way tickets on a 14-hour train journey from the Turkish capital city of Ankara to the seaport of Izmir. One Way to Tomorrow, which is adapted from the 2014 Swedish film How to Stop a Wedding, explores concepts of forgiveness, acceptance, and the intimacy that can quickly develop between strangers. Continue reading “Review: ‘One Way to Tomorrow’ is a Turkish Version of the Before Trilogy” →

Review: ‘P.S. I Still Love You’ is a Fun, Yet Lackluster, Sequel

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, a 2018 Netflix release, was a smash hit and internet sensation which was lauded for its romantic plot, bright set design, and depiction of Asian identity and mixed-race families. The film followed the story of Korean-Canadian high school student Lara Jean, a bookish, romantic girl who has never been in a relationship but has had many crushes throughout her life. Continue reading “Review: ‘P.S. I Still Love You’ is a Fun, Yet Lackluster, Sequel” →

Review: ‘A Sun’ Shines as a Rich Family Drama

The opening scene of A Sun, the latest film by Taiwanese director Mong-Hong Chung and Best Picture winner at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse Awards, contains an unexpectedly violent tragedy that establishes the tone for the remaining 150 minutes of the film. In this scene, which is interspersed with beautiful shots of nighttime Taipei and enhanced by calming string music, we see two young men enter a restaurant and, with a machete, chop off the forearm of another man. This shockingly violent and gripping beginning lets the audience know that A Sun will not allow its audience an easy viewing experience, and it prepares viewers for some of the more unexpected tragic moments that are sure to follow.

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