THE AWAKENING trades mystery for over-explanation
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
This film probes these wounds in a slow-burn manner that provides a mostly satisfying mix of character study and jump scares.
TIFF 2021: MEDUSA is stylish but shallow
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Medusa is certainly stylish, and the young performers sink into the film’s cool, modulated rhythms, but overall of the film lacks sufficient energy and emotion to make it worthwhile.
COLLECTION sets a melodrama in the seedy world of debt buying
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Collection features some interesting characters, but it spreads itself too thin telling all the different stories.
TIFF 2021: DRUNKEN BIRDS creates impactful drama
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Drunken Birds, which just had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, lures viewers in with its hypnotic imagery, then it pulls them along with its absorbing story.
TIFF 2021: COMALA takes an intimate approach to a Mexican border story
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Gian Cassini’s captivating debut feature documentary, Comala, tells a micro story about his family to reveal a macro story on the Mexican drug wars.
TIFF 2021: KICKING BLOOD is a too-cool vampire tale
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
Kicking Blood is oddly both toothless and bloodless.
TIFF 2021: TO KILL THE BEAST is ambiguous but not evasive
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The sensorial drama, To Kill the Beast, the impressive feature directorial debut of Argentine filmmaker Agustina San Martín, exacts a hypnotic pull over viewers.
THE CARD COUNTER seduces audiences into its games
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The Card Counter maintains a tone that, like its protagonist, is at once cool, detached, and seductive.
TIFF 2021: THE ODD-JOB MEN is both minor and awkward
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The Odd-Job Men bills itself as a comedy, but director co-writer Neus Ballús’s film is really more like a frustration comedy.
POWDER KEG (Krudttønden) bungles an important story
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
A well-meaning attempt to portray the horrific events in Copenhagen on February 14 and 15, 2015, but the film generates more tedium than tension.
WHITE AS SNOW lacks magic
by Gary M. Kramer
Much of White as Snow feels like a missed opportunity.
BLOOD ON THE DOCKS' second season is a satisfying procedural
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
The crimes are intriguing, more puzzles for the cops (and viewers) to solve than taut, suspenseful mysteries. The series is an efficient police proced
CASANOVA, LAST LOVE lavishly explores control and yearning
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
Acclaimed French writer/director Benoît Jacquot’s elegant film, Casanova, Last Love, is a tale of love and suffering.
SUMMER OF SOUL deftly mixes Black joy with political history
by Gary M. Kramer., Staff Writer
Questlove’s marvelous documentary, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) presents the music and messages — and it could not be timelier.
Tribeca 2021: Interview with shorts curator Sharon Badal
by Gary M. Kramer, Staff Writer
”If you see the program as a whole, every piece has a different style to it. You’re getting this mixtape.
THE BIRTHDAY CAKE is a stale mob confection
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
The cast of The Birthday Cake, which includes Ewan McGregor, Lorraine Bracco, Aldis Hodge, William Fichtner, Paul Sorvino, Vincent Pastore, Emory Cohen, Luis Guzman, Penn Badgley, and Val Kilmer, may sound like cause for celebration, but don’t RSVP for this party.
Tribeca 2021: RÉPUBLIQUE tries to put viewers in the director's chair
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
It’s not quite “choose your own adventure”—viewers cannot direct the characters to open a door (or not)—rather, it is more like switching channels to follow the most interesting storyline.
Tribeca 2021: NO FUTURE never connects viewers with the drama within
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
No Future does feature some artfully composed shots, but this downbeat indie never does what it should, which is make viewers feel the characters’ pain
Tribeca 2021: WITH/IN Vols. 1 and 2 are two strong shorts programs made during COVID
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
With/in, which is having its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, is a two-volume anthology of short films, all shot on iPhones during COVID. T
Tribeca 2021: ROARING 20s offers a breezy look at right now
by Gary Kramer, Staff Writer
Viewers get to eavesdrop on the lives of these friends and strangers in the city in the age of COVID.