Lightening Up Superheroes
Birds of Prey tweaks patriarchy with style and humor
Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), last seen in Suicide Squad, is having a rotten day. She and the Joker split up, which makes it open season … Continue reading
Film: Page 9
Space Rock
Nicolas Cage confronts cosmic evil in the sci-fi/horror thriller Color Out of Space
The following anecdote may or may not be totally accurate — I suspect it is, the source is reliable — but it doesn’t matter because … Continue reading
Imitation of Christ
One man risks everything to resist evil in Terrence Malick’s masterful A Hidden Life
Every time I watch a movie by the great American director Terrence Malick, I come to the same conclusion: There is every other filmmaker, and … Continue reading
Cease Fire, Please
Haven’t we endured enough hyperglorious war movies by now?
Had Steven Spielberg simply cut the first and last 15 minutes from Saving Private Ryan — all that sentimentalized, emotion-yanking sacrificial nationalistic hoopla — he … Continue reading
The Longest Odds
Adam Sandler plays a shady jeweler trying to strike it rich in the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems
There always has been and there ever will be a tremendous fascination in watching a human being self-destruct. Call it morbid curiosity, moral pathos or … Continue reading
No Man’s Land
One of the most divisive events in recent Oregon history is the occupation of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and the following standoff between protesters … Continue reading
Alcott Reimagined
Greta Gerwig takes the classic Little Women around the block in a gorgeous, creative adaptation
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women begins and ends with Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) in her editor’s office, trying to convince him to buy her … Continue reading
‘The Garbage Will Do’
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker moves too fast, panders to fans and attacks the canon
In Fanboys (2009), a forgotten film lampooning Star Wars-obsessed fans (you know, people like me who own Jedi robes), the characters try to get their … Continue reading
Nine You Missed
Eugene Weekly’s film critic Molly Templeton looks back at the sleepers of the decade
By this point, best-of-decade lists are everywhere, and a lot of them highlight the same movies: the stunning accomplishment of Mad Max: Fury Road; the … Continue reading
Fathers and Sons
Shia LeBeouf turns his own childhood into art in the stunning Honey Boy
How is it, exactly, that Shia LeBeouf has become the most interesting person in Hollywood? For me, the transformation happened seemingly overnight, and I can … Continue reading