Film-Forward

Drama

Out of the Furnace

Directed by Scott Cooper Produced by Jennifer Davisson Killoran, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Kavanaugh, Ridley Scott & Michael Costigan Written by Cooper & Brad Ingelsby Released by Relativity. 116 min. Rated R With Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoë Saldana & Sam Shepard The opening scene of Out of the Furnace […]

12 Years a Slave

Directed by Steve McQueen Written by John Ridley, based on the book by Solomon Northup Produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Bill Pohlad, McQueen, Arnon Milchan & Anthony Katagas Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures USA. 134 min. Rated R With Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Garret Dillahunt, Paul Giamatti, Scoot […]

Kill Your Darlings

Directed by John Krokidas Written by Mr. Krokidas & Austin Bunn; Produced by Mr. Krokidas, Michael Benaroya, Christine Vachon & Rose Ganguzza Released by Sony Pictures Classics USA. 100 min. Rated R With Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Ben Foster, David Cross, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Elizabeth Olsen, Kyra Sedgwick & John […]

The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete

Directed by George Tillman Jr. Produced by Jana Edelbaum, Rachel Cohen, Mr. Tillman & Robert Teitel Written by Michael Starrbury Released by Codeblack Films/Lionsgate. USA. 108 min. Rated R With Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jordin Sparks, Jeffrey Wright, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Anthony Mackie & Jennifer Hudson It’s clear from the opening scenes that Mister (Skylan Brooks) […]

Mother of George

Directed by Andrew Dosunmu Produced by Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy, Matt Parker, Carly Hugo, Darci Picoult, Chris Maybach, Saemi Kim, Patrick Cunningham & Tony Okungbowa Written by Darci Picoult Released by Oscilloscope Laboratories USA. 107 min. Rated R With Danai Gurira, Isaach De Bankolé, Yaya Alafia, Tony Okungbowa, Bukky Ajayi & Angelique Kidjo Mother […]

Sparrows Dance

Written & Directed by Noah Buschel Produced by Savantha Housman & Louise Runge Released by Tribeca Film USA. 81 min. Not rated With Marin Ireland & Paul Sparks Sparrows Dance may be the sweetest and simplest film I’ve seen in years. Taking place almost entirely in one small New York City apartment, the film follows […]

Lovelace

Directed by Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman Produced by Heidi Jo Markel, Laura Rister, Jason Weinberg, and Jim Young Written by Andy Bellin Released by Radius TWC USA. 92 min. Rated R With Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria, Wes Bentley, Adam Brody, Bobby Cannavale, James Franco, Debi Mazar, Chris Noth, Robert Patrick, Eric Roberts, […]

The Canyons

Directed by Paul Schrader Written by Brett Easton Ellis Produced by Braxton Pope Released by IFC Films USA.  100 min.  Not rated With Lindsay Lohan, James Deen, Nolan Gerard Funk, Amanda Brooks, Tenille Huston, & Gus Van Sant In recent interviews, Paul Schrader has talked about the “death of cinema” in relation to his latest […]

Blue Jasmine

Written & Directed by Woody Allen Produced by Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum & Edward Walson Released by Sony Pictures Classics USA. 96 min. Rated PG-13 With Alec Baldwin, Cate Blanchett, Louis C. K., Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard & Michael Stuhlbarg Spot the reference. That’s part of the appeal of movies […]