Film-Forward

American

Cake

Directed by Daniel Barnz Produced by Ben Barnz, Kristin Hahn, Courtney Solomon and Mark Canton Written by Patrick Tobin, based on his short story Released by Cinelou Films USA. 91 min. Rated R With Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick, Sam Worthington, Felicity Huffman, Mamie Gummer, Chris Messina, and William H. Macy It has been […]

Appropriate Behavior

Written and Directed by Desiree Akhavan Produced by Cecilia Frugiuele Released by Gravitas Ventures USA. 90 min. Not rated With Scott Adsit, Desiree Akhavan, Anh Duong, Halley Feiffer, Rebecca Henderson, and Arian Moayed Films, TV shows, novels, even webcomics about urban 20somethings haltingly trying to make it are practically a genre unto themselves. With Appropriate […]

Medeas

Directed by Andrea Pallaoro Produced by Jonathan Venguer, Gina Resnick, Kyle Heller, and Eleonora Granata Jenkinson Written by Andrea Pallaoro and Orlando Tirado Released by the Vladar Company USA. 97 min. Not rated With Catalina Sandino Moreno and Brían F. O’Byrne Medeas is the story of a rural family caught in the middle of a […]

Still Alice

Written and directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, based on the novel by Lisa Genova Produced by Lex Lutzus, James Brown, and Pamela Koffler Released by Sony Pictures Classics USA. 99 min. PG-13 With Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth, Alec Baldwin, and Hunter Parrish Alice Howland (Julianne Moore) is an extremely smart woman. […]

The Best of 2014

What went into the creation of this list? Mostly strong first impressions, followed by second (or third or fourth opinions) and a second viewing, confirming that there is some “there” there. Because this compilation is made right at the end of the year, it’s a judgment of its time made under at least condition since […]

A Most Violent Year

Written and Directed by J.C. Chandor Produced by Neal Dodson, Anna Gerb, and Chandor Released by A24 USA. 124 min. Rated R With Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Elyes Gabel, Albert Brooks, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Peter Gerety, and Christopher Abbott A Most Violent Man is not particularly violent, and it only takes […]

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors

Directed by Sam Fleischner Produced by Andrew Neel, Veronica Nickel, Dave Saltzman and Craig Shilowich Written by Rose Lichter-Marck and Micah Bloomberg, based on a story by Lichter-Marck Released by Oscilloscope Laboratories. USA. 100 min. Not rated With Andrea Suarez Paz, Jesus Sanchez-Velez, Azul Zorrilla, Tenoch Huerta Mejía and Marsha Stephanie Blake Director Sam Fleischner […]

Whiplash

Written and Directed by Damiel Chazelle Produced by Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster, and Michel Litvak Released by Sony Pictures Classics USA. 105 min. Rated R With Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist, and Paul Reiser Possibly the most intense/best film of the year, Whiplash appears to have been made for a niche audience. […]

Red Knot

Written, Produced, and Directed by Scott Cohen USA/Antarctica/Argentina. 80 min. Not rated With Olivia Thirlby, Vincent Kartheiser, Billy Campbell, Larry Pine, Lisa Harrow, Roger Payne, Garth Stevenson, and Matt Drennan At the end of Red Knot, director Scott Cohen dedicates the film to his wife. It’s a personal touch to what feels like a very […]