REVIEW: “Jay Kelly” (2025)

REVIEW: “Jay Kelly” (2025)

File Noah Baumbach under ‘Filmmakers I’ll Watch No Matter What’. I have been drawn to his unique body of work since his early Wes Anderson collaborations. And I have enjoyed most of the films he has directed from high-spirited indies à la “Frances Ha”, to serious-minded dramas such as “Marriage Story”, to utterly bizarre concoctions … Continue reading

REVIEW: “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (2025)

REVIEW: “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (2025)

Despite making striking and subversive indies, trippy star-driven science-fiction, and a massive franchise blockbuster, writer-director Rian Johnson has found his comfort zone in the cinematic world of whodunits. His 2019 film “Knives Out” was a surprise hit, as was his 2022 sequel, “Glass Onion”. Now he’s back with a third mystery, “Wake Up Dead Man”, … Continue reading

REVIEW: “The Mastermind” (2025)

REVIEW: “The Mastermind” (2025)

Kelly Reichardt’s latest film “The Mastermind” just might be her very best. It’s a movie that highlights the filmmaker’s most noteworthy strength, namely the hushed realism that defines her perspective. It’s also a movie that includes her most frustrating habit which is her tendency of being observational to a fault. Yet without question, her strength … Continue reading