- The Love Witch (16, C+): Gorgeous outfits, but often teeters into the kind of film you discover on MST3K. It’s own ideas often inchoate – April 1, 2017
- Jane Eyre (11, B): Tough, cold. Rich and economical in its storytelling. Aesthetically inhabits Jane’s headspace so fully, as does Mia. – April 2, 2017
- Zero Dark Thirty (12, B): Uneven realization of livewire narrative culminates in a powerful last act. Fine ensemble, Chastain the weak link – April 2, 2017
- Pan’s Labyrinth (06, C): Visually stunning, especially the ghouls. Affecting, not as much as it desires. Blunt politics, cipherish actors. – April 2, 2017
- T2: Judgement Day (91, A-): Approaches an Aliens precipice while improving and expanding upon the original in every way. Phenomenal. – April 3, 2017 (Rewatch)
- Queen of Katwe (16, B): Delights in and cares all of its characters while following Phiona to glory. Great look, costumes. Such fun! – April 5, 2017
- Raw (17, B): Affecting. Casual scenes, revulsions play better than the ostentatious ones. Isn’t college self-discovery fun? Rumpf! – April 5, 2017 (review)
- Donnie Darko (01, A-): No tweet this time. (Rewatch)
- The Club (US 16, B+): Such strange, horrific textures in realizing this tale of abuse as an infection on attackers, victims, the complicit. – April 6, 2017
- Safe (95, A): Whopper of an ending caps an already potent, rich horror story. How can we ever be free? Moore, Haynes and inimitable pair – April 7, 2017 (Rewatch)
- The Martian (15, B-): Never feared for Damon’s life. Still compelling, but feels limited. Comic tone, teamwork, space smarts keep it fresh. – April 7, 2017
- The Whisperers (67, B): I wish Forbes’ neglected, spooky tone his a richer narrative within its odd tones. That said, Evans is unstoppable. – April 8, 2017
- Tyrannosaur (11. B-): Colman breathes life into this potent, nasty work, limited as it is by generic notes, Marsan’s work. Mullan’s fine. – April 8, 2017
- Machete (10, D): Surely the worst thing Rodriguez has made. Horrendous look. Political narrative weirdly ineffective. Only gets worse – April 9, 2017
- This was bad so I’m gonna watch the Mickey Rourke segment of Sin City to make myself feel better.
- Bridges of Spies (15, C+): I think I get nostalgia as a term now. Compelling moments, especially in Berlin. Hanks an asset, Kaminski is not. – April 9, 2017
- I truly don’t get the Mark Rylance thing, or how Hanks got no momentum in such a weak field. Bryan Cranston over him? What the fuck
- I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore (17, B): Violent parable that remains funny as shit gets even more disastrous. Lynskey, Blair emerge triumphant. – April 10, 2017
- Frances Ha (13, B): Triumph of mood, script, characterization in depicting millennial purgatory. Generous to its characters. Always fun(ny). – April 10, 2017
- Philomena (13, C+): Tonal variance mostly works, parallels either underplayed or under explored. Economical yet padded. I liked Dench – April 11, 2017
- Farewell, My Queen (12, B+): Unsettling tensions only accrue. What laws are worth keeping in the face of imminent death? Three great perfs. – April 11, 2017
- Cameraperson (16, B+/A-): History of the world in B-roll vignettes. Of your life in other people’s. So intimate. But who’s Kirsten? – April 13, 2017
- There’s a point in the 20th Century Women Film Experience podcast where Nick praises the canon of fiction films that show women fostering ->
- and writing and burdened with carrying the history of the world in their lifetimes. This is equally deserving among that esteemed group.
- It almost feels like Greta Gerwig’s art project in 20th Century Women realized. A self portrait via her most treasured moments on the job.
- Blue Jay (16, B+): Unpacks 20 years of baggage as leads revert to old selves, rhythms, wonder where it all went. Paulson, Duplass revelatory. – April 13, 2017
- Little Sister (16, C+): Poor audio, good makeup. Actors help. Gets better at being itself after the death metal baby dance, if never great. – April 14, 2017
- Fish Tank (10, A-): An Education, but grottier, with more authentic emotions and characters. Imagination abound in images, direction. – April 14, 2017
- Personal Shopper (17, C): More ideas that Clouds but so few sparks. Best in spirit realm. Often tedious. Assayas, Stewart too comfortable. – April 15, 2017 (review)
- The Devils (71, A-): Perverse and horrific in every way possible, but stunningly realized without getting marred by its own madness – April 15, 2017
- The Tree of Life (11, A): No tweet – April 15, 2017
- Your Name (16, A): Body-swap comedy grows more poignant as obstacles separating our heroes seem insurmountable. Beautifully drawn and plotted. – April 17, 2017
- In the Valley of Elah (07, C-): Unstoppable thesis meets unsubtle direction. Lame reveal. Weird color. Jones forges a path to quiet glory. – April 18, 2017
- Planet Terror (07, B): Such pure, unfettered delight and Rodriguez-y looseness that never makes its aesthetic a hinderance. Fantastic look. – April 18, 2007
- Set it Off (96, B): Lead quartet revitalizes a script that struggles to see even them. Keith, soundtrack often embarrass. Latifah indelible – April 19, 2017
- Margaret (11, A-/A): Accrues such wide sympathies, thorns, and heartbreaks in its sprawl. Fullness of character, city, and chaos in its mess. – April 19, 2017
- Elena (12, A): Suspense within certainty, human passion inside cinematic restraint. We are what we want, and what we’ll do to get it – April 20, 2017
- Long Day’s Journey Into Night (62, A): Heroic long shots enable even more heroic performances. Beautiful realization of O’Neil’s prose – April 20, 2017 (review)
- Pariah (11, B): Smart, earnest, gorgeously framed and colored drama that works even at its most obvious moments. Applause for all its women. – April 20, 2017
- The Midnight Meat Train (08, D): Lurid convictions, some neat images. But ultimately a tasteless, racist, even grosser object as it continues. – April 22, 2017
- The Faces of Love (13, C+): Bening, Harris spark. Lonely. Script better than expected. Shoulda been Hansen-Løve’s or Sirk’s. – April 23, 2017
- A Bigger Splash (16, B-): Lots of effort to look effortless. Functions without ever settling into itself. Interesting influences. Fiennes!! – April 26, 2017
- Free Fire (17, B-): I get the Tarantino comparisons, but when was the last time he made something this taut and energetic? Fun cast – April 26, 2017
- The Lost City of Z (17, A-): No tweet – April 26, 2017
- What Have I Done to Deserve This? (84, A-): Wonderfully eccentric and warm with all its characters. Almodovar, cast (Maura!) make magic. – April 27, 2017
- The Big Short (15, C+): Frenzied and raggedy, kinda smug. Works pretty well within those limits. Good thing that’ll never happen again. – April 27, 2017
- Death Proof (07, B): Did you know Tarantino watched 70′s movies? Gripping car chases. Talks like something’s happening when nothing is. – April 28, 2017 (rewatch)
- Talk to Her (02, A): No tweet. – April 28, 2017
- My Blueberry Nights (07, C): Marries the nothing talky-talk of Death Proof with glossier lensing, unearned ostentation. Cast helps – April 29, 2017
- Southside With You (16, B+): So politically and personably principled, with plenty of charm. Great couple that just happens to be the Obamas. – April 29, 2017
- My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea (17, B+): As morbidly hilarious, petty, and sweet as any high schooler I was friends with. What great visuals – April 29, 2017
- Colossal (17, B): Dizzying ambition, at its best once all its conceits get off the ground. Real awareness of its own stakes. Sudeikis! – April 29, 2017
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