IFC Films

Earlier this year, I read a story in the New York Times about how Paul Schrader, veteran screenwriter and director, had hired tabloid favorite Lindsay Lohan to be in his new movie, The Canyons. At one point in the article, it is said that “Schrader thinks she’s perfect for the role.” And how could she […]

If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I just watched one of those late night Cinemax flicks that serve no purpose other than to satisfy adolescent boys who can’t crack the parental lock code on their internet. “The Canyons”, the new film from director Paul Schrader (“American Gigolo”) and writer Bret Easton Ellis (the author […]

My initial disappointment with The Look of Love may have stemmed from the fact that I expected another Steve Coogan/Michael Winterbottom farce. Their film 24 Hour Party People was full of great winks and nods to the subject matter, and it was a compelling and fun story. As I watched The Look of Love, however, […]

Michael Winterbottom’s newest film, curiously – I guess ironically – titled “The Look of Love”, is a scattershot biopic about UK adult entertainment titan Paul Raymond. If you’re not at least middle-aged and/or British (or simply have never picked up a nudie mag), then you might not have heard of this man, who’s portrayed by […]

(This review was originally posted at Reel Film News on May 24, 2013.) Man, I really wish I hadn’t read the Frances Ha poster in the theater lobby before I saw the movie. “A deft, uproarious comedy” is the big quote that’s emblazoned at the top of the poster… and that couldn’t be further from […]

(This review originally appeared at Reel Film News on May 3, 2013.) My initial reaction to director Mira Nair’s adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist was one of spite and, truth be told, a little bit of anger. It’s very easy for an American to view this movie and be upset by it, […]