THE LOOKOUT is another showcase in the burgeoning career of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of the best actors working today. It may be a low key noir in which he is working, but his performance as Chris Pratt, a brain-damaged former golden boy, is nothing less than riveting. The evolution of his character surpasses the seeming… Read More »
COHERENCE
Theoretical physics made manifest along with the far less predictable, not to mention more volatile, laws of attraction coalesce in COHERENCE, one of the best science fiction films of the year. It is a ghost story without ectoplasm, and a horror film in which the monsters are people unaware that their dark side is dominant.… Read More »
R. J. Cutler Opens THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE
There are many things to admire in R.J. Cutler’s astute documentary, THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE. Yet, for all the moments, large and small, of revelation by its subject, Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, the image that most struck me did not involve her at all. It involved Vogue’s creative director, Grace Coddington, a model ensconced in haute couture, and a cherry tart. Such… Read More »
Judith Ehrlich & Rick Goldsmith Introduce You to THE MOST DANGROUS MAN IN AMERICA – DANIEL ELLSBERG AND THE PENTAGON PAPERS
When I spoke with Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith on February 4, 2010, their documentary had just been nominated for an Oscar, and so naturally that was a subject up for discussion, along with the implications for future financing and distribution of political documentaries. Politics is certainly at the center of THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN… Read More »
Anna Halprin & Ruedi Gerber Show Us BREATH MADE VISIBLE
Filmmaker Ruedi Gerber and dancer Anna Halprin talked about the pleasures and perils of creating what Gerber calls an experiential documentary about his longtime friend, Anna Halprin. During our conversation on March 31, 2010, she discussed what she can dance now at almost 90 that would have been impossible for her to embody earlier, when… Read More »
Jay Duplass Creates CYRUS
Filmmaker Jay Duplass channeled the close relationship he shares with brother, co-writer and co-director, Mark, into the sweet but insular relationship the 21-year-old title character of their film CYRUS shares with his mother. As part of the Mumblecore movement, their particular brand of indy filmmaking, their goal is to capture the an emotional immediacy and… Read More »
Idris Elba and TAKERS
Idris Elba has several thriving careers going for him, not the least of which is giving powerful performances in both feature films and on television. When I spoke with him on August 8, 2010, he explained how his career in music informs his thespian efforts, how and why he wanted to make his TAKERS character, a daring… Read More »
Amir Bar-Lev Tells THE TILLMAN STORY
The story of Pat Tillman, who gave up a lucrative pro football career in order to enlist after 9/11, had all the makings of a legend. When he was killed in Afghanistan, the media and the military made him into a hero who gave his life to save his fellow soldiers. The problem was that… Read More »
Vikram Jayanti Explores THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF PHIL SPECTOR
Vikram Jayanti’s documentary about legendary music producer Phil Spector does the unthinkable. It presents Spector in all his eccentric, mean-spirited glory, yet still manages to humanize him. When I spoke with the director on September 10, 2010, the first thing I asked about was how he had pulled that off. Jayanti then went on to reveal how he… Read More »
Ryan Reynolds is BURIED
Ryan Reynolds has had many challenging roles in his career, but spending 17 days flat on his back playing a man buried alive was unique among them. When I spoke to him on September 20, 2010, he described why he wanted to take it on, how he used the lesson of a skydive gone wrong… Read More »
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