Any success enjoyed by the Amy Winehouse biopic, BACK TO BLACK, rests squarely on the frail shoulders of the actress playing the singer, Marisa Abela. With an outsized presence like Winehouse herself, Abela channels Winehouse’s violence and vulnerability, making her at once a lost little girl and a musical powerhouse who refused to be pigeonholed… Read More »
SOUL
Pixar’s SOUL is as slyly unpredictable as it is playfully brilliant. Nothing less than a deconstruction of what life means, it is both raucous and Zen as it tells the story of a jazz musician who is not ready for the Great Beyond, thereby becoming a perfect koan, and possibly the best movie of the… Read More »
Don Cheadle is MILES AHEAD
Don Cheadle had never met any member of Miles Davis’ family when they approached him to make a film about the groundbreaking artist’s life. That’s where I started when I spoke with Cheadle by phone about MILES AHEAD on March 31, 2016. It was one of those kismet stories, that provided a jumping off point… Read More »
Asif Kapadia and AMY Winehouse
Asif Kapadia hadn’t been a particular fan of Amy Winehouse when she was alive. He was, of course, aware of her, both the tabloid coverage and the assurance from friends he trusted that she had one of the best voices ever to be recorded. When he took on the project of making a documentary about… Read More »
The WHIPLASH of Damien Chazelle
When I met Damien Chazelle, one of the first things I said to him was that his film WHIPLASH had to be one of the sweatiest movies ever made, up there with BEN HUR and COOL HAND LUKE. He laughed and said he was pleased to have filled such a niche market. That’s the kind of guy… Read More »