Theater Etiquette — If Not in Cannes Then Where?
In Cannes’ own Salle Buñuel Theater, I waited for Akira Kurosawa’s 1943 directorial debut “Sanshiro Sugata” (newly restored in 4K…
Essays
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‘L’Abandon’ (Forsaken) Review: Can a Movie Shed its Money?
On my fifth day at the Cannes International Film Festival, a woman approached me to ask if I had seen…
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Are Women Just Not Funny?: Stand Up for Women
Historically silenced in all parts of the world, comedy provides an actionable space for women to demand visibility and express…
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How ‘Tangerine’ challenged society’s sexualization of trans women, and why it can’t end here
When Sean Baker’s crime comedy “Tangerine” was released in 2015, it surprisingly garnered mainstream success, given its budget, production and…
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Beyond ‘Sex Sells’: The Power of Suspense in Erotic Sports Media
Increased sexualization in the media today may be best reflected in a growing trend that explores sexuality within a competitive…
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Stills, Speed and Silence: Movement, Mexican-ness and Nation-State Masculinity as told by Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Y Tu Mama También’
Roughly translating to “And your mother too,” Alfonso Cuarón’s fourth feature film and first independent film, “Y Tu Mama También”…
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‘What’s up with you?’ – Understanding intimacy in Harry Lighton’s ‘Pillion’
Peggy (Lesley Sharp) studies the face of her son’s partner, Ray (Alexander Skarsgård) closely. The two men have been seeing…
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I Can’t Feel My Dad’s Love, and I Won’t. But I Know It’s There: An Essay on ‘Sentimental Value’
“Everyone’s mad at dad, huh?” There’s a lot trapped within the Borg house. (Literal) writing on the wall, domestic disputes…
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The Gospel of Carrie White
When the lights dimmed and the screen began to flicker, I felt like I was standing in front of an altar. There was something holy about that crisp October night in Cambridge, when The Brattle theater transformed from a movie house into a cathedral of cinema. The smell of buttered popcorn floated through the air as strangers shuffled to creaky seats, their plastic cups fizzing with delicious cherry cola. It wasn’t just a screening. It was a gathering of believers. A horde of cinephiles grouped, itching for their fix.
