After 31 Years of Great Performances, He's Set to Get His First Oscar Nomination. What Took So Long?
The Brutalist explores themes of betrayal and the moral implications of wealth through the character of Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.
The Atlas of Cinema: In Praise of Adam Driver | MZS | Roger Ebert
Adam Driver's performance in 'Megalopolis' is a deep exploration of a visionary character, reflecting the director's struggles within the Hollywood system.
A Real Pain review Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin spar in sublimely bittersweet Holocaust tour movie
A Real Pain is a profound comedy that masterfully blends humor with intense character study.
Review: Kieran Culkin's tour de force performance dominates 'A Real Pain'
Jesse Eisenberg's film "A Real Pain" invents the 'Kieran Culkin movie' genre, featuring a complex character living in his grandmother's basement.
The Apprentice review Jeremy Strong is the Trump card in measured biopic of the Donald
The Apprentice portrays a young, impressionable Donald Trump influenced by a mentor, offering a complex view rather than a total vanity or villainous depiction.
Desperate Housewives at Christmas
Both Babygirl and Black Doves depict characters trapped in their 'perfect' lives while seeking fulfillment through deceptive and complex means.
After 31 Years of Great Performances, He's Set to Get His First Oscar Nomination. What Took So Long?
The Brutalist explores themes of betrayal and the moral implications of wealth through the character of Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.
The Atlas of Cinema: In Praise of Adam Driver | MZS | Roger Ebert
Adam Driver's performance in 'Megalopolis' is a deep exploration of a visionary character, reflecting the director's struggles within the Hollywood system.
A Real Pain review Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin spar in sublimely bittersweet Holocaust tour movie
A Real Pain is a profound comedy that masterfully blends humor with intense character study.
Review: Kieran Culkin's tour de force performance dominates 'A Real Pain'
Jesse Eisenberg's film "A Real Pain" invents the 'Kieran Culkin movie' genre, featuring a complex character living in his grandmother's basement.
The Apprentice review Jeremy Strong is the Trump card in measured biopic of the Donald
The Apprentice portrays a young, impressionable Donald Trump influenced by a mentor, offering a complex view rather than a total vanity or villainous depiction.
Desperate Housewives at Christmas
Both Babygirl and Black Doves depict characters trapped in their 'perfect' lives while seeking fulfillment through deceptive and complex means.
Kieran Culkin Is a Mercurial Pleasure in A Real Pain
The film mixes humor and tragedy, showcasing how two cousins seek to reconcile their relationship against a backdrop of their grandmother's Holocaust tour.
Is a Movie About Electing a Pope Allowed to Be This Entertaining?
The film 'Conclave' contrasts ancient rituals of electing a Pope with contemporary reality, underscoring the tension between tradition and modernity.
Anora review Sean Baker's screwball Cinderella tale vaults him towards greatness
Anora presents a complex character study that combines humor and drama, breaking away from traditional Hollywood narratives to shed light on transactional relationships.
In 'Hard Truths,' Marianne Jean-Baptiste Gives the Performance of the Year
Pansy's chronic anger and emotional turmoil in 'Hard Truths' deeply affect her relationships, creating an unsettling yet engaging narrative.
Wes Anderson's Asteroid City Is Over-Stylized and Under-Realized
Asteroid City emphasizes style over narrative coherence, showcasing the limits of Wes Anderson's artistic choices in film.
Review | 'His Three Daughters': A sister act that's among the year's best movies
Sibling relationships can be complex and fraught with differing perspectives, especially during critical life events.
Review: Heretic' captures Hugh Grant at his devilish best
Heretic prioritizes character-driven narrative and theological themes over conventional horror elements, creating a slow-burning psychological experience.
Is a Movie About Electing a Pope Allowed to Be This Entertaining?
The film 'Conclave' contrasts ancient rituals of electing a Pope with contemporary reality, underscoring the tension between tradition and modernity.
Anora review Sean Baker's screwball Cinderella tale vaults him towards greatness
Anora presents a complex character study that combines humor and drama, breaking away from traditional Hollywood narratives to shed light on transactional relationships.
In 'Hard Truths,' Marianne Jean-Baptiste Gives the Performance of the Year
Pansy's chronic anger and emotional turmoil in 'Hard Truths' deeply affect her relationships, creating an unsettling yet engaging narrative.
Wes Anderson's Asteroid City Is Over-Stylized and Under-Realized
Asteroid City emphasizes style over narrative coherence, showcasing the limits of Wes Anderson's artistic choices in film.
Review | 'His Three Daughters': A sister act that's among the year's best movies
Sibling relationships can be complex and fraught with differing perspectives, especially during critical life events.
Review: Heretic' captures Hugh Grant at his devilish best
Heretic prioritizes character-driven narrative and theological themes over conventional horror elements, creating a slow-burning psychological experience.
For the Love of God, Give This Woman an Oscar Nomination
Pansy Deacon's character is a humorous yet tragic figure embodying deep personal grievances and societal critiques.
A Story Collection About People Who Just Can't Hang
Tony Tulathimutte's 'Rejection' explores the humor in the lives of inept, self-obsessed characters, presenting their failures with unflinching precision.
For the Love of God, Give This Woman an Oscar Nomination
Pansy Deacon's character is a humorous yet tragic figure embodying deep personal grievances and societal critiques.
A Story Collection About People Who Just Can't Hang
Tony Tulathimutte's 'Rejection' explores the humor in the lives of inept, self-obsessed characters, presenting their failures with unflinching precision.
Gerard Butler Letting Loose Is a Beautiful Thing to Behold
Den of Thieves 2: Pantera features intensified emotional energy at the expense of narrative clarity, offering a raw character study of Gerard Butler's role.
Review: Wicked' on the big screen is mostly magical
The film adaptation of Wicked enchants audiences with its vibrant visuals and strong musical performances, successfully capturing the essence of the original story.
'The Last Showgirl' Writer Kate Gersten's Intimate Story Was Built for the Stage - but Made for the Big Screen
Pamela Anderson's role in 'The Last Showgirl' showcases the star's unexpected talent and reinvents the perception of her as a performer.
Review: Wicked' on the big screen is mostly magical
The film adaptation of Wicked enchants audiences with its vibrant visuals and strong musical performances, successfully capturing the essence of the original story.
'The Last Showgirl' Writer Kate Gersten's Intimate Story Was Built for the Stage - but Made for the Big Screen
Pamela Anderson's role in 'The Last Showgirl' showcases the star's unexpected talent and reinvents the perception of her as a performer.
Review: It's alright, Ma Dylan biopic works better than many feared
The film 'A Complete Unknown' showcases Bob Dylan's complexities, balancing his artistic genius with his difficult personality, ultimately providing a more realistic biography.
Best movies of 2024 in the US: No 5 Hard Truths
Pansy's character embodies a complex exploration of mental health struggles in Mike Leigh's film, challenging traditional narrative approaches.
Review: It's alright, Ma Dylan biopic works better than many feared
The film 'A Complete Unknown' showcases Bob Dylan's complexities, balancing his artistic genius with his difficult personality, ultimately providing a more realistic biography.
Best movies of 2024 in the US: No 5 Hard Truths
Pansy's character embodies a complex exploration of mental health struggles in Mike Leigh's film, challenging traditional narrative approaches.
Joker: Folie a Deux can't stop contradicting itself
Joker explores the complexities of mental illness and societal failure through a dark character study, blending empathy with horror in Todd Phillips' storytelling.
'Day of the Fight' review: Michael C. Pitt delivers soulful performance as troubled boxer on a redemption journey
Mikey Flannigan seeks redemption before a crucial boxing match, confronting his past while navigating life changes and personal struggles.
Silence As Salvation: The Quiet Femmes of Modern Horror | Features | Roger Ebert
Jessica's struggle with her sanity is compounded by her husband's disbelief and her decision to conceal her experiences.
Joker: Folie a Deux can't stop contradicting itself
Joker explores the complexities of mental illness and societal failure through a dark character study, blending empathy with horror in Todd Phillips' storytelling.
'Day of the Fight' review: Michael C. Pitt delivers soulful performance as troubled boxer on a redemption journey
Mikey Flannigan seeks redemption before a crucial boxing match, confronting his past while navigating life changes and personal struggles.
Silence As Salvation: The Quiet Femmes of Modern Horror | Features | Roger Ebert
Jessica's struggle with her sanity is compounded by her husband's disbelief and her decision to conceal her experiences.
Netflix's The Madness Casts Colman Domingo in a '70s-Style Paranoid Thriller for Our Time
The Madness uniquely reflects contemporary societal chaos and futility through a blend of personal drama and political thriller elements.
Marla Mindelle Is Back, Ridiculously, in The Big Gay Jamboree
The Big Gay Jamboree humorously explores the charm and absurdity of classic musicals, highlighting their flaws while simultaneously celebrating their appeal.
Netflix's The Madness Casts Colman Domingo in a '70s-Style Paranoid Thriller for Our Time
The Madness uniquely reflects contemporary societal chaos and futility through a blend of personal drama and political thriller elements.
Marla Mindelle Is Back, Ridiculously, in The Big Gay Jamboree
The Big Gay Jamboree humorously explores the charm and absurdity of classic musicals, highlighting their flaws while simultaneously celebrating their appeal.
A Local Author's Comedic Take on Brooklyn's Hipster Lifestyle
Kate Greathead's 'The Book of George' captures the complexities of Millennial masculinity through humor and psychological insight into relationships.
Richard Price's Radical, Retrograde Novel
Lazarus Man explores the beauty of small, meaningful moments in the lives of ordinary urban characters.
McNeal review Robert Downey Jr shines in muddled AI-themed play
The play presents a complex portrait of a literary figure grappling with technology's impact on creativity and reality.
Everything is the worst in this 'Banal Nightmare'
Banal Nightmare explores the chaotic intertwining of humor and dissatisfaction in life, showcasing Moddie's struggle for self-identity in a darkly humorous lens.
A Local Author's Comedic Take on Brooklyn's Hipster Lifestyle
Kate Greathead's 'The Book of George' captures the complexities of Millennial masculinity through humor and psychological insight into relationships.
Richard Price's Radical, Retrograde Novel
Lazarus Man explores the beauty of small, meaningful moments in the lives of ordinary urban characters.
McNeal review Robert Downey Jr shines in muddled AI-themed play
The play presents a complex portrait of a literary figure grappling with technology's impact on creativity and reality.
Everything is the worst in this 'Banal Nightmare'
Banal Nightmare explores the chaotic intertwining of humor and dissatisfaction in life, showcasing Moddie's struggle for self-identity in a darkly humorous lens.
Geordie Greep's debut solo album features complex characters revealing their struggles through over-the-top absurdity, making it both exhilarating and exhausting.
16 Years Later, 'Joker 2' Just Broke an Important Christopher Nolan Rule
The Joker's origin narrative is intentionally ambiguous, challenging audiences to question the character's true identity and motivations.
Renate Reinsve Was 'Very Nervous' to Make Her English-Language Debut with 'A Different Man' - Especially While Playing a 'Sociopath'
Renate Reinsve prioritizes indie films over Hollywood blockbusters, exemplified by her role in 'A Different Man.'
Her character's interactions reveal deeper themes of identity and transformation.
Sebastian Stan Reveals How He Got in Trump's Head to Play Him in The Apprentice': He's a Lot Smarter Than People Want to Say'
Sebastian Stan intensely studied Trump's mannerisms and speech for his role as the former president in The Apprentice.
Entitlement by Rumaan Alam review the American dream gone wrong
The novel explores racial and economic disparities through the relationship between Brooke, a Black woman, and Asher, a wealthy white man.
Trapezium has one of the most cunning and manipulative protagonists in anime
Trapezium explores the complex ambition of the protagonist Yu Azuma, highlighting her cunning and manipulative nature in pursuit of her idol dreams.
About Dry Grasses review rich, engrossing Turkish epic with a twist
A slow-paced Turkish arthouse film, 'About Dry Grasses,' delves into the complexities of a schoolteacher's character in a stark winter landscape.
How Viggo Mortensen's mother helped inspire his Western The Dead Don't Hurt'
The Dead Don't Hurt by Viggo Mortensen blends classic Western elements like killings and trials with a unique focus on a tragic love story and character study.
Cannes 2024: Blue Sun Palace, Julie Keeps Quiet, Simon of the Mountain | Festivals & Awards | Roger Ebert
A talented but troubled teenage tennis player navigates trauma and emotional turmoil amid a significant tryout.
In Our Day movie review & film summary (2024) | Roger Ebert
Hong Sang-soo's film "In Our Day" offers a plain-looking, character study with a diptych structure, introducing enigmatic intrigue through everyday scenes and wry observations.
Pete Rose Cooperated With the Author of This Book Until He Didn't
Pete Rose's complex and controversial character is explored in Keith O'Brien's book, showing a self-centered individual with a history of deceit and questionable moral decisions.
The book delves into the life of Pete Rose through a mix of fan perspective, investigative journalism, and historical context, painting a detailed picture of his rise and fall in baseball.
Movie Review: Wim Wenders' 'Perfect Days' is sublime
The film Perfect Days, directed by Wim Wenders, focuses on the face and presence of the main character, Hirayama, played by Koji Yakusho.
The film captures the beauty and meaning in everyday living, showcasing the routine yet lively days of Hirayama as he diligently performs his job cleaning public toilets.
Review | 'Dandelion' strums a slow, sweet tale of indie music dreams
KiKi Layne shines in the character study 'Dandelion' with a unique storyline and beautiful indie rock soundtrack.
"The Drummer Boy on Independence Day," by E. L. Doctorow
The story explores the character of an old Confederate veteran named John Sewetti, who has a complex and mysterious persona in the town.