Glenn Heath Jr.
Identity and glamor collide in ‘Crazy Rich Asians’
By the end, Crazy Rich Asians (opening wide on Wednesday, Aug. 15) becomes less concerned with rote plot machinations than ensuring its effervescent style will live on. more
Judgment days are long in ‘The Miseducation of Cameron Post’
The Miseducation of Cameron Post (opening Friday Aug. 24, at Landmark Cinemas) provides Cameron with the obvious clues to better understand the faith-based immorality that drives religious fear mongering more
‘BlackKklansman’ re-writes history with thunder
In BlackKklansman, Lee beautifully re-writes history with thunder, and with Ron’s story subverting and destroying the mechanisms of white supremacy from the inside out. more
Nature’s sonic pulse reverberates through ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda’
Archival footage, both from Sakamoto’s early performances and curated film clips, reveal him to be an artist who embraces the world’s soundtrack on its own terms. more
Slow, steady and sublime, ‘Araby’ chases the past
Without pretense or sentiment, Araby (opening Friday, Aug. 3, at the Digital Gym Cinema) is one of the year’s richest cinematic experiences. more
The troubling values of ‘Generation Wealth’
Lauren Greenfield’s Generation Wealth doubles as both societal critique and self-reflection. more
‘Eighth Grade’ is a worthy time capsule for Generation Me
While over-stylized at times, Eighth Grade (opening Friday, July 27, at Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas) manages to reveal constant social frustrations young people experience during this potentially unnerving time in life. At more
Husbands are an endangered species in Noir on the Boulevard selections
Like any classic genre, the Film noir has gone through much iteration during the last century. more
Scott Patrick Green
Gus Van Sant returns to form with ‘Don’t Worry, He Won’t Go Far on Foot’
Van Sant recognizes that complexities about John’s relationship with disappointment and redemption can be revealed more thoroughly with such an approach, and his charming new film is all the better for it. more
‘Leave No Trace’ goes off the grid
Thankfully, nothing about Leave No Trace comes across as tragic. Granik only sees hope and endurance in her worn out characters. more
Ingmar Bergman’s sobering cinema invades The Ken
The cinema of Swedish master Ingmar Bergman grapples with themes of religious doubt, false virtue and emotional repression. more
‘Three Identical Strangers’ and ‘Whitney’ both address childhood trauma
Two wildly different documentaries opening on Friday, July 6, grapple with the troubling correlation between childhood trauma and adult culpability. more
Size matters in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’
The romantic comedy and superhero saga doesn’t always nicely cohere, but at least the resulting standalone had heart. more
People are disposable income in ‘Sicario: Day of the Soldado’
While Villeneuve’s original film surveyed the loss of ideological fortitude, Day of the Soldado suggests that the next generation hasn’t even been given the chance to develop a moral compass. more
‘Damsel’ and the fragile western ego in distress
David and Nathan Zellner’s Damsel (opening Friday, June 29, at Landmark Ken Cinemas) firmly plants Samuel at the center of an off-kilter Western nightmare where caricature and sincerity are often confused for one another. more
‘Summer 1993’ complicates the adolescent grieving process
Summer 1993 (opening Friday, June 22, at Digital Gym Cinema in North Park) concludes in mesmerizing fashion with a beautiful release of unchecked human sentiment that’s neither forced nor rushed. more
‘Incredibles 2’ keeps its powers all in the family
On the whole, though, Incredibles 2 (opening wide Friday, June 15) celebrates parental flexibility—compromises made and pride swallowed—as an art form perfected over a life’s work. more
‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ highlights Mr. Rogers
Most important of all, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (opening Friday, June 15) offers viewers respite from the Trumpian culture that’s taken root in this country. more
The blood relatives of ‘Hereditary’
Looking to consume a year’s worth of dread all in one sitting? Hereditary will gladly oblige. The debut film from writer/director Ari Aster is an intoxicating and draining exercise in omnipresent possession. more
Fools and fakers populate ‘American Animals’
American Animals (opening Friday, June 8, at the Angelika Film Centers—Carmel Mountain) chooses to disavow the truth entirely to flip off the sanctity of traditional documentary models. more