A common belief is that movie critics love to trash movies. It’s thought that we critical types, after emerging from coffins buried in consecrated ground, stalk film festivals and multiplexes looking for weaker prey. We fire up our laptops to crush innocent filmmakers, see them driven before us, and hear the lamentations of their producers. I mean, that’s what we do, right? Not so much. See, every movie is an opportunity. The very best part of a film for me is the moment after the previews have finished and there’s a half-second or so where the screen is black. That moment is all about potential,... Read More

What’s the point of consistently stepping outside our comfort zones? It’s healthy to stretch yourself. Most of us have been encouraged/yelled at by our parents to try new experiences, eat new delicacies, go to new places. By doing that, we get smarter, more empathetic, more sophisticated. When filmmakers stretch themselves? That’s the good stuff. That’s when you have the chance to see something unique. Take Adam McKay for example. As a close friend of Will Ferrell’s, his directorial career began with films like Anchorman and Step Brothers, comedies that walked a fine line between surrealism... Read More

She’s on a secret beach in Mexico, and it is beautiful. As she looks out across the water, she sees a small island. Its contours remind her of a pregnant woman. Fitting, really, considering why she’s there. Her name is Nancy. She’s on her way to becoming a doctor. Well, she was, anyway. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer, not the kind of cancer you get better from. She fought hard but succumbed in the end. Maybe it wasn’t worth it. Now Nancy is here, on this secluded beach, trying to come to terms with this seismic event. But why here, at this particular place? We so... Read More