After a decade establishing himself as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Harrison Ford made some serious changes in the early 1990s. He put away his bullwhip and hung up his blaster, and Indiana Jones and Han Solo went into retirement (well, until recently). For Ford, he was no longer content to play "scruffy…Read more Film Review: Regarding Henry (1991)
Review: BFA Thesis Exhibition – Practice/Practice
I preface this review with one central caveat: This will not be an entirely objective critique of Practice/Practice - the University of Minnesota's BFA Thesis Exhibition. As the older brother of one of the exhibition's featured artists (Emily Mohrbacher), there is, of course, a potent bias that I possess towards her respective piece, "Be kinder…Read more Review: BFA Thesis Exhibition – Practice/Practice
Film Review: The White Ribbon (2009)
When one thinks of scathing cultural critiques, Michael Haneke's brutal examinations of violence, social dysfunction and the cinematic art form have to rank pretty highly. The director's 2009 Palme d'Or champion, The White Ribbon, is no different in this regard. The film offers a stark, bone-chilling journey into an otherworldly farming community struggling to survive…Read more Film Review: The White Ribbon (2009)
Film Review: The Unknown Known (2014)
Errol Morris's twelfth feature, The Unknown Known, focuses on the former political heavy weight Donald Rumsfeld, while also showcasing a master documentarian at work. Cutting back and forth through time, the film begins by probing the semi-recent tumult of 9/11 before arching backwards to Rumsfeld's early days in the political arena. Morris and Rumsfeld then…Read more Film Review: The Unknown Known (2014)
Film Review: The Running Man (1987)
Watching Arnie when he was in his 80's heyday is a powerful, elemental experience, as it equates to watching the birth of a legend. Of course, tough guys and big bruisers have always occupied the screen, but almost never has cinematic bloodletting been paired with so much affable joy. This quality, which has served the big…Read more Film Review: The Running Man (1987)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier or How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Stopped Working
This is not an essay designed to bash The Winter Solider. Taken on its own merits the most recent Captain America movie is a pretty good thrill ride, ranking easily as one of the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, its status as part of a much larger whole is where one finds fault…Read more Captain America: The Winter Soldier or How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Stopped Working
Stanchions
When I was 18 years old I moved to Chicago for college. Naive and impetuous I gave the decision little consideration. There was no deep ruminating, no incessant deliberating - simply put: no "pros and cons" lists were drawn up. In a way this was good. My lack of foresight gave me the requisite gumption…Read more Stanchions
Film Review: Melancholia (2011)
In Lars Von Trier's Melancholia, two women confront a dreamlike apocalypse - manifested in the form of an oncoming planet and in the murky nature of the human mind. For director Trier, who has often been accused of nihilistic wallowing, Melancholia represents a clear rebuttal. Oh course, there is plenty to be depressed about in…Read more Film Review: Melancholia (2011)
Film Review: Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 (2014)
If the Marquis De Sade was reincarnated as a portly, haggard Danish filmmaker, he would take the form of Lars Von Trier. With his sexually charged, thematically polarizing films, the cinematic provocateur rivals the notorious French libertine in terms of brutal pessimism. That being said, one must admire his gusto. In Nymphomaniac Vol. 1, Trier…Read more Film Review: Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 (2014)
Film Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Rarely has a director's aesthetic and thematic palette been as recognizable as Wes Anderson's. From the moment one see's the words "American Empirical Pictures" in the opening credits, or takes in the film's first breathtaking, immaculately composed shot, one already has some inkling of what the movie has in store. Unfortunately, in the 18 years…Read more Film Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Adam Mohrbacher 