Monthly Archives

March 2019

by InRO Staff Festival Coverage Film

New Directors/New Films 2019 – Dispatch 1

March 28, 2019

The 48th edition of New Directors/New Films runs March 27th – April 7th. For our first of two dispatches, we tackle the second feature from Canadian filmmaker Philippe Lesage (Genesis); a “deceptively minimalist” debut from a Mexican actress-turned-filmmaker (The Chambermaid); a Turkish love story spun on its head (Belonging); and others. Look for our second dispatch next week. Update (April 6, 2019): For the fourth consecutive year, Festival Scope and New Directors/New Films have teamed up to bring audiences a selection of films playing…

Continue Reading

#StreamingScene by Calum Reed Film

Ellipsis | David Wenham

Modestly assembled and expertly executed, David Wenham’s delightful debut feature Ellipsis conjures those occasions when human connection comes calling, often in spite of some general apathy. Employing a style of narrative popularized by Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, the actor-turned-director’s serendipitous romance is the story of…

March 28, 2019
#KickingtheCanon by Taylor Murnane Music

Cocteau Twins | Treasure

From their first release (1982’s Garlands), Cocteau Twins enjoyed critical acclaim. But it was only after the departure of founding member and bassist Will Heggie — and the induction of his replacement, Simon Raymonde — in 1983, that the band would settle into the sound, and the line-up, that would define…

March 25, 2019
#StreamingScene by Chris Mello Film

Triple Frontier | JC Chandor

Early in the second half of J.C. Chandor’s Triple Frontier, Ben Affleck’s character executes a South American cocaine farmer, lying on the ground, just moments after killing several others in a split-second act of self-defense. There’s plenty of violence to go around in the…

March 22, 2019
#BlockbusterBeat by Matt Lynch Film

Us | Jordan Peele

Us begins with a sincerely spooky prologue taking place in 1986, when young Addy wanders away from her bickering parents at the Santa Cruz boardwalk and encounters what appears to be her own smirking, scary double, an experience that apparently leaves her traumatized. Cut to…

March 21, 2019
#PopRocks by Stephen Eisermann Music

Maren Morris | Girl

Maren Morris’ second album, Girl, certainly feels and sounds like her type of record, at least based off of the music from her previous album and more recent collaborations, but there’s one glaring issue here: on Girl, it seems that Morris has sanded down…

March 18, 2019
#KickingtheCanon by Greg Cwik Film

Eyes Wide Shut | Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick’s final film is one of the least-sexy films ever made about sex. Libidinous, yes, and full of naked bodies in salacious motion, engaging in lubricious acts — but also off-putting, too meticulous to be arousing. Eyes Wide Shut is a dreamy traipse…

March 15, 2019
Before We Vanish by InRO Staff Feature Articles Film

Before We Vanish | Issue 2

OK, so things don’t really vanish anymore: even the most limited film release will (most likely, eventually) find its way onto some streaming service or into some DVD bargain bin assuming that those still exist by the time this sentence finishes. In other words, while the title of In Review…

March 15, 2019
#ObscureObject by Tanner Stechnij Music

The Japanese House | Good at Falling

The Japanese House of 2019 isn’t the same artist as the dreampop debutant who gained recognition for her first EP, Pools to Bathe In, in 2015. Back then, soloist Amber Bain’s identity was unknown and her auto-tuned, low-pitched, androgynous voice only added to her elusiveness.…

March 14, 2019
In Review | Online film and music criticism
Send