Doc Corner: 'Bad Axe'

By Glenn Dunks

With a name like Bad Axe, it was only a matter of time before somebody made a movie about this town in Michigan. Bad Axe isn’t necessarily about the entire microcosm of this small town, preferring to focus on a single family (the director’s own) and their experiences within it. This isn’t Our Town; I mean, come on. You can’t pass up that title!

In telling the story of the Siev family in the town of Bad Axe, first-time filmmaker David Siev lands upon potent ideas of the political divide across America (it’s not as blue state/red state, or even blue county/red county state as some may like to conceive it...

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Streaming: Argentina’s Oscar Submission ‘Argentina, 1985’

By Abe Friedtanzer

One of the benefits of screening selections for Best International Feature is not only to see different worldwide approaches to filmmaking but also to get to understand national histories. European entries, for instance, often engage with the Holocaust, while a finalist from a few years ago, Truth and Justice, was based on a highly influential book in Estonia known throughout that country. Argentina, 1985, now streaming on Amazon Prime, confronts a more recent period in that nation’s history, documenting an unprecedented reckoning with the crimes of its military leaders in a trailblazing civil case.

Ricardo Darín, a familiar face from Argentinian cinema and its recent nominees, The Secret in their Eyes and Wild Tales, stars as Julio César Strassera, the lead prosecutor in the Trial of the Juntas. It was an undesirable assignment given the extraordinary influence of the military dictatorship that had only recently been replaced by a new democratic government...

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Review: "The Menu"

Dining with Chef Slowick (Ralph Fiennes) is a dangerous experience in "The Menu."By Christopher James

The subgenre of class warfare comedy is alive and well in 2022. Most recently, movies like Bodies Bodies Bodies and Triangle of Sadness have smeared the 1% with blood and excrement, respectively. Director Mark Mylod (of Succession fame), opts for the former with his all-star comic thriller, The Menu. The film effectively entertains, even if it doesn’t ultimately add much to the conversation.

We meet Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) at a dock about to be picked up for an elite dining experience. Right from the beginning, we see a disconnect between the two, as if they were newly dating. Tyler is beyond excited for the dining experience, documenting every moment. On the flip side, Margot couldn’t care less. Tyler and Margot travel alongside nine other illustrious guests to an island restaurant run by celebrity Chef Slowick (Ralph Fiennes)...

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Almost There: Lesley Manville in "Another Year"

by Cláudio Alves

With The Crown's fifth season comes a new opportunity for the world to bask in the glory of Lesley Manville. As Princess Margaret, she's a charismatic scene-stealer, indulging in all the melodrama thrown at her whilst brandishing a cigarette holder like a conductor's baton. Though a fair share of high-class glamour characterizes both her new Netflix gig and the role that earned her an Oscar nomination, that's not always the register within which Manville moves. You could even argue that she built her career on playing the opposite sort of people, working-class characters like the titular Mrs. Harris in this year's Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – another outstanding performance.

Another example is Mary in Mike Leigh's Another Year. Prior to Phantom Thread, that 2010 drama surely marked the closest the actress had ever come to Oscar gold…

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The Movie-Related Nominees for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards

by Nathaniel R

Each year when the Grammy nominations are announced we report on nominees of interest to film fans. But before we get to the screen entertainment-adjacent stuff, we must first acknowledge the recording industry's three marquee categories: Album, Record, and Song of the year. We have a repeat of 2017 with Adele & Beyoncé squaring off yet again for the top prize. Beyoncé leads the nominations this year with 9 and as of today is tied with her husband Jay-Z as the most nominated musician of all time at the Grammys since they've each  received 88 nominations over the course of their careers... 

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