REVIEW: Toni Erdmann [2016]

“That was real fear” I wasn’t sure what to think upon realizing it was Maren Ade who directed Toni Erdmann, the wild comedy that took Cannes by storm. Her previous film Alle Anderen was very much a drama—a fantastic one at that—and this switch brought intrigue. Now that I’ve finally seen it, however, it’s easy to see the transition wasn’t a difficult one to pull off. This father/daughter tale may have a lot of comedy, but its heart is still steeped in the dramatics of struggling to make love work.…

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Top Ten Films of 2010: Dark Fantasy Cinema

This list is accurate as of post-date. So many films and not enough time to see them all—141 seen is this year’s number—the potential for future change is inevitable, but as of today here are the best … I remember thinking around April that there hadn’t been a truly great film released yet. After summer came and went with little to cheer about, I feared 2010 would be a gigantic bust containing a ton of decent to good films, but only a handful of great ones. And then—like it seems…

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REVIEW: Alle Anderen [Everyone Else] [2010]

“Do you hate me sometimes?” The problem with humanity is that our lives, our happiness, our love can never be enough. Like the title of Maren Ade’s film, we worry too much about Alle Anderen [Everyone Else], forgetting how we may already have what we need. Pressure is constantly weighed down as biological clocks tick, windows for dream jobs or business opportunities close, and better options seemingly arrive from all angles to make us question if where we are is truly where we want to be. We want more as…

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