by Byron Bixler & Jacqueline Borwick Coriolanus (Fiennes, 2011) For his directorial debut, Ralph Fiennes teamed up with screenwriter John Logan (who previously penned The Aviator, The Last Samurai and Gladiator) to take on the tragedy Coriolanus. Written by Shakespeare in his later years, the original play has often been neglected, placed in the shadows … Continue reading
by Kayla Hurowitz Taking inspiration from Shakespeare’s classic romance, Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story tells a tale of two lovers separated by their warring gangs — the Sharks and the Jets. Our two leads are Tony (Richard Beymer), a member of the Jets with a reputation for being loyal to his gang, and Maria … Continue reading
by Elizabeth EstenJoss Whedon. Hearing that name alone can make a group of nerds scream. Whedon has been working since the early ’90s on a variety of works, from television shows to films to projects made exclusively for the internet. While working on a little movie you might’ve heard of called The Avengers, Whedon and … Continue reading
by Justin MadoreThis film is devastating. That may seem like an obvious statement for a story about the Holocaust, but first-time director László Nemes has really upped the bar when it comes to the amount of emotion that can be drawn out of a person in less than two hours. He does this rather conversely … Continue reading
by Kai NealisWilliam Shakespeare’s Macbeth has been adapted for the screen nearly 25 times in one way or another since its first short, silent rendition in 1908 by James Stuart Blackton. Among the most notable adaptations are the Indian crime drama revamp Maqbool, set in modern day Mumbai from director Vishal Bhardwaj, Roman Polanski’s grandiose … Continue reading
by Gabriella PakemanNelly Lenz: “I no longer exist. Would you recognize me?” Lene Winter: “You look beautiful.” Nelly: “That’s not the point.” Taken completely out of context, this excerpt of conversation gives the impression of a woman consoling her insecure friend. In all actuality, it serves as the foundation of a story in which a … Continue reading
by Joel KalowThere is probably no artist so synonymous with storytelling as Shakespeare. It’s difficult to imagine a world where love does not bring to mind Romeo and Juliet; betrayal, Othello; revenge, Hamlet. A world where some words just don’t exist: “eyeball,” “generous,” “torture,” “moonbeam.” These stories, characters, phrases and words permeate our collective unconscious … Continue reading
by Jordan Aaron & Joel KalowJORDAN: Richard Linklater and Whit Stillman share the same voice for different social classes. For example, Dazed and Confused and The Last Days of Disco share common themes of social structure and people who are new to this structure finding identity within it. In Dazed and Confused, Mitch is welcomed … Continue reading
Before I was fully able to comprehend the richness of filmmaking, I judged good cinema on its ability to elicit a strong feeling. When I was younger, and my imagination was far more rampant in many ways, I would leave the theater in a daze. Every movement seemed exaggerated—every sound heightened with some internal soundtrack. … Continue reading
by Sam Archie Metropolitan (1990) Whit Stillman’s first film, Metropolitan, establishes his themes of virtue, clashing sensibilities and young people finding their way in the world. Tom Townsend, (Edward Clements) a young upper west side socialist, shares a cab with a group of debutantes and their escorts. He subsequently becomes entangled in a world he … Continue reading
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