CATCHING UP WITH FILM - FILM CRITICISM WITH AN EYE ON A PERSONAL CANON

For March 2019, I will be watching Alias Grace, based on Margaret Atwood’s novel and directed by fellow Canadian artist Mary Harron (American Psycho) and written by Sarah Polley (Away from Her). I will admit that Alias Grace did not register at all on my pop culture radar. The Handmaid’s Tale definitely did, and I think the genre element of a woman’s dystopia had a lot to do with why people were initially attracted to the show. Of course, they stayed for the excellent writing

In honor of his birthday on March 30th, I will be devoting March to exploring portrayals of the artist Vincent Van Gogh on film. Lust for Life feels like a travelogue for much of its running time. Perhaps a real Van Gogh nut would get a thrill of seeing some of the places that inspired the artist’s greatest paintings, and I do have to give Minnelli and his location scouts and art consultants credit for going to great lengths to recreate the paintings (a long list of museums w

This year, I am going to try to get through the whole oeuvre of Nicolas Cage because my fascination with this man and his contradictions is endless. God help me. Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) This comedy hasn’t aged well. The main premise is quite reprehensible. Nicolas Cage’s character plays a commitment-phobic private investigator who finally gives into his girlfriend (Sarah Jessica Parker)’s demands to take the next step. He suggests getting married in Vegas over the weekend,