I think it relevant to point out that I am not one who abhors the work of Mr. Clint Eastwood. In fact, I have the utmost admiration for the man. His films are generally interesting character studies that are well paced, neatly told, and, more often than not, contain the...

In the world of cinema one of my most beloved sub-genres is the coming of age picture. And I'm not referring to bubble-gum movies about suburbanites not getting to attend prom with the date of their choice. Rather, the pictures in question are the work, generally by young(er) filmmakers, that...

On a warm Friday afternoon in Los Angeles, I got on the phone with a filmmaker to discuss her latest work. During the course of our conversation I asked her -- "Would you consider this film activist cinema?" -- she stopped for a moment -- obviously considering what she was...

A few weeks back a documentary hit theatres with quite an alarming buzz. I proclaimed it as "the most crucial film of the year"- the "must see film of the year". That picture, I.O.U.S.A. , has since been lauded as a frightening, fresh, and accessible dissection of our national debt...

This is the single most important film you will see this year. As a somewhat unsuccessful, but passionate, purveyor of all things lacking an absolute -- particularly in the area of judging the arts and particularly on an annual basis -- I can comfortably say it again, hell, I will...

American humorist Fran Lebowitz once said "Your life would not make a great book, don't even try" -- while I love Lebowitz's sentiment, one could strongly argue that some lives make great movies. As is the case of Philippe Petit, whose extraordinary life, at least a segment of it, is...