Robert Bouffard
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“The Smashing Machine” Crashes Its Way to Mediocrity (Review)
“The Smashing Machine” feels like just the first half of a larger piece of art — and it’s a pretty disappointing first half at that. Continue reading
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“Gladiator II” is Too Focused on Legacy (Review)
Ridley Scott’s movies are typically visually and tonally excellent, creating memorable images and sequences, but he doesn’t really elevate material. Continue reading
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“We Live in Time” Has its Heart in the Right Place (Review)
Even with a structure that’s frustratingly inconsistent, the greater frustration is that there are such compelling themes, ideas, and performances that ideally would have been done a bit more justice. Continue reading
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“MaXXXine” Blends Sex, Violence, and Hollywood in Ti West’s Trilogy Capper (Review)
Despite some very clunky plotting, West’s homages are so well done that I ultimately find myself coming down in their favor. Continue reading
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“Kinds of Kindness” is Lanthrimos’ Ode to Desire and Control (Review)
Lanthimos wants his films to get back to what works best about his filmmaking style and language: the acknowledgment that there’s inherent absurdity to the natural depravity behind our desire for control, and to be controlled. Continue reading
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“Civil War” is a Timely, Apolitical Vision of Disaster (Review)
While the film takes place during a fictional near-future civil war in the United States, it doesn’t have much interest in engaging with the war itself, or its causes. Continue reading
Knock on Wood 