A Salute to the Sports Comedy

In honor of Happy Gilmore 2, Vulture asked us to pick 25 great sports comedies, which was a pleasure. You can check out our list here. 

'The Next Picture Show': Let's Talk About 'Bull Durham'

So, this was fun: The gang over at The Next Picture Show asked me on as a guest. For those unfamiliar with that podcast, the hosts pair a current movie with an older, thematically-linked film. (The first episode is about the older film. The second episode focuses on the new film.) My episodes' theme was baseball movies, which makes sense since we're in the midst of spring training. This week: We talked about 1988's Bull Durham. Next week: To be continued. (But if you're paying attention to the indie release calendar, you can probably guess.)

'The Fabulous Four' Review

Maybe you aren't interested in Deadpool & Wolverine: Is there anything else out at the multiplex for you to see? Well, there's The Fabulous Four, about four lifelong friends who reunite in Florida. But as I explain over at Screen International, I would stay away from this comedy.

I Had a Long Conversation With Tim Robbins About 'Bob Roberts'

In late March, I did two interviews with Tim Robbins, both lasting over an hour, to dig into his seminal 1992 political satire. Today, my article about Bob Roberts, all 8,500 words of it, is up at MEL. We talked about documentaries, Bob Dylan, Harvey Weinstein, Cannes, Robert Altman, "Addicted to Love," gentrification, Woody Guthrie, Jack Black, Alan Rickman, Gore Vidal, Giancarlo Esposito, Saturday Night Live, voting and why the Republicans are "sociopaths." Also, Robbins thinks it's fine if you bootleg his movie since it's not streaming anywhere. 

This was a real treat. I hope you enjoy.

Toronto 2019: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings

After two-and-a-half weeks, two countries, four flights and 22 reviews, I'm home. It's been a pretty exhilarating journey from my first Venice to my 11th Toronto, and I'm still processing the whole adventure.

But in terms of discoveries, let me focus on Darius Marder's Sound of Metal, which I've been raving about to anyone who would listen. Starring Riz Ahmed as a rock drummer losing his hearing, this is an addiction-and-recovery drama like no other; its potential conventionality is wiped away by what Marder and his capable cast have come up with. Amazon bought Sound of Metal at Toronto, and I hope it finds its audience. (One thing: I've had people express hesitation about seeing the movie because they don't like metal. That is a very small component of the film, and it's dispensed with pretty early on.)

Below is a ranking of every Toronto film I saw, either at TIFF or before, including at Sundance and Cannes. (Links lead to individual reviews.) For now, the adventures are over, and the passport and foreign currency are back in the drawer. It's very nice to be back with Susan, who has gotten hooked on Queer Eye while I've been gone. She also met Peter Farrelly at a screening. I think she was even busier than I was.

46. The Goldfinch
45. Jojo Rabbit
44. Wasp Network
43. Abominable 
42. My Zoe
41. Blackbird
40. Martin Eden
39. The Traitor
38. Lucy in the Sky
37. Honey Boy 
36. Les Misérables
35. The Climb
34. Bad Education
33. Atlantics
32. Pelican Blood
31. Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band
30. Radioactive
29. The Laundromat
28. Zombi Child
27. Adam
26. Dolemite Is My Name
25. Deerskin 
24. The Truth
23. Hope Gap
22. Ema
21. Bacurau
20. Sorry We Missed You
19. A Hidden Life
18. Pain and Glory
17. Portrait of a Lady on Fire 
16. The Perfect Candidate 
15. Knives Out
14. The Kingmaker 
13. State Funeral 
12. Waves
11. Clemency
10. Parasite
9. Frankie
8. The Wild Goose Lake
7. Synonyms 
6. The Whistlers
5. Sound of Metal
4. Joker
3. Uncut Gems
2. Marriage Story
1. The Lighthouse

Toronto 2019: 'Blackbird' Review

No, Blackbird does not use the Beatles song on the soundtrack. Yes, this film is based on the Danish drama Silent Heart. Yes, this has a pretty great cast. No, I didn't like it so much. My review is up at Screen International.