What are the highs and lows of “Our Last Tango” as a documentary versus a performance record?
If you're looking for an informative film about the history of tango, "Our Last Tango" is not it. Instead, it's a wonderful narrative about two highly regarded tango veterans…
How can the composition and structure of “The Forbidden Room” best be described?
There's no explaining the way "The Forbidden Room" is put together. It exists as a surreal, hallucinatory combination of scenes and fragments that flow from one to another.
How does “Beasts of No Nation” explore the way children are exploited into becoming killers?
"Beasts of No Nation" tells the story of a boy manipulated into becoming a mercenary killer during a civil war.
How does “Digging for Fire” use landscapes to assist its story?
Tim spends his weekend stuck in a hole in the ground, obsessively digging at the earth in search of a dead body. Lee takes to a weekend of freedom and exploration, jaunting all over the city with a…
How does “Modern Times” illustrate Karl Marx’s theory of Alienation?
There are four types of alienation identified within the Marxist theory. The opening sequence of Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" illustrates each of them in its own whimsical way.
What does “Our Last Tango” do to creatively tell the historical stories of its core subjects?
"Our Last Tango" includes beautifully-performed tango choreography to tell the history of its two central subjects, in a wonderful twist on traditional documentary style.
How does the sensory assault in “Der Nachtmahr” serve the film?
"Der Nachtmahr" uses intense sound and visual strobing to disorient the viewer and get them in a similar state of mind to the troubled protagonist of the picture.
Is there a linear story in “The Forbidden Room?” Does it matter?
There's no real linear story in "The Forbidden Room," but it doesn't need one. The film's purpose isn't to tell a single tale.
How can one interpret the narrative chronology of “Mulholland Drive”?
Most of "Mulholland Drive" seems to be a flashback that combines real-life events with emotional desires of the narrative's central character, Diane Selwyn.
Were all the players in “The Killing” really necessary to pull off the heist?
"The Killing" depicts a wonderful, well-executed robbery of a horse track during the biggest race of the year. But were all the people involved really necessary for the plan to work?
Is Diane in “Mulholland Drive” a call girl? What’s her story?
"Mulholland Drive" never explicitly says it, but enough clues and subtext exist to infer that the character of Diane was working as a call girl to pay for her life in Hollywood.
Would “12 Angry Men’s” jury composition and behaviors be acceptable in court?
"12 Angry Men" doesn't represent a typical jury, and some of their behaviors wouldn't fly in real courts.