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LaRoy Texas no place for old men
Setting out to break expectations, the dark comedy called LaRoy, Texas twists and turns in landscapes both bright and bleak. As writer...
Robin Holabird
Apr 12, 20241 min read


Peasants paints a harsh but lovely world
A century-old Nobel Prize winning novel from Poland gets a visual twist with The Peasants as filmmakers spice up a story in a painterly...
Robin Holabird
Apr 4, 20241 min read


God & Country preaches to choir
A documentary with an agenda, God & Country covers the genesis and growth of Christian Nationalism in the United States. Using Katherine...
Robin Holabird
Mar 25, 20241 min read


No fast food in Taste of Things
Review 2024 Taste of Things While foodies may fall for France’s entry into Oscar’s international film pool, hot dog fans might scratch...
Robin Holabird
Mar 25, 20241 min read


MacLaine wakes American Dreamer Dinklage
NPR listeners of the “This American Life” program find something extra to appreciate in a movie whose boast as quote “based on a true...
Robin Holabird
Mar 17, 20241 min read


Dune 2 sweeps on
Back in 2021 I left a theater and wrote, “If you walk into the movie Dune cold, you may find yourself lost in a hot desert,” a line that...
Robin Holabird
Mar 17, 20242 min read


Cabrini inspires saintly deeds
My initial reaction watching title nun Cabrini as she sets out to build orphanages for children in New York slums during the 1880s might...
Robin Holabird
Mar 10, 20242 min read


Drinking with Oscar
When the 2004 wine-infused movie Sideways got a best picture nomination, I started pumping up my Oscar celebration by pairing drinks with...
Robin Holabird
Mar 4, 20241 min read


Magoada captures a lonely spirit
On the heels of making short films, writer-director Ruben Sainz adds time more than content to his 116 minute project, Magoada, or “hurt”...
Robin Holabird
Mar 4, 20241 min read


Teachers Lounge looks for answers
Though filmed in Hamburg, Germany’s nominee for a best international film Oscar hit home, reminding me of circumst ances I faced decades...
Robin Holabird
Feb 9, 20241 min read


Mikkelsen shines in The Promised Land
Switching gears from his international fame as a go-to bad guy, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen proves a fine hero in The Promised Land. ...
Robin Holabird
Feb 5, 20241 min read


Fallen Leaves drop rom-com cliches
Maintaining his focus on the lives of Finland’s working class, writer-director Aki Kaurismäki provides a pleasantly low-key, sort-of...
Robin Holabird
Feb 5, 20241 min read


Zone goes beyond interest
Before reviewing Zone of Interest, my mind goes back to all those writing classes I once took. My teachers hated the word interest and...
Robin Holabird
Jan 26, 20242 min read


The Home Game proves a winner
A documentary set in a tiny Icelandic town, The Home Game captures the spirit of community and teamwork. Support from Iceland’s film fund...
Robin Holabird
Jan 19, 20242 min read


All of Us Strangers connects
Though its specifics deal with LGBTQ issues, All of Us Strangers gets universal appeal from the quote “what if” concept. What if we could...
Robin Holabird
Dec 27, 20232 min read


Origin roots through tough topics
Though documentary seems the natural approach to Isabel Wilkerson’s relevant exploration of societal ills in her book Caste: The Origins...
Robin Holabird
Dec 26, 20232 min read


Poor Things offers rich treats
Frankenstein gets a crazy spin from Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos, who already showed his penchant for the weird with The...
Robin Holabird
Dec 26, 20231 min read


Color Purple resonates
Given that two of the best and most cinematic musicals deal with topics like gang warfare and Nazis, it follows a pattern to transform a...
Robin Holabird
Dec 26, 20232 min read


Nevada's 2023 movie awards
Many people spend December singing, celebrating, buying gifts, and admiring pretty lights. In contrast, film critics use the month to...
Robin Holabird
Dec 14, 20232 min read


Fassbender kills it as The Killer
Actor Michael Fassbender uses his phenomenal body to perfection as The Killer in director David Fincher’s take on a graphic novel. ...
Robin Holabird
Dec 10, 20231 min read
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