Film Reviews, Interviews and Articles
On being, Descartes famously opined, “I think therefore I am.” Well, actually, he said, “Cogito, ergo sum,” but no one speaks Latin these days so you get the gist. After Yang, an existential science fiction movie from video essayist turned director Kogonada (Columbus), takes a step beyond the 17-century French philosopher to ponder what constitutes being in a world where humans and artificially-intelligent robots known as “technosapien” co-exist. Read More
An awkward first date sets the tone Melina Matsoukas’ Queen & Slim. Language and communication is just as much about talking as it is about the silences, our two characters are soon to discover, and Queen & Slim establishes early on the power of silence and the unspoken word. The magic of Tinder lands a man of dubious socioeconomic status (Daniel Kaluuya) and his recalcitrant one-night-eating-partner (Jodie Turner-Smith) at a diner booth with little to talk about. And little hope of physical connection. Silence can be warm or it can be infinitely awkward. This is definitely the later. An African-American lawyer, she wonders if it was the best he could afford. He claims they’re here because “It’s black-owned”. So too is Queen & Slim. Read More