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“Everything I learned I learned from the movies.” 
― Audrey Hepburn

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  • Paul Carlson
Escape Into Film
'The Banshees of Inisherin' film review: Farrell, Gleeson are sublime in dry, dark break-up tragicomedy
Oct 28

Oct 28 'The Banshees of Inisherin' film review: Farrell, Gleeson are sublime in dry, dark break-up tragicomedy

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Two drinking buddies have a sudden falling out in this unexpectedly funny and wryly melancholic drama.

'TÁR' film review: Engrossing character study captivates from its first note to its last
Oct 21

Oct 21 'TÁR' film review: Engrossing character study captivates from its first note to its last

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Cate Blanchett captivates in the provocative 'cancel culture' drama.

'Amsterdam' film review: Cluttered, meandering mystery-thriller-comedy fails A-list ensemble
Oct 5

Oct 5 'Amsterdam' film review: Cluttered, meandering mystery-thriller-comedy fails A-list ensemble

Paul Carlson
film reviews

David O. Russell's latest film is a tonally inconsistent, meandering murder-mystery bloated with excess quirk that wastes a stellar ensemble cast.

'Bros' film review: Romance in the age of Grindr
Sep 29

Sep 29 'Bros' film review: Romance in the age of Grindr

Paul Carlson
film reviews

The hilarious and bawdy Apatow-produced comedy rejects its label as merely a rom-com with same-sex characters - it proudly and unapologetically asserts its gayness.

'Don't Worry Darling' film review: Pugh shines in shallow, unfocused high-concept thriller
Sep 22

Sep 22 'Don't Worry Darling' film review: Pugh shines in shallow, unfocused high-concept thriller

Paul Carlson

Olivia Wilde's psychological drama dips its toes into layers of tantalizing social commentary before devolving into a stock thriller.

'Three Thousand Years of Longing' film review: Modern take on the 'magical three wishes' story
Aug 25

Aug 25 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' film review: Modern take on the 'magical three wishes' story

Paul Carlson
film reviews

George Millers twist the timeless "genie in a bottle" story into a rumination of love, hope and loneliness

'Spin Me Round' film review:  The Olive Garden of Italy-based comedies
Aug 15

Aug 15 'Spin Me Round' film review: The Olive Garden of Italy-based comedies

Paul Carlson
film reviews, film festivals

A manager who spent far too long managing a mediocre Italian restaurant wins a trip to sun-soaked Tuscany.

'Vengeance' film review: B. J. Novak's dry satire focuses on humanity behind true crime
Jul 28

Jul 28 'Vengeance' film review: B. J. Novak's dry satire focuses on humanity behind true crime

Paul Carlson
film reviews

'The Office' star’s filmmaking debut drops a smug podcast investigator into a Texas-sized noir mystery.

'Nope' film review: UFO thriller chills - even if its themes fall flat
Jul 22

Jul 22 'Nope' film review: UFO thriller chills - even if its themes fall flat

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Jordan Peele's latest cranks up the horror, despite being thin on story & characters.

'Thor: Love and Thunder' film review: Bathos taken to its MCU extreme
Jul 7

Jul 7 'Thor: Love and Thunder' film review: Bathos taken to its MCU extreme

Paul Carlson
film reviews

MCU silliness at its most undisciplined, almost undermining a galactic threat to absurdity.

'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' film review: Hilarious, heartfelt journey down bucket list of sex acts
Jun 16

Jun 16 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande' film review: Hilarious, heartfelt journey down bucket list of sex acts

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Candid humor and refreshing intimacy elegantly finds the perfect balance between sex comedy and tender self reflection.

'Lightyear' film review: 'Toy Story' hero journeys through space, time & guilt
Jun 16

Jun 16 'Lightyear' film review: 'Toy Story' hero journeys through space, time & guilt

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Pixar's iconic space ranger leaps out of the toy box and into his own action-packed space adventure

'Jurassic World Dominion' film review: Nostalgia, thrills highlight one last walk through the park
Jun 8

Jun 8 'Jurassic World Dominion' film review: Nostalgia, thrills highlight one last walk through the park

Paul Carlson
film reviews

New and familiar characters come together in the dinosaur-packed adventure.

'Crimes of the Future' film review: Hopeless, dystopian flick is rich in gore & ideas, thin on substance
Jun 3

Jun 3 'Crimes of the Future' film review: Hopeless, dystopian flick is rich in gore & ideas, thin on substance

Paul Carlson
film reviews

David Cronenberg returns to the body horror sci-fi genre with this pessimistic and stomach-churning flick.

'Top Gun: Maverick' film review: The sequel fans deserve - and so much more
May 25

May 25 'Top Gun: Maverick' film review: The sequel fans deserve - and so much more

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Absolutely worth the wait, 'Maverick' sets a new standard for legacy sequels.

'Navalny' film review: Timely jaw-dropping doc plays like a taut spy thriller
May 9

May 9 'Navalny' film review: Timely jaw-dropping doc plays like a taut spy thriller

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

Equal parts political and crime thriller, this captivating documentary is an essential film in this era of Russian-influence geopolitics.

‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ review: Wild, Raimi-flavored horror ride across realities
May 4

May 4 ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ review: Wild, Raimi-flavored horror ride across realities

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Audiences are likely prepared for the fun cameos popping up here - but the real delight is the MCU-meets-Evil Dead mashup.

'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' film review: Nic Cage as Nic Cage lives up to the Nic Cage hype
Apr 20

Apr 20 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' film review: Nic Cage as Nic Cage lives up to the Nic Cage hype

Paul Carlson
film festivals

A perfect balance of Ridiculous Cage absurdity with self-aware meta jabs at the Hollywood machine.

'Everything Everywhere All at Once' film review: A deliriously overwhelming & soulful sci-fi masterstroke
Mar 31

Mar 31 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' film review: A deliriously overwhelming & soulful sci-fi masterstroke

Paul Carlson
film reviews

This thematically ambitious and wildly entertaining action comedy is an unabashedly silly & poetically humane sci-fi classic in the making.

'The Batman' film review: Pattinson channels the Caped Crusader in a gritty, grim crime epic
Mar 2

Mar 2 'The Batman' film review: Pattinson channels the Caped Crusader in a gritty, grim crime epic

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Less of a conventional "superhero flick," this crime thriller is the perfect alchemy of dropping Batman into 'Zodiac' or 'Seven.'

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““No subject is terrible if the story is true, if the prose is clean and honest, and if it affirms courage and grace under pressure.””
— "Midnight in Paris"

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