Crisp Criticism - "Her Smell', "Peterloo", "Little", "High Life", "The Curse of La Llorona", "Missing Link"

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Julien Faddoul

Her Smell ***

A self-destructive punk rocker struggles with sobriety while trying to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success.

A kinetically unpleasant film to sit through, presented as five separate sequences depicting its main character’s demise and ultimate redemption. Formidable and often astounding for those who can take it, with dizzying illustration of the camera, sound design and performance. It shows both its director and its star at the height of their uncompromising capabilities, both of whom tower above virtually everyone else in independent cinema today.

wd – Alex Ross Perry

ph – Sean Price Williams

pd – Fletcher Chancey

m – Keegan DeWitt

ed – Robert Greene

cos – Amanda Ford

p – Elisabeth Moss, Matthew Perniciaro, Alex Ross Perry, Adam Piotrowicz, Michael Sherman

Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Amber Heard, Agyness Deyn, Gayle Rankin, Ashley Benson, Eric Stoltz, Dylan Gelula, Virginia Madsen

Crisp Criticism - "Shazam", "Dumbo", "The Beach Bum", "The Best of Enemies", "The Highwaymen", "Hellboy", "Pet Sematary"

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Julien Faddoul

Shazam *

A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.

Lively superhero film based on DC comics that takes forever to get going and doesn’t end anywhere edifying. It might have been twice as effective at half the length (133 minutes).

d – David F. Sandberg

w – Henry Gayden, Darren Lemke   (Based on the Characters Created by Bill Parker, CC Beck)

ph – Maxime Alexandre

pd – Jennifer Spence

m – Benjamin Wallfisch

ed – Michel Aller

cos – Leah Butler

p – Peter Safran

Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Jack Dylan Grazer, Mark Strong, Djimon Hounsou, Grace Fulton, Faithe Herman, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans, Adam Brody