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

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  • Paul Carlson
Escape Into Film
AFI FEST film review: 'Wander Darkly'
Oct 22

Oct 22 AFI FEST film review: 'Wander Darkly'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

If 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotlight' existed entirely within the infinity after a deadly accident, it would be this bittersweet and surreal drama.

'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' film review: Borat & daughter travel the flat Earth to take on Covid & conspiracies.  Very nice.
Oct 21

Oct 21 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' film review: Borat & daughter travel the flat Earth to take on Covid & conspiracies. Very nice.

Paul Carlson
film reviews

The famously ignorant Kazakh returns to skewer America as it exists in 2020, QAnon and all.

AFI FEST film review: 'Belushi'
Oct 21

Oct 21 AFI FEST film review: 'Belushi'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

From his childhood spent honing impersonations to his reckless stardom, the biographical documentary recounts the comedic icon's legacy and tragic fall.

AFI FEST film review: '40 Years a Prisoner'
Oct 21

Oct 21 AFI FEST film review: '40 Years a Prisoner'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

What really happened during a deadly 1978 siege that captivated a city and sent several Black activists to prison?

AFI FEST film review: 'The Father'
Oct 20

Oct 20 AFI FEST film review: 'The Father'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

This heartbreaking descent into dementia, anchored by arguably the best performance of the year, plays out like a low-key psychological horror.

AFI FEST film review: 'Under the Open Sky'
Oct 19

Oct 19 AFI FEST film review: 'Under the Open Sky'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

A wary career criminal struggles against a society that rejects him for his past, while resisting the temptation to slip into his old ways.

'White Noise' film review: Unsettling, intimate look at white nationalism in the age of new media
Oct 19

Oct 19 'White Noise' film review: Unsettling, intimate look at white nationalism in the age of new media

Paul Carlson
film reviews

This provocative documentary upends the mainstream notion that hate groups only exist on the extreme fringes.

AFI FEST film review: 'Wolfwalkers'
Oct 19

Oct 19 AFI FEST film review: 'Wolfwalkers'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

A young girl finds herself pulled between two worlds in this beautifully animated and heartfelt Irish folk tale.

AFI FEST film review: 'Pink Skies Ahead'
Oct 18

Oct 18 AFI FEST film review: 'Pink Skies Ahead'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

Jessica Barden shines in this decidedly alternate portrait of mental health in this dramedy.

AFI FEST film review: 'Sound of Metal'
Oct 17

Oct 17 AFI FEST film review: 'Sound of Metal'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

With a brilliant sound design and a commanding lead performance, this an experiential and visceral journey into silence.

AFI FEST film review: 'Should the Wind Drop'
Oct 17

Oct 17 AFI FEST film review: 'Should the Wind Drop'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

The hope of an ignored region in a forgotten part of the world hinges on one man and one airport in this French-Armenian drama.

AFI FEST film review: 'Nine Days'
Oct 16

Oct 16 AFI FEST film review: 'Nine Days'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

This soulful, evocative and striking fantastical drama is a truly breathtaking and inventive stroke of cinematic poetry.

'The Trial of the Chicago 7' film review: Shallow & glib script is more self-important than substantial
Oct 16

Oct 16 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' film review: Shallow & glib script is more self-important than substantial

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Aaron Sorkin's latest is a historical courtroom docudrama in the strictest sense - which is not a compliment.

AFI FEST film review: 'I'm Your Woman'
Oct 15

Oct 15 AFI FEST film review: 'I'm Your Woman'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

This '70s crime drama makes the unconventional choice to focus on the quiet, mundane moments of life on the run.

'Evil Eye' film review: A whirlwind romance dredges up a mother's traumatic past
Oct 13

Oct 13 'Evil Eye' film review: A whirlwind romance dredges up a mother's traumatic past

Paul Carlson
film reviews

The trauma and echoes of abuse upend a mother and daughter's relationship in this mystery thriller.

'Nocturne' film review: Expectations, ambition & resentment coalesce in this dark cautionary tale
Oct 12

Oct 12 'Nocturne' film review: Expectations, ambition & resentment coalesce in this dark cautionary tale

Paul Carlson
film reviews

Sibling rivalry takes a sinister and ominous turn in this supernatural horror.

'Totally Under Control' film review: Exposé doc rebukes White House's Covid failings
Oct 11

Oct 11 'Totally Under Control' film review: Exposé doc rebukes White House's Covid failings

Paul Carlson
film reviews

This blistering, methodical postmortem seethes with frustration and anger as it recounts the Covid-19 response.

NIGHTSTREAM film review: 'An Unquiet Grave'
Oct 11

Oct 11 NIGHTSTREAM film review: 'An Unquiet Grave'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

The attempted rumination of grief is so simple that it's utterly unequipped to explore its themes or even be a serviceable horror film.

NIGHTSTREAM film review: 'Anything for Jackson'
Oct 9

Oct 9 NIGHTSTREAM film review: 'Anything for Jackson'

Paul Carlson
film festivals, film reviews

When a loved one declares 'I would do anything for you,' well, this deadpan horror comedy takes that sentiment to its hilarious and dark extreme.

Film review: You'll regret knowing the truth of 'The Lie'
Oct 6

Oct 6 Film review: You'll regret knowing the truth of 'The Lie'

Paul Carlson
film reviews

A bonkers and unearned ending totally upends an otherwise intriguing family drama grounded in the burden of knowing a horrible truth.

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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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