Life or Something Like It

Sep 24, 2014 — Roman Polanski’s dark vision is the perfect fit for Shakespeare’s grim tale of treachery and ambition.

Sep 17, 2007 — G. W. Pabst’s adaptation of the play by Bertolt Brecht transforms the original without betraying it, softening its cynicism with humanity and integrating elements of psychoanalysis.

Mar 14, 2005 — A director is naturally a man like everyone else. Yet his life isn’t normal. For us, seeing is a necessity. For a painter, too, the problem is to see. But while the painter has to discover a static reality, or...

Jul 2, 2026 — This week’s roundup ranges from sad goodbyes to a silent comedy, from Hitchcock to Barker, and from video art to a cult TV series.

Jan 26, 2026 — The new year brings an ode to Judy Garland, conversations with Martin Scorsese, and a novel by John Sayles.

Dec 17, 2025 — An amiable actor, Reiner launched his directorial career with a seven-film winning streak.

Nov 6, 2025 — In the run-up to the release of Jay Kelly, the American Cinematheque presents a five-film series.

Oct 1, 2025 — With two films set to open next month, Richard Linklater programs a series of French New Wave classics.

Aug 27, 2025 — The summer’s been terrific for new movie magazines and filmmaker biographies.

Aug 8, 2025 — This week: Edward Yang, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and alternative lists of the best films of the twenty-first century.