The First Beautiful Thing

Apr 16, 2025 — The two Cannes sidebars select films by Christian Petzold, Robin Campillo, Eva Victor, and Sophie Letourneur.

May 24, 2024 — The week wraps with a new Senses of Cinema, conversations with Ken and Azazel Jacobs and Jamie Nares, and essays on Peter Whitehead and Gillian Armstrong.

Feb 13, 2024 — Through its echoes, resonances, and intricately branching stories, this cycle of films evokes the feeling that life, like the weather, is based on patterns too complex to ever be fully predictable.

Mar 20, 2023 — The author of the novel Fiona and Jane looks back on a relationship that never quite solidified—and a future that never quite arrived—through the prism of Bi Gan’s Long Day’s Journey into Night.

Aug 9, 2022 — An indie pioneer whose life was cut tragically short, the Texas filmmaker found grace in the tedium of repressive small-town existence.

May 24, 2022 — While some critics expected more gore, others see a wryly wise reflection on our biological future.

Jul 17, 2020 — Studio Ghibli for the kids, Bergman and Pasolini for the grownups, and more highlights from the week that was.

Mar 20, 2020 — Also this week: Filmmaker and filmmakers make their work freely accessible, an appreciation of Barbara Hammer, and an interview with Jonathan Rosenbaum.

Jan 23, 2020 — The return of Miranda July, a first feature from Garrett Bradley, and a new doc from Kirsten Johnson are a few of this year’s most anticipated features.

Oct 10, 2019 — The rights to Jonathan Lethem’s novel were secured twenty years ago, and now that film is finally rolling out, reviews are mixed.