The Watch

Nov 19, 2020 — One Scene Acutely attuned to the drama of intimate relationships and interactions, writer-director-producer Sean Durkin mines their dynamics for his quietly simmering character studies. Best known for his feature debut, Martha Macy May Marlene, which premiered at Sundance in 2011 and...

Apr 3, 2020 — Everyone remembers their first time with Toshiro Mifune. With almost anyone else, such a first would be recollected with a shrug or a casual “it was . . . fine.” But Mifune induces delirious and perfect recall: of him flat...

Jan 8, 2019 — “Elements which can be eliminated have been eliminated” is how Abbas Kiarostami once described his late turn toward minimalism. While the Iranian director was known for the intricate, metatextual playfulness of his work, he also spent much of his career...

Jul 20, 2016 — In his staggeringly ambitious masterwork A Touch of Zen, Chinese filmmaker King Hu imbues dynamic scenes of combat with balletic grace and audacious stylistic experimentation.

Aug 20, 2015 — Repertory PicksIn 1979, Roman Polanski broke out of the more claustrophobic spaces of his early thrillers like Repulsion, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Tenant with Tess, an exquisitely detailed adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic book Tess of the d’Urbervilles, proving his...

Nov 25, 2014 — More than just observational, Les Blank’s sensual documentaries are personal and participatory celebrations of American culture.

Nov 4, 2014 — In cinema history, there truly is no gag like a Tati gag.

Oct 16, 2014 — Repertory PicksThe Loft Cinema in Tucson, Arizona, is kicking off its annual Loft Film Fest tonight with a very special event. The Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry will appear in person for a screening of The Last Picture...

Mar 21, 2014 — Did You See This?• A Dangerous Game still worth playing • Charlotte Gainsbourg gets intimate with Lars von Trier again. • Porn in a pinch! • Films under the influence • Defining American cool • Watch Tsai Ming-liang’s latest. •...

Oct 25, 2012 — The following piece by Sunday Bloody Sunday screenwriter Penelope Gilliatt originally appeared as the introduction to the 1971 U.S. publication of the script. A friend of mine who had started scrubbing at fourteen and went on to be a barmaid...