One of the first notable visuals in Laura Poitras’s landmark documentary, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, is an excerpt slideshow from Nan Goldin’s legendary photography collection, “The Ballad…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: ‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’: Nan Goldin’s Truth, Sacklers’ Lie”

LEVINE. To those even decently well-versed in the classical music world, the name James Levine is likely to bring forth a slew of contradicting reactions. On one…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: ‘TÁR.’ BLANCHETT.”

When you envision the legacy of jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, you’re probably familiar with his distinct improvisation style — his winding melodies, harmonies, techniques, and dissonances that…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: New York Film Festival 2022 Review: ‘Rewind and Play’”

An expansive, white-walled studio. A camera crew helmed by director Ruth Beckermann. A lavish, pink-red sofa that’s previously been used for erotic films. And 100 men, aged…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: New York Film Festival 2022 Review: ‘Mutzenbacher’”

The legacy of South Korean auteur Hong Sang-soo seems largely separated from the stylized and dramatized sensibilities of his Korean New Wave contemporaries — the more minimalistic…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: New York Film Festival 2022 Review: ‘The Novelist’s Film’”

While it’s easy to look at the repertoire of films about COVID and deem them redundant, oftentimes incredibly lazy ways to artistically reflect a universal experience, perhaps…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: New York Film Festival 2022 Review: ‘Coma’”

There’s a scene towards the middle of Abi Damaris Corbin’s Breaking (originally titled 892 at its Sundance 2022 premiere) in which former Marine Lance Corporal Brian Brown-Easley (played by John Boyega),…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: ‘Breaking’: For Want of $892”

It may be an obvious sentiment at this point, but it’s become genuinely difficult to look at the world around us and not think that something’s gone…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: ‘Emergency Declaration’: We Are Experiencing Some Turbulence”

It brings me no joy to report that an indie comedy film evidently made in earnest did not resonate or connect with me, but Parker Seaman and…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: Tribeca Film Festival 2022 Review: ‘Wes Schlagenhauf Is Dying’”

There’s a certain type of fascination in watching a film where you can immediately tell that other people’s enjoyment of it will be almost entirely predicated on…… Read more “New from James Y. Lee at Movie Babble: Tribeca Film Festival 2022 Review: ‘Babysitter’”