Thompson on Hollywood

SXSW Review: Secret Attraction Brews in Joe Swanberg's Funny and Sharply Observed 'Drinking Buddies'

Reviews

Joe Swanberg’s “Drinking Buddies,” which premiered in the Narrative Spotlight section at SXSW, is a portrait of individuals navigating the slippery slope of relationships, both romantic and platonic, and quietly, often hilariously nodding to the unspoken intersection of the two.

By Beth Hanna
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March 15, 2013 2:54 PM
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SXSW Review: Gorgeous, Meditative 'The Retrieval,' Starring Jury Award Winner Tishuan Scott (CLIP)

Reviews

Chris Eska’s beautifully made Civil War drama “The Retrieval,” which was awarded the SXSW Grand Jury Prize for lead actor Tishuan Scott’s performance, is a quietly stirring journey into America’s ravaged heartland of 1864. It follows three black men, two fully grown and one barely on the cusp of adolescence, as they walk North and navigate the complexities of survival, self-interest and slowly emerging friendship.

By Beth Hanna
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March 13, 2013 4:15 PM
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SXSW Review UPDATE: Christopher Abbott of 'Girls' and Gaby Hoffmann Lead Jury Award-Winning Ensemble Cast in 'Burma'

Reviews

“Burma,” made by first-time feature filmmaker Carlos Puga and winner of the Grand Jury Award for Ensemble Cast at SXSW, looks at a family in crisis. They aren't falling apart, but instead put together, suddenly, awkwardly, and the building blocks hurt. What starts as a generic and even patience-testing drama ultimately grows into a film boasting strong performances and a few unexpectedly open wounds.

By Beth Hanna
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March 13, 2013 12:54 AM
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SXSW Review: In Lovely and Devastating Narrative Spotlight Entry 'Good Night,' No One Goes Gently

Reviews

One of the best films I’ve seen at SXSW is “Good Night" by Sean H.A. Gallagher, a striking ensemble piece that looks at one night in the lives of a group of thirtysomethings as they unwittingly assemble for an announcement from their friend Leigh (Adriene Mischler): Her leukemia, which has been in remission for the past three years, has returned. It’s not going away.

By Beth Hanna
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March 12, 2013 7:35 PM
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Weekend Preview: From Artful 'Beyond the Hills' to Mainstream 'Oz'

Reviews

Cristian Mungiu's brilliantly slow-to-burn "Beyond the Hills" (which people might start referring to as "the Romanian exorcism movie") opens this weekend, with critics appropriately impressed with the Cannes winner; leads Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan both won Best Actress at the fest last May.

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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March 8, 2013 3:12 PM
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Review: Cristian Mungiu's 'Beyond the Hills' a Brilliant Slow Burn to Hell

Reviews

“Beyond the Hills,” Cristian Mungiu’s shortlisted Oscar entry from Romania, is shot in gorgeous grey-gold widescreen. The film is set in the rural countryside, where a humble monastery dots the top of a sparse hill. When a stranger intrudes the monastery, and wreaks havoc on its order and indirectly on herself, the nature of belief systems is called into question.

By Beth Hanna
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March 6, 2013 1:06 PM
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Weekend Preview: 'War Witch' Bewitches, 'Stoker' a Mixed Bag, 'Jack the Giant' Not Slaying Critics

Reviews

It's a good weekend for limited release films. Canada's Oscar-nominated foreign entry "War Witch," a harrowing yet poignant tale of a young Congolese girl's survival and first love, is scoring top marks with critics. Meanwhile, documentaries "Leviathan" and "A Place at the Table"...

By Beth Hanna
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March 1, 2013 2:43 PM
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Review: Oscar-Nominated 'War Witch' Sees Trauma Through the Haunted Lens of Magical Realism

Reviews

“War Witch,” Canada’s Oscar-nominated Foreign-Language entry, centers on a young African girl’s abduction into a rebel army, her escape, and the slow, painful process of liberating herself from the army’s traumatic, devastating reach. It is directed by French-Canadian Kim Nguyen, and is the second feature film in history to be shot in Kinshasa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

By Beth Hanna
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February 28, 2013 1:50 PM
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Review Roundup: 'Jack the Giant Slayer,' from Fee-Fi to Ho-Hum, End of Fairy Tale Rainbow?

Reviews

Critics are divided on Bryan Singer's "Jack the Giant Slayer," starring Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci and Eleanor Tomlinson. Some bluntly call it "pretty dumb" and label it as yet another Hollywood cash-in on the fairytale trend, while others find Singer's direction admirable -- "smart, thrilling and a whole lot of fun." Roundup below.

By Beth Hanna
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February 27, 2013 12:40 PM
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My Night at the Oscars, from the Red Carpet to the Governor's Ball

Awards

It was mighty fun attending the Oscars as a guest, as opposed to standing on high heels with the print press off the red carpet or backstage, simultaneously tracking the show and winners' interviews. It's been a while since I covered inside the Oscar show for Premiere and EW--back at the Shrine and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Indiewire colleague and Oscar virgin Peter Knegt, sporting a new tuxedo, and I opted to walk to the show instead of driving. This required a police escort up Highland from Sunset to the red carpet entrance on Hollywood Boulevard. Sparkling big-haired Adele was behind us, wraith-like Anne Hathaway ahead.