Fox Searchlight Archives - From | The | Balcony

Jackie (2016)

Bill Clark — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 15:08:08 +0000

The opening frames of Jackie lead one to believe they’re about to see a horror film. One wouldn’t be far off. The camera rests on Natalie Portman’s solemn face, staring off into the distance, as Mica Levi’s heart-rending score pounds out strained, delirious notes. It’s a jarring opening for a… Continue reading

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Brooklyn (2015)

Bill Clark — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 15:56:09 +0000

Brooklyn is a classic, beautifully shot romance that is one of the season’s true crowd-pleasing features. It doesn’t contain a lot of surprises or stakes, but commands attention with well-drawn, likable characters, a convincing sense of time and place, and a fantastic lead performance from Saoirse Ronan. It’s also a moving… Continue reading

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The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Bill Clark — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:46:28 +0000

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a celebration of all things filmmaking. Director Wes Anderson, one of the most creative minds in film history, has crafted an original, witty, and emphatically entertaining experience that belongs in his top tier of work. And his bottom tier is better than most top tiers.… Continue reading

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Wild (2014)

Bill Clark — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 14:08:02 +0000

Wild chronicles Cheryl Strayed’s 1,100 mile journey along the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995. It’s a story of personal enlightenment and redemption, well-told and acted, and beautifully photographed. The film doesn’t trek over new ground, but its stream-of-consciousness narrative style and an Oscar-worthy turn from Reese Witherspoon raise it above the… Continue reading

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Birdman (2014)

Bill Clark — Thu, 30 Oct 2014 17:12:30 +0000

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) is a true original; a work of technical wizardry, virtuoso acting, and compelling storytelling unlike anything we’ve seen before. Featuring only a few locations and long, single takes of dialogue-driven material, the film never lets up for an instant and always keeps the viewer on… Continue reading

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12 Years a Slave (2013)

Bill Clark — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 21:13:44 +0000

You pretty much know what you’re getting into with any movie dealing realistically with slavery. You’re going to be mad, you’re going to be sad, and you’re going to be ashamed that this was ever considered okay in our humanity’s history. 12 Years a Slave doesn’t contain any groundbreaking revelations… Continue reading

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Hitchcock (2012)

Bill Clark — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 05:00:54 +0000

Hitchcock is a breezy and fairly entertaining biopic about the events surrounding Alfred Hitchcock’s life leading up to and during the filming of Psycho. The title might lead one to believe this is an all-encompassing film about his whole life, but the movie takes place over a matter of tumultuous… Continue reading

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127 Hours (2010)

Bill Clark — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:00:28 +0000

I distinctly remember sitting in my college apartment in 2003 and reading the story of a hiker who cut his own arm off to free himself from a fallen boulder that had pinned it against a crevice wall. One can’t help but ask: What kind of mental state does a… Continue reading

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Black Swan (2010)

Bill Clark — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:00:14 +0000

Finally, a movie that depicts how women in a competitive environment actually feel about each other – at least I think. Black Swan is a spellbinding psychological thriller, a genre whose entrants have been sparse in recent history. Working with a fantastic cast and a first-rate script, director Darren Aronofsky… Continue reading

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Cyrus (2010)

Bill Clark — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 01:35:53 +0000

Cyrus is the classic case of a comedy that never really takes off. It presents an initially intriguing situation and characters, but winds up depending on the awkwardness of it all and never really takes the next step. It’s a shame, because the cast is excellent and the performances from… Continue reading

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