Joshua Polanski

Chinese Cinema(s)

REVIEW: Caught by the Tides (2024) dir. Jia Zhangke

I am unaware of a director anywhere in the world who has more thoroughly and philosophically navigated the complicated contradictions of the contemporary world than Jia Zhangke.

Reviews

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning

This is Tom Cruise at this best, at his most vulnerable, and at his most ambitious.

Reviews

Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk — Sepideh Farsi

Fatima Hassouna might have had the brightest smile and biggest eyes in all of Gaza.

Reviews

Dandelion’s Odyssey

Yes, you read that right: this is an animated film without words about dandelion seeds traversing the cosmos in search of a new home.

Constantin Werner

Shapeshifters, Religion, and Other Ghouls with Constantin Werner: Writer and Producer of In the Lost Lands

Werner gives his insights about co-writing with Paul WS Anderson, the challenges of producing the project, the differences between his screenplay and both Martin’s original text and the final film, the role of religion in the story, the filmmaking lessons he gleaned, and much more.

Reviews

Fritz on Fridays: Hilde Warren and Death

The classic Langian game theory with fate expresses itself through Weimar-era anxieties about corrupted blood.

Reviews

GO TO: Faithful unto Death (2024) dir. Ivars Zviedris

Faithful unto Death will be having its North American premiere this Saturday, May 17, at the West Newton Cinema.

Essays

Rolands Kalniņš: riding the Baltic New Wave with “Latvia’s Godard”

One of the most important Latvians to ever stand behind a camera.

Essays

Sinners

Ryan Coogler gets dangerously close to the horrifying center of American culture over the course of the single night — close enough for Sinners to dance with America’s original sin.

Reviews

Fritz on Fridays: The Blue Gardenia

The Blue Gardenia challenges this narrative of complacency and Lang’s supposed wont to “sleepwalking through history.”

Reviews

Striking Rescue — Siyu Cheng [Review]

Striking Rescue cinematographer Ai Yanjie loses sight of much of the action and regrettably tempers the blows of the stunt team.

Reviews

The Little Brother (Bratan)

The Little Brother is a travel film with a defying political undercurrent

Reviews

Leila and the Wolves — Heiny Srour [Review]

Leila and the Wolves ... holds a special place within that tradition of boundary-pushing Leftist filmmaking from the Arab Levant.

Reviews

Fritz on Fridays: Harakiri (1919)

One of the most underappreciated legacies of Fritz Lang’s career was his star-making power.

Essays

Libera te Tutemet: The Three Musketeers (2011)

Anderson at his most idealistic.

Essays

The Klassiki Podcast: Jonas Mekas — a Lithuanian abroad

I was honored to join host Sam Goff on the Klassiki Podcast to discuss the life and work of the Lithuanian avant garde filmmaker Jonas Mekas.

Reviews

BBFF Interview: Tomas Vengris

Part of the Boston Baltic Film Festival 2025

Reviews

In The Lost Lands

The sort of world one wishes they could give Ted Cruz a one-way ticket to.

Reviews

Fritz on Fridays: While the City Sleeps

If it bleeds, it leads.

Interview

BBFF Interview: Laurynas Bareiša

Part of the Boston Baltic Film Festival 2025

Reviews

BBFF Dispatch #5: Period Pictures

Part of the Boston Baltic Film Festival 2025

Chinese Cinema(s)

Interview with Yuxuan Ethan Wu (Death Education)

"Intent matters."

Reviews

BBFF Dispatch #4: Cats and Sculptures

Part of the Boston Baltic Film Festival 2025

Essays

Libera te Tutamet: Pompeii (2014)

One of the greatest cinematic achievements of the 21st century.

Reviews

BBFF Dispatch #3: Is It Easy to Be … Trilogy

Part of the Boston Baltic Film Festival 2025.