Film Reviews by David Walsh, WSWS Arts Editor
Toronto International Film Festival 2011—Part 5
The defense of Iranian filmmakers, and their artistic decline
By David Walsh and Joanne Laurier, October 26, 2011
The recent Toronto film festival screened several films from Iran—including This is Not a Film, about the house arrest of filmmaker Jafar Panahi, co-directed by Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, and Good Bye from Mohammad Rasoulof.
George Clooney’s The Ides of March: What a great many people already know (and perhaps less)
By David Walsh, October 19, 2011
The new film directed by George Clooney, The Ides of March, is set in the world of contemporary American politics.
Toronto International Film Festival 2011—Part 3
The drama of everyday life
By David Walsh, October 12, 2011
Certain filmmakers are beginning to reckon with social questions as factors in human psychology and behavior. Others continue to take the line of least resistance.
Toronto International Film Festival 2011—Part 1
The world at large and closer to home
By David Walsh, September 30, 2011
The recent 36th Toronto International Film Festival screened some 335 features and shorts from 65 countries.
Win Win: Recognizably and unusually human
By David Walsh, May 28, 2011
In Win Win, the third feature film from writer-director Tom McCarthy, Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) is an eldercare attorney whose practice is in trouble, a victim of the economic downturn.
Hesher: The problem of the foreground and the background
By David Walsh, May 21, 2011
Hesher is an American independent film. It is the story of a grief-stricken family, and the troubled and troubling young man who imposes himself on them.
A discussion with film historian Joseph McBride about Steven Spielberg: A Biography—Part 2
By David Walsh, May 5, 2011
A new edition of a critical study and biography of filmmaker Steven Spielberg has been published. David Walsh recently spoke with its author, Joseph McBride. This is the second part of the discussion.
A discussion with film historian Joseph McBride about Steven Spielberg: A Biography―Part 1
By David Walsh, May 4, 2011
A new edition of a critical study and biography of filmmaker Steven Spielberg has been published. David Walsh recently spoke with its author, Joseph McBride.
The Lincoln Lawyer: A morally “gray” attorney and his discontents
By David Walsh, April 8, 2011
The Lincoln Lawyer is a thriller-courtroom drama centering on Los Angeles attorney Mickey Haller, directed by Brad Furman (The Take) and adapted from the best-selling 2005 novel by veteran crime writer Michael Connelly.
The Adjustment Bureau: Fighting fate
By David Walsh, March 9, 2011
George Nolfi’s film, The Adjustment Bureau, is loosely based on a 1954 short story by science fiction writer Philip K. Dick.
83rd Academy Awards: Appealing personalities, but they still need something to say
By David Walsh, March 1, 2011
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, held Sunday night in Los Angeles, yielded few surprises, in terms of either the various presentations and special appearances or the winners in the most-prized categories.
Cedar Rapids: Does Hollywood know much about American life?
By David Walsh, February 23, 2011
Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) is a sheltered insurance agent from a small town in Wisconsin in Cedar Rapids, a comedy directed by Miguel Arteta.
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