Radium Girls (Lydia Dean Pilcher and Ginny Mohler, 2018) takes its inspiration from the infuriating history of watch-dial painters of the 1910s-1930s who were poisoned and then abandoned by the radium industry. Discovered in 1898 by the Curies, radium was all the rage in the early decades of the 20th century. Thought to be a… Read more »
Movie Reviews
I Used to Go Here and the Processing of Failure
Failure is an underexplored subject in American cinema. The struggles and joys of achieving success are portrayed in blockbuster after blockbuster, while the unique phenomenon of processing failure and tentatively beginning the process of moving beyond it is less common to encounter in a mainstream American movie. Thankfully, Kris Rey’s new film I Used to Go… Read more »
The Complete Films of Agnès Varda: A Love Letter to a Legend
For full transparency: I was sent this box set by Criterion for review. I’d like to think this hasn’t impacted my thoughts on this set, but I thought people should know before they read more. There are figures in art whose image, mannerisms, and reputation are as recognizable and notable as the art they create…. Read more »
A Portrait of the Intimacy and Beauty of Migration: Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca
Guest post by Christine Peralta. Deeply nuanced and wonderfully shot, Lingua Franca is a beautiful film about a Filipina trans woman living in New York named Olivia. Olivia is portrayed by Isabel Sandoval, who also wrote and directed the film. Lingua Franca starts with two phone calls, simple and brief phone conversations that convey the complexity… Read more »
Da 5 Bloods: Unfortunate Sons
I think it’s long past due we start talking about Spike Lee in the same reverence and awe we talk about other distinctly American filmmakers like Martin Scorsese and John Huston. Here sits a director in his 60’s, prolifically making movies just as vibrant, vital, and varied (I hate that most of his career has… Read more »
Monthly Movie Round-Up: April
Every month, A Place for Film brings you a selection of films from our group of regular bloggers. Even though these films aren’t currently being screened at the IU Cinema, this series reflects the varied programming that can be found at the Cinema and demonstrates the eclectic tastes of the bloggers. Each contributor has picked… Read more »