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The Dartmouth
November 22, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth
Film Review
Arts

Review: ‘Polar’ is a disappointing yet entertaining mess of a movie

By James Cronin | January 31, 2019

"Polar,” regrettably, won’t be joining “Roma,” “Mudbound” or “Beasts of No Nation” in the lofty pantheon of decent Netflix movies because, depending on your definition of what makes a movie good, it’s either some of the worst trash to ever grace the “trending now” section of Netflix, or a glorious hot mess that’s incredibly entertaining by virtue of how bad it is.

Arts

Review: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' surpasses all expectations

By Sebastian Wurzrainer | January 29, 2019

Let’s begin this review with the following two statements: 1.) Spider-Man was the first superhero to which I was introduced. 2.) “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is hands down the best Spider-Man film ever made. Full stop. No qualifications. I mention these two things in conjunction because even though they initially appear to be unrelated, they are, in fact, intrinsically linked. I never read comics as a child, and when I finally did find myself immersed in the world of superheroes, my favorite was always Batman thanks to Tim Burton’s bizarre, stylish 1989 film adaptation. Nevertheless, my first proper experience with anything superhero related was watching Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2” at the impressionable age of seven or eight. Thus, even to this day, I have a special fondness for everyone’s favorite web-slinger. 

Arts

Review: "Aquaman" is two-and-a-half hours of dumb, frothy fun

By Sebastian Wurzrainer | January 22, 2019

“Aquaman” is the sixth film in the DC Extended Universe, following on the heels of four films that range from mediocre to atrocious (“Man of Steel,” “Batman v. Superman,” “Suicide Squad,” “Justice League”) and one of the best superhero films not just of the last decade but of all time (“Wonder Woman”).

Arts

Review: The third season of "True Detective" is back to its roots

By Willem Gerrish | January 22, 2019

Here’s a disclaimer: the first season of “True Detective” is my favorite season of television ever made. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, the first eight-episode iteration of HBO’s crime anthology series is a near-perfect evaluation of human character in the face of death, evil and chaos. 

Arts

In 'The Mule,' Clint Eastwood is an old dog sticking to old tricks

By Mia Nelson | January 17, 2019

Clint Eastwood directs and stars in the “The Mule,” a drama inspired by a New York Times Article written by Nick Schenk that detailed the Sinaloa Cartel’s use of a 90 year old drug mule. Eastwood plays Earl Stone, a down-on-his luck former daylily horticulturist who becomes a drug runner, or mule, for a cartel in Illinois.

Arts

Review: ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ cannot have it all

By Joyce Lee | January 8, 2019

Last June, Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby released her Netflix stand-up special “Nanette.” The show received critical acclaim and an entire literature of think-pieces, not because it was especially funny or because the jokes were radical (although they were), but because Gadsby used her special to question what it means to use self-deprecating comedy as a woman, a queer individual and as an “other” who exists in the margins.

Arts

‘Mary Queen of Scots’ wastes potential due to choppy writing

By Sebastian Wurzrainer | January 8, 2019

In his video “Ludonarrative Dissonance,” film essayist Dan Olson advocates the use of the term “Cinemanarrative Dissonance.” The term describes when an aspect of a film flounders because two or more creative departments did competent work that was nevertheless contradictory due to the lack of a strong, unified vision for the overall product.

Arts

Review: ‘Eating Animals’ is a crucial look at agricultural industry

By Courtney McKee | October 19, 2018

“Eating Animals” is an important film. Based on the 2009 book of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, the documentary explores the subject of the American agricultural industry, a topic that’s often neglected in public discussions, and focuses on the highly troubling issue of the factory farming of poultry and livestock.

Arts

Review: Ian McKellen blurs reality and fiction in “King Lear”

By Willem Gerrish | October 16, 2018

One of my fondest memories of my senior year of high school is when my English class read, performed and studied William Shakespeare’s epic tragedy “King Lear.” At that time, the play captivated me with its stark and honest portrayal of human fallibility and tragic loss and it quickly became one of my favorite works of literature.

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