By Joseph Romano Spoilers Ahead! One’s justification can often do more harm than his or her misdeeds, especially when said justification is being levied upon oneself. In America, the breeding ground of opportunity, something much more vile can arise when the pressures of unbridled capitalism take hold. Ambition can be the death of moderation and … Continue reading Bad Education: A Study in Empathy →

By Joseph Romano Spoilers Ahead! The term ‘somewhere’ doesn’t even indicate a direction. One does not need a destination in mind when he or she is going somewhere. The only place that constitutes somewhere else is away from here. Sofia Coppola’s 2010 film is not only elegant and glowing with an external aesthetic beauty, but … Continue reading Somewhere: Anywhere but Here →

By Joseph Romano Spoilers Ahead! Under all of his bluster, Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman) is just a sad kid. Unable to free himself from the traumatic loss of his mother, Max is intent on distracting himself with a restless productivity. Churning out plays on a typewriter gifted to him by his mother and hatching one … Continue reading Rushmore: Wes Anderson’s Studies in Sadness →

By Joseph Romano Spoilers Ahead! On New Penzance, the inverse is typically the truth. Adults act as children and children as adults. The Boy Scouts go about their business as if they were an extension of the military. The ultimate antagonist is the nameless Child Services (Tilda Swinton). Above all else, the 1960s summer aesthetic … Continue reading Moonrise Kingdom: The Oppression of Conformity →

By Joseph Romano Spoilers Ahead! As intricately layered and meticulously designed as one of Mendel’s famous cakes and tightly wound as the aesthetic dynamics of every corridor and hallway of the titular hotel, Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel is more of an accomplishment than a film. It exudes color and enthusiasm yet has an … Continue reading The Grand Budapest Hotel: Melancholy and Memory →

By Joseph Romano Spoilers Ahead. The Coen Brothers have certainly accumulated quite the reputation for oddity. Typically, they rely upon situational humor, emanating from the absurd situations that endlessly intriguing characters place themselves into. They have made a career from the irregularities of life. Yet, with possibly the most unique entry into their catalogue, No … Continue reading No Country for Old Men: A Study in Silence →

By Joseph Romano Spoilers Ahead Noah Baumbach has essentially made a career out of anonymity. He often helms independent films with sparse budgeting, which most prominently boast impressive screenplays. In his earlier work, his presence might have only been detected by only the most discerning of eyes. However, as he has evolved in his craft … Continue reading Marriage Story: A Study in Perspective →

By Joseph Romano Spoilers ahead. Greta Gerwig’s feature-length, directorial debut came with the 2017 release of Lady Bird – a film that explored the mother-daughter relationship. However, she did not impose limits upon herself in producing this film, as it also delves into the massive stress and perceived inadequacies that a finically induced predicament imposes … Continue reading Little Women (2019): Art and the Artist →

By Joseph Romano Spoilers Ahead. Robert Eggers is a filmmaker with a profound sense of location, period, and the power of the mind. In essence, he painstakingly builds the setting of his films – transporting the viewer into the context of the film as well as into the perspective of the main character. The Witch’s … Continue reading The Lighthouse: Human Psychology and Horror as Mysticism →