Lynn Shelton is an undeniably accomplished writer, editor, and director; her first film “We Go Way Back” won the grand prize at Slamdance in 2006. Since then she has distinguished herself through her astute observations of human relationships in all their weirdness and confusion. 2009's “Humpday” focused on two male friends considering making a gay porn film together, and led to a remake being ... more >
AUTHOR | Lita Robinson
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Touchy Feely

Oxyana
Sean Dunne's new documentary “Oxyana” was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the last Tribeca Film Festival, and it's easy to see why. Capitalizing on the current rage over oddball slice-of-life docs (see “The Queen of Versailles,”etc.), Dunne's straightforward portrait of a desolate West Virginia mining town ravaged by prescription drug abuse (Oceana, West Virginia, nicknamed “Oxyana” because of its ... more >

A royal affair
Nikolaj Arcel's sweeping costume drama “A Royal Affair”—Denmark's Oscar entry—follows the struggles of young Queen Caroline (Alicia Vikander) as she tries to adapt to her new role as wife of Denmark's obviously insane King Christian VII (Mikkel Boe Folsgaard). The year is 1766, and Caroline, a native Brit, is forced to make do with her unpredictable husband and strange new surroundings with hardly ... more >

The Imposter
Director Bart Layton produced and directed several episodes of the T.V. series “Locked Up Abroad,” an experience which prepared him, in all likelihood, for the filming of “The Imposter,” a new documentary full of mistaken identity plots and international intrigue. Nothing could have nevertheless prepared him—or us—for the powerfully bizarre tale he recounted, through interviews and ... more >

“HYSTERIA,” when the world’s most famous toy was invented | REVIEW
Director Tanya Wexler is no stranger to Hollywood: as Darryl Hannah’s younger half-sister she spent some of her formative years on the set of “Blade Runner” and soon saw filmmaking as a viable career choice. Fortunately for us it's the road she took, her new feature film “Hysteria” marking Wexler’s major debut. The premise is enough to incite giggles among the biggest cynics: an idealistic ... more >

“NANCY, PLEASE” a grad student’s worst nightmare
“Nancy, Please” as a character study that reliably builds up tension incorporates some very strong performances. In fact, acting performances make this new feature film by newcomer Andrew Semans. Paul (Will Rogers) plays a believable (and believably) unraveling academic who's left his dissertation’s source text at his previous apartment and cannot seem to get it back. His motivations for ... more >

TRIBECA FESTIVAL | “Whole lotta sole”
Oscar-winning director Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda," "Reservation Road," "The Shore") isn't known for light-hearted comedies. His latest effort, "Whole lotta sole," however, stands convincingly between "Snatch" and "Notting Hill." Laugh convulsively as you follow several different sets of characters--among them a young father (Martin McCann), a ruthless crime lord (David O'Hara), a grizzled cop ... more >