HIFF2021: Ben’s Column – Mass (2021)
One of the best movies of the year, which never forgets to put the characters’ difficult emotions first.
HIFF2021: Ben’s Column – Esluna: The Crown of Babylon (2021)
The rare independent animated film that wears its influences on its sleeves.
HIFF2021: Ben’s Column – Bergman Island (2021)
A beautiful film that avoids easy narrative answers in exchange for emotional honesty about the creative process.
HIFF2021: Ben’s Column – Interview with “Disfluency” Writer/Director Anna Baumgarten
An interview with writer/director Anna Baumgarten on her debut feature.
Ben’s Column: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 12: “Inverting the Pyramid of Success” – Review
Season two comes to an end, with hope for the future but frustration for the present.
Ben’s Column: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 11: “Midnight Train to Royston” – Review
Introduces new conflicts for the finale, and brings long-simmering conflicts from throughout the season to a head.
Ben’s Column: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 10: “No Weddings and a Funeral” – Review
The show returns after last week’s divergence with some mostly positive character drama
Ben’s Column: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 9: “Beard After Hours” – Review
A weird Scorsese riff comes out of nowhere after the emotional highs of last week’s episode.
Ben’s Column: The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) – Review
A mostly conventional biopic that seeks to redeem its main subject, featuring one of the year’s best performances.
Ben’s Column: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 8: “Man City” – Review
Ted Lasso’s longest episode yet may also be its best.
Ben’s Column: Mogul Mowgli (2021) – Review
While the film invites direct comparisons to Sound of Metal, Mogul Mowgli has different ambitions on its mind.
Ben’s Column: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 7: “Headspace” – Review
“Headspace” doesn’t introduce new conflicts; rather, they feel like natural extensions of what the show has been building towards throughout the season.
Ben’s Column: Anne at 13,000 Ft. (2021) – Review
A dynamic central performance and a solid directorial effort makes Anne at 13,000 Ft. a film that’s not to be missed.
Ben’s Column: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 6: “The Signal” – Review
If anything, “The Signal” shows that Ted Lasso can handle dramatic turns as well as it can the comedic moments.
Ben’s Column: Ted Lasso Season 2, Episode 5: “Rainbow” – Review
Season two juggles new plot developments and ignores newer ones, to mixed results.
