Ben’s Column: Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021) – Review
A tricky biography of one of America’s most singular voices.
Ben’s Column: The Shrink Next Door (2021) – Limited Series Review
An eight-week long car crash of human proportions.
Ben’s Column: Eternals (2021) – Review
The thinking man’s MCU film.
Ben’s Column: The Souvenir: Part II (2021) – Review
A masterful exploration of memory and grief.
Ben’s Column: The Harder They Fall (2021) – Review
An explosive new western with enough style to make up for a middling script.
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.
The Obsessive Viewer 