Esther Zuckerman
Posts
Magic Mike Is Just Trying to Pay the Bills
Forget getting ahead in America. The stripper at the heart of the film trilogy is working frantically not to lose his shirt.
What Would the Cast of ‘Knock at the Cabin’ Do?
In an interview, the stars of M. Night Shyamalan’s film address the soul-searching questions posed to their characters.
For the Documentarian Alice Diop, Only Fiction Could Do Justice to a Tragedy
“Saint Omer” borrows details from a case of infanticide in France, which the director found raised profound but very personal issues.
‘Babylon’ and the Case of the Missing Bob Haircut
Margot Robbie’s 1920s silent-screen star wears her locks long and frizzy — and that’s by design, as the director Damien Chazelle and hairstylist explain.
Contemplating a Canon of Jewish American Films
Two new films remind us that the experiences of U.S. Jews don’t often get the Hollywood treatment. When they do, depictions range from shticky to...
The Charming Star With Soulful Eyes Happens to Be a Donkey
The “EO” filmmakers wanted to tell their story via a silent animal but felt dogs or cats were clichéd. Their choice turned out to be...
Nan Goldin and Laura Poitras: Two Artists, One Devastating Film
The documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” tells a complex story of personal trauma and protest. But first the collaborators needed to reach an...
Lena Dunham Channels a Voice of a (Different) Generation
With “Catherine Called Birdy,” she tackles a beloved YA novel set in medieval England. It’s a project she had dreamed of since the start of...
Anne Heche Onscreen: Wily and Funny but Also Unnerving
Hollywood tried to slot her into cookie-cutter blockbusters, sometimes successfully. She was at her best playing competent women in extreme situations.