Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

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Timely Tales of Paranoia: Soderbergh’s Deft Thriller, Kimi, Neeson’s Doleful Blacklight

Timely Tales of Paranoia: Soderbergh’s Deft Thriller, Kimi, Neeson’s Doleful Blacklight

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 11, 2022espionage, Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Steven Soderbergh, Zoe Kravitz, Robin Givens, Spies, ThrillerComment

Parallel Mothers: Pedro Almodóvar’s Latest Exalts Penélope Cruz, Ponders Post-Franco Spain

Parallel Mothers: Pedro Almodóvar’s Latest Exalts Penélope Cruz, Ponders Post-Franco Spain

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 11, 2022Parallel Mothers, Pedro Almodóvar, Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Spain, Drama, Motherhood, DRama Comment

Death on the Nile: Branagh's Reverence to Agatha Christie is Like Well Played Parlour Music

Death on the Nile: Branagh's Reverence to Agatha Christie is Like Well Played Parlour Music

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 10, 2022Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh, Hercule Poirot, Armie Hammer, Gal GadotComment

I Want You Back: A Bent, Funny Valentine with Charlie Day and Jenny Slate

I Want You Back: A Bent, Funny Valentine with Charlie Day and Jenny Slate

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 10, 2022Valentine's Day romcoms, I Want You Back, Jenny Slate, Charlie Day, Scott Eastwood, Clark Backo, Gina Rodriguez, Manny JacintoComment

Compartment No. 6: Strangers Become Friends on A Train Ride To The Russian Arctic

Compartment No. 6: Strangers Become Friends on A Train Ride To The Russian Arctic

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 9, 2022Compartment No. 6, Finland, Russia, Juho Kuosmanen, Seidi Haarla, Yuriy Borisov, Dinara Drukarova, Lidia Kostina, Tomi AlataloComment

The Worst Person in the World: Oscar Nom a Sparkling Study of an Impulsive Woman... Romantic and Otherwise

The Worst Person in the World: Oscar Nom a Sparkling Study of an Impulsive Woman... Romantic and Otherwise

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 9, 2022The Worst Person in the World, International Oscar nominees, Joachim Trier, Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum, Female characters searching for meaningComment

A Cops and Robbers Story: Doc Succeeds in Probing Cop Culture, Sags as Character Study

A Cops and Robbers Story: Doc Succeeds in Probing Cop Culture, Sags as Character Study

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 7, 2022documentary, A Cops and Robbers Story, Ilinca Calugareanu, Corey Pegues, True Story Comment

Rifkin's Festival: Woody Allen's Old-Man/Younger-Woman Shtick, With a Sweeter Grace Note

Rifkin's Festival: Woody Allen's Old-Man/Younger-Woman Shtick, With a Sweeter Grace Note

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 7, 2022Woody Allen, Rifkin’s Festival, Older man younger woman relationships, Wallace Shawn, Movies set at film festivals, Gina GershonComment

The Fabulous Filipino Brothers: Real Brothers Playing Brothers Amounts to Four Separate Sometimes-Crude Sitcoms

The Fabulous Filipino Brothers: Real Brothers Playing Brothers Amounts to Four Separate Sometimes-Crude Sitcoms

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 6, 2022Culturally themed comedies, Filipino-Americans, The Fabulous Filipino Brothers, Dante Basco, Darion Basco, Dionysio Basco, Derek Basco, Wedding comediesComment

Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché: A From-the-Heart Bio of the Godmother of Afropunk and Riot Grrrl

Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché: A From-the-Heart Bio of the Godmother of Afropunk and Riot Grrrl

By Jennie Punter

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 4, 2022Punk documentaries, Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché, Afropunk, Riot Grrrl, Celeste Bell, Ruth Negga, X-Ray SpexComment

Scream: Not a reboot nor a sequel, but a 'requel' - clever, but too self aware to be scary

Scream: Not a reboot nor a sequel, but a 'requel' - clever, but too self aware to be scary

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 3, 2022Scream "requel", Neve Campbell, Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, Courteney Cox, David ArquetteComment

Aline: The Bizarre Celine Tribute Film that Flummoxed Cannes Hits English Canada

Aline: The Bizarre Celine Tribute Film that Flummoxed Cannes Hits English Canada

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 2, 2022Celine Dion biopic, Aline, Valérie Lemercier, Actors digitally de-aged for films, Roc Lafortune, Danielle Fichaud, Cannes films, René AngélilComment

Therapy Dogs: A Brash Teen Anti-Yearbook Drama, Shot Undercover In Mississauga

Therapy Dogs: A Brash Teen Anti-Yearbook Drama, Shot Undercover In Mississauga

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekJanuary 27, 2022Therapy Dogs, Ethan Eng, Justin Morrice, Slamdance Film Festival, First feature, High School, DocumentaryComment

The 355: We Liked This All-Star Women-Kick-Butt Thriller A Lot Better When It Was Called Widows

The 355: We Liked This All-Star Women-Kick-Butt Thriller A Lot Better When It Was Called Widows

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekJanuary 27, 2022Female driven action films, The 355, Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong'o, Widows, Steve McQueen, Simon KinbergComment

Come Clean: A Sincere But Too-Narrow Look At Addiction

Come Clean: A Sincere But Too-Narrow Look At Addiction

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekJanuary 25, 2022Come Clean, Documentary, TVOntario, Derreck Roemer, Neil Graham, Addiction movies Comment

The King’s Daughter: Louis XIV’s Daughter Mind-Melds with A Mermaid

The King’s Daughter: Louis XIV’s Daughter Mind-Melds with A Mermaid

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekJanuary 21, 2022The King’s Daughter, Sean McNamara, Young adult, Fantasy, Pierce Brosnan, William Hurt, Fan Bingbing, Benjamin Walker, Kaya Scodelario Comment

A Hero: Savvy Iranian Film Demonstrates the Universality of 'No Good Deed Goes Unpunished'

A Hero: Savvy Iranian Film Demonstrates the Universality of 'No Good Deed Goes Unpunished'

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekJanuary 19, 2022Asghar Farhadi, A Hero, Manipulation of fame, Heroism, Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sahar Goldust, Trial by social media, Iranian filmsComment

Marionette: A Troubled Shrink and A Creepy Child In Wood-Paneled Scottish Thriller

Marionette: A Troubled Shrink and A Creepy Child In Wood-Paneled Scottish Thriller

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekJanuary 19, 2022Psychological thriller, Marionette, Elbert van Strien, Thekla Reuten, Elijah Wolf, Emun Elliott, Peter Mullan, Ben HopkinsComment

Zeros and Ones: Ethan Hawke Dual-Role Thriller Promises Big, Delivers Small

Zeros and Ones: Ethan Hawke Dual-Role Thriller Promises Big, Delivers Small

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekJanuary 17, 2022Zeros and Ones, Abel Ferrara, Ethan Hawke, Thriller, COVID-19 Comment

The Jump: The Tale of a Lithuanian Boat Jumper is Cold War History Told Firsthand

The Jump: The Tale of a Lithuanian Boat Jumper is Cold War History Told Firsthand

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekJanuary 13, 2022Famous Cold War defections, Simonas "Simas" Kudirka, Lithuania, Gerald Ford, Giedre Zickyte, The Jump, Ralph Eustis, Henry KissingerComment