Tag: Claire Foy

Film Review: “H is for Hawk”

Foy is strong in this undemanding tale of nature and grief

Helen (Claire Foy) and Mabel (hawk) look for a good place to hunt in ‘H is for Hawk.’

Like many stories about how an animal changes a grieving character’s life, even as recently as last year’s The Friend, H is for Hawk pointedly hits the expected emotional beats. Unlike these stories, however, H is for Hawk lacks the playful human and animal opposition-turned-camaraderie dynamic that pushes similar narratives forward. A solid but slightly exoteric drama with beautiful photography and strong performances, H is for Hawk still struggles to lift off from its slow pacing.  Continue reading “Film Review: “H is for Hawk””

Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2023

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for: my 2023 cinematic favorites! You can also check out fellow film critic Chad Liffmann’s list here to compare and contrast and see who you agree with more. Will Oscar voters agree with us? We’ll find out when the nominations are announced on January 23rd!

Continue reading “Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2023”

Film Review: “All of Us Strangers”

You were always on my mind: Haigh’s latest is a consummate tale of overcoming loss

Adam (Andrew Scott, l.) begins a relationship with his neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal).

Back in 2017, in my review of the lackluster film A Ghost Story, I declared that Manchester by the Sea was the “finest movie about grief ever made.” Fast forward to the present day, however, and I now retract my statement. Writer/director Andrew Haigh’s devastating new film All of Us Strangers has usurped that designation, and at this point I can’t fathom that another picture could even come close to knocking it out of position. An emotionally wrenching, achingly true, and deeply affecting story about trauma, grief, and memory, Haigh’s film is one of the year’s best.

Continue reading “Film Review: “All of Us Strangers””

Film Review: Unsane

Soderbergh’s psych ward horror pic commits to mediocrity  

Unwittingly committed to a psychiatric hospital, Sawyer (Claire Foy) tries in vain to leave.

Director Steven Soderbergh, whose much anticipated Logan Lucky last year ended up being a disappointment, continues his losing streak with his new film Unsane, a schlocky, run of the mill horror film that feels like the work of a first year film student, not a prolific and award winning director. Shot entirely on an iPhone 7Plus, the picture looks low budget and unpolished, although the grainy, shaky aesthetic in some sense works for the pulpy story. Too bad nothing else does, though; instead, we are treated to an interminable 97 minutes of Soderbergh trying to be a hip experimentalist. Continue reading “Film Review: Unsane“