No art is made in a vacuum. Humans–and thus all of their creative endeavors–are unbreakably connected to the myths, movements, and moments of our cultures. Such connection is not unilateral, however; it is intrinsically bidirectional. Culture works on art by providing raw materials (present social moments, meaningful settings, relevant characters, etc.) and informing assumptions (onContinue reading “Reading Underneath The Screen”
Author Archives: clintleavitt
Just Mercy
Just as Bryan’s rearview mirror reflects upon his eyes as he drives through the Alabama night, illuminating his sight in spite of the darkness around him, we as an audience are challenged to open our eyes, to hear the stories, to fight for justice with a radical hope that transcends our broken systems. Maybe then we will see what just a little mercy can do.
Hamilton
Release Date: July 3rd, 2020 Director: Thomas Kail | MPAA Rating: N/A | LeavittLens Rating: 8/10 I can’t help but feel–as one of the many people who were unable to see Hamilton in its original stage delivery–that I am somehow late to the party. Half a decade has passed since its debut at the RogersContinue reading “Hamilton”
Selma
Release Date: December 25th, 2014 Director: Ava DuVernay | MPAA Rating: PG-13 | LeavittLens Rating: 8/10 In a world full of explanations, inundated with reasoning and argumentation, it remains metaphor that speaks most directly to our hearts, rattling our individualized cages and opening our eyes to truth otherwise hidden. As Denise Levertow puts it, “StraightContinue reading “Selma”
Da Five Bloods
Release Date: June 12th, 2020 Director: Spike Lee | MPAA Rating: R | LeavittLens Rating: 7.5/10 Spike Lee has managed to make a career out of films that largely speak above and beyond their frames, working on a variety of cultural levels. Yet he has managed this sort of vision using (and often adding to)Continue reading “Da Five Bloods”
Get Out
Release Date: February 24th, 2017 Director: Jordan Peele | MPAA Rating: R | LeavittLens Rating: 9.5/10 Throughout Hollywood history, it has often taken filmmakers multiple years–sometimes decades–to effectively hone the ability to immerse an audience into a character’s mind. The vicarious eye of film, as Jon Boorstin would term it, is one that can takeContinue reading “Get Out”
Parasite
Release Date: October 5th, 2019 Director: Bong Joon-Ho | MPAA Rating: R | LeavittLens Rating: 9.5/10 There are few films whose title is able to reference not only important themes within the context of the story, but also turn into a reflexive commentary on the audience experience itself. Not only does Bong Joon-Ho’s Best PictureContinue reading “Parasite”
LeavittLens Ranking System
When attempting to summarize, categorize, and rank films, it is important to identify a set of criteria by which one ranks. This is likely to change for each individual; no one watches from a neutral plane, and each person has their own tastes. This is a short overview of my attempt to create a workableContinue reading “LeavittLens Ranking System”
LeavittLens’ Top 10 Films of 2019
After a slow start to the year, 2019 rattled off a hot streak of excellent films in the final few months. The following is a list of my top picks from 2019, in order of their LeavittLens rankings. Reviews will continue to pour in for each of them, so be sure to subscribe to hearContinue reading “LeavittLens’ Top 10 Films of 2019”
Ad Astra
Release Date: September 20th, 2019 Director: James Gray | MPAA Rating: PG-13 | LeavittLens Rating: 8/10 In watching a film adorned with the Latin maxim “to the stars,” one mightexpect to drift into transcendent spectacle, to encounter an endeavor akin to theimmensity of space itself. Yet in James Gray’s Ad Astra, there remains a contrarianContinue reading “Ad Astra”
