WriterDave

After my wife and I walked out of the movie theater, completely devastated (in the best possible ways) by what we had seen, there was a group of teenagers (the perfect audience for this film) buying tickets and I couldn't help but think about how lucky they were to be seeing Waves. It's the type of film that if one sees it in their youth, it could change how you view movies, art...life.

I will say nothing more about Waves except it is an absolute must-see, and if it finds its audience, it has the chance to be a generational touchstone film.

Every stitch of the filmmaking (the directing, the photography, the screenplay, the acting, the exquisitely beautiful music from Jonny Greenwood) mirrors the careful threading of fabric and creations of the film's focus: 1950's London dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (played perfectly by Daniel Day Lewis). But writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson flips things on their head by making the new love interest, Alma (an amazing Vicky Krieps), the protagonist...and her emotional chess match with Reynolds creates the film's beautiful, subdued, classy, and darkly humorous suspense.

Fans of refined cinema should rejoice. Phantom Thread is a carefully constructed and mesmerizing masterpiece. It is both unlike anything we've seen before from Paul Thomas Anderson and everything you could hope for from such a talent (the underlying themes carry across from other works, and the attention to detail remains paramount). If this is Daniel Day Lewis' last film (as reported), then he leaves on a very high note.

Quite simply, this is the film of the year...and one of the best of the decade.

Read full reviews at theschleicherspin.com

Like the best short stories, the best short films are compact, compelling and open-ended. "Rope" - at a tight four minutes - is one such film.

Writer/director Ian Clay makes great use of voice-over narration to bring the audience inside the fractured and troubled internal monologue of a man planning to hang himself. Polished editing and sound design techniques (reminiscent of early Nolan films) highlight the story. There's a bit of mystery (a reference to a girl...and an accident perhaps?) and a surprising visit by a dog in the end...leaving us to wonder...will he or won't he?

For a short film done on the cheap, "Rope" has solid production values and leaves a lasting impression on the viewer.