don’t think there’s ever been a film as dually painful to watch yet as impossible to look away from as The Ascent. from the first frame to the last, every second of Larisa Shepitko’s masterpiece is agonizing to sit through, as blisteringly frigid as the landscapes its characters wander. a physically shattering viewing that will leave any viewer reeling from the excruciatingly merciless storytelling and soul-crushing final moments. Shepitko weaves a heartbreaking exploration of the fragility of hope and the…

Mank is a very ambitious and audacious film. You can tell right from the opening credits that it's unlike anything David Fincher has done before, and as the film's narrative unravels, its stylistic and structural singularity becomes more and more apparent. The gorgeous black-and-white cinematography enhances the feel of the story and deeply grounds you in 1930s Hollywood, pushing you even further into the lives of these people and their internal struggles. It's a movie anchored by emotion; plenty comedic…