We could write something really meaningful about documentaries and how they impacted the decade, changed our lives, made us cry, made us angry, gave us a call to action, or shined a light on something we otherwise might not know about. We could talk about the portraits of people we adored, people we lost, or chronicles of injustice or venality or obscure spotlights on little-known subjects. And we’ll do that, eventually, but right now, it’s Friday, and we just want to sleep and drink and possibly never wake up, so please enjoy our Best Documentaries of The Decade feature, this placeholder we may or may not update when we’re feeling alive, and our genuine thanks and appreciation for all your reading, sharing, clicking, etc.

Continue reading The Best Documentaries Of The Decade [2010s] at The Playlist.

There was a time when documentary filmmaking felt a little bit like the red-headed stepchild of the film industry, and, to be sure, they still tend not to challenge fiction features at the box office unless they’re furiously topical political manifestos like “March of the Penguins,” awe-inspiring testaments to the grandeur of nature like “Jackass 3D” or gross-out slapstick like “Fahrenheit 9/11.” But the rise of streaming services, and the fall of Western democracy, have given non-fiction filmmaking a new lease on life: not only are the incisive and dedicated perspectives of documentarians of all stripes more necessary than ever now to help us make sense of an increasingly senseless world, they also tend to be more available to us than ever before.

Continue reading The Best Documentaries Of 2017 at The Playlist.

[Posted Feb. 4]

Winner prediction:
1. “Icarus”
2. “Faces Places”
3. “Last Man in Aleppo”
4. “Strong Island”
5. “Abacus: Small Enough To Jail”

Continue reading 2018 Best Documentary Oscars Predictions at The Playlist.

Everyone needs a bit of distraction from staying away from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” spoilers. One way you can do that is by going through our Best Films Of 2017, and once you’ve done that,  you might want to see how it stacks up against the selections from the venerable Film Comment.

The votes from contributors to the terrific movie magazine lean arthouse, but we have (mostly) no fault with their selections.

Continue reading Film Comment’s Best Movies Of 2017 Includes ‘Good Time,’ ‘Get Out,’ ‘Lady Bird’ & More at The Playlist.

You probably haven’t been thinking about libraries a lot recently, what with all the politics and genocide and hurricanes. But then, you may not have been thinking about the University of California, Berkeley, or London’s National Gallery or the northwestern Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights much either, unless you’re one of the small but growing number of devoted fans of documentarian Frederick Wiseman. His run of late-period docu-epics “At Berkeley,” “National Gallery” and “In Jackson Heights” continued in Venice last week with the premiere of his latest, “Ex Libris: New York Public Library,” which is already out in limited release.

Continue reading Frederick Wiseman’s Intensely Rewarding, Humane ‘Ex Libris: New York Public Library’ [Review] at The Playlist.

Legendary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman may not be a popular part of the contemporary landscape of documentary directors, but that he’s undoubtedly been a huge influence on the genre. Where his colleagues at the moment are making documentaries that move and cut like blockbuster feature films, Wiseman’s work only seems to get more expansive and patient, as he demands viewers immerse themselves in the subjects and characters he explores. And there’s no less true with “EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library.”

As the title indicates, Wiseman’s latest film examines one of New York City’s finest institutions and landmarks, and with a running time of over three hours, there will be plenty of time between the stacks.

Continue reading ‘EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library’ Trailer: Frederick Wiseman Delivers Another Epic Documentary at The Playlist.