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Ben Sachs

Ben Sachs's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at Tomatometer-approved publication(s).
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Reviews

Movies TV Shows
Moi, un Noir (1958) EDIT “With this innovative working method, Rouch raises a question implicit in all nonfiction filmmaking: Who’s the genuine auteur, the director or the subjects? And yet the results don’t feel at all cerebral.” – Chicago Reader Sep 13, 2022 Full Review Out of the Blue (1980) 95% EDIT “A haunting portrait of juvenile delinquency that ranks among the most powerful in American cinema.” – Chicago Reader Nov 7, 2021 Full Review Blue Collar (1978) 96% EDIT “The movie is affecting as a social portrait as well as a psychological drama.” – Chicago Reader Aug 21, 2021 Full Review The Flying Ace (1926) EDIT “This is pleasant on its own terms, with an amiable vibe and several moments of clever comic invention.” – Chicago Reader Jan 15, 2021 Full Review Handsworth Songs (1986) 100% EDIT “The mosaic-like structure... successfully conveys the unorganized resistance of minority groups against the overwhelming bigotry of the time.” – Chicago Reader Jun 5, 2020 Full Review Essential Killing (2010) 77% EDIT “It's great screen acting, as [Vincent] Gallo expressively uses his body to make it part of the film's overall design.” – Chicago Reader May 5, 2020 Full Review Seven Days in Utopia (2011) 23% EDIT “If the combination of Christian bromides and golf tips strikes you as a recipe for boredom, stay away.” – Chicago Reader May 1, 2020 Full Review EDIT “Satellite feel less like a feature than an extended short film... Still, the movie conveys a distinctive sensibility, making one wonder what this directorial duo will come up with next.” – Chicago Reader Apr 21, 2020 Full Review 1918: Journey's End (2018) 91% EDIT “Director Saul Dibb doesn't quite succeed in making the drama feel fresh, but this is a sensitive and handsomely performed adaptation.” – Chicago Reader Apr 20, 2020 Full Review EDIT “Generates good cheer through sympathetic characterizations and relatable workaday detail.” – Chicago Reader Apr 17, 2020 Full Review No Date, No Signature (2017) 91% EDIT “This Iranian drama is ultimately sunk by a flat visual style and an overly contrived plot.” – Chicago Reader Apr 17, 2020 Full Review Pendular (2017) 67% EDIT “Murat's inventive visual compositions keep this watchable, as do the explicit sex scenes, which build upon the characterization in addition to generating erotic fascination.” – Chicago Reader Apr 17, 2020 Full Review Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc (2017) 80% EDIT “The results are one of a kind and certainly not for everyone, but if you can get on its wavelength, you'll find much to appreciate.” – Chicago Reader Apr 17, 2020 Full Review The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales... (2017) 97% EDIT “This is ideal viewing for young children, though animation fans of all ages should find much to admire.” – Chicago Reader Apr 16, 2020 Full Review Summer in the Forest (2017) 92% EDIT “Well-intentioned but cloying.” – Chicago Reader Apr 16, 2020 Full Review Directions (2017) 100% EDIT “No one actor appears onscreen for very long, but each performs with such intensity that the movie feels like one long, continuous scream.” – Chicago Reader Apr 16, 2020 Full Review Buster's Mal Heart (2016) 69% EDIT “This peculiar indie drama scores points for originality and impressive performances, though it's elusive in its design and feels unsatisfying on the whole.” – Chicago Reader Apr 13, 2020 Full Review The Upside (2019) 43% EDIT “Director Neil Burger, for his part, moves the story along fairly briskly, refusing to let the film's schmaltziness weigh it down. This is nothing remarkable, but it could have been a lot worse.” – Chicago Reader Apr 13, 2020 Full Review The Day After (2017) 79% EDIT “A prodigious director of actors, [Hong Sang-soo] maintains a sense of spontaneity that renders the characters' behavior natural and relatable.” – Chicago Reader Apr 13, 2020 Full Review The Guilty (2018) 98% EDIT “This Danish potboiler is organized around a few nimbly executed plot twists, and like many similarly designed thrillers, it leaves the audience with little to think about once all the surprises have been revealed.” – Chicago Reader Apr 13, 2020 Full Review Pop Aye (2017) 92% EDIT “The film's good cheer goes a long way.” – Chicago Reader Apr 13, 2020 Full Review Casting (2017) EDIT “The auditions are presented in thorough, painstaking detail, with lots of inside-baseball talk about the nature of acting; if you're into that sort of thing, I recommend Chantal Akerman's Les Années 80 (1983).” – Chicago Reader Apr 13, 2020 Full Review Dede (2017) 100% EDIT “Director Mariam Khatchvani, who demonstrates a sure hand with actors and a taste for natural beauty.” – Chicago Reader Apr 13, 2020 Full Review The Best Thing! (2017) EDIT “The amateurish acting can be distracting.” – Chicago Reader Apr 10, 2020 Full Review EDIT “The stage origins show in all the worst ways... Still, the movie is fitfully insightful in depicting relationships between parents and children.” – Chicago Reader Apr 10, 2020 Full Review
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