Film Reviews

Clinton Olsasky: My Top 10 Films of 2021

Posted on February 8, 2022

2021 was a mixed bag for the film industry, which is still rewriting its own rules in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. On the one hand, moviegovers across the country were able to safely return to theaters following the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. On the other hand, the pandemic has refused to let up in many parts of the country, forcing the industry to offer more at-home viewing options than ever before. Streaming giants like Netflix...

Kasey Dunifer: ‘The Power of the Dog’ Reviewed

Posted on December 30, 2021

by Kasey Dunifer

"The Power of the Dog" Reviewed After more than a decade’s long break from feature filmmaking, Jane Campion returns in full force with her unconventional Western, “The Power of the Dog,” an adaptation of the 1967 novel of the same name by Thomas Savage. A master of period pieces (her most notable being the 1993 film, “The Piano”), Campion reminds us of the eloquent heartbreak of her craft, this time in 1925’s rural Montana. The film follows...

Clinton Olsasky: ‘The French Dispatch’ & ‘Spencer’

Posted on November 16, 2021

by Clinton Olsasky

The Des Moines Double Feature is back! In this semi-weekly series, we at Des Moines Film will spotlight two movies that prompt critical discussion. In some cases, these may be two new releases currently playing in Des Moines-area theaters. Other times, we may choose to compare a new release with a classic film or even spotlight two classics. This week, we take a look at two new award season contenders from two celebrated filmmakers: “The French...

My Top 10 films of 2020(ish)

Posted on April 22, 2021

by Ben Godar

by Ben Godar, Director of Des Moines Film The best thing about looking back at the year 2020 in film is that it means the year is over. The fact that The Oscars are happening in late April feels somehow appropriate for this long, long year. Here's my Top 10 films that were released or at least made their way to me in this strange 2020+. 10. Bacurau How you see a film can be just as important...

Clinton Olsasky: ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Reviewed

Posted on March 30, 2021

by Clinton Olsasky

When it comes to race, Hollywood has a long and uncomfortable history of romanticizing and oversimplifying American history, often transplanting Black experience into the reductive points of view of white characters. From "Gone with the Wind" to "Green Book," ostensibly Black-informed stories have too often been whitewashed, wringing out the authenticity, beauty and pain of Black realities. Fortunately, "Judas and the Black Messiah" breaks away from this trend. The historical drama, which focuses on the betrayal...

Des Moines Film Society: The Top 10 Films of 2020

Posted on January 10, 2021

by Clinton Olsasky

Let’s face it: 2020 was a crazy year. The coronavirus pandemic upended normal life as we knew it, while racial unrest shed an even brighter spotlight on the deepening political divisions that have defined the last few years. Meanwhile, movies have rightfully taken a backseat, with the pandemic leading to the closure of thousands of theaters and numerous delays of studio blockbusters. And yet, against all odds, 2020 has yielded a number of great films, many of...

DMFS Predicts the Oscars – 2020 Edition

Posted on February 6, 2020

by Clinton Olsasky

The 92nd Academy Awards are less than a week away, which means now’s the time to fill out our Oscar ballots and make our final predictions for Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. However, as is often the case, this year’s slate of Oscar nominees features some glaring omissions. The Academy’s latest snubs range from baffling (the complete shutout of the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems”) to downright sexist (Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell,” Greta Gerwig’s direction for...

Des Moines Film Society: The Top 10 Films of 2019

Posted on January 15, 2020

by Clinton Olsasky

From Disney’s unprecedented dominance at the box office (aggravated by the worrisome Disney/Fox merger and launch of the Disney Plus streaming service) to the emergence of Netflix as a legitimate awards contender, 2019 was a tumultuous year for cinema — one marked by shifts in viewing habits and viewing tastes. But beyond the deadening debate surrounding Marvel movies as “true cinema” and the increasing corporatization of films from art to asset, there was actually plenty to...

Des Moines Double Feature: ‘Mean Streets’ & ‘The Irishman’

Posted on December 17, 2019

by Clinton Olsasky

Want to know which movies are worth your time? The Des Moines Film Society has you covered, with the Des Moines Double Feature! In this series, we highlight two movies that pair well together, revealing aesthetic and thematic insights about each other. This week, we’re shining a spotlight on two masterful films from opposite ends of Martin Scorsese’s incomparable career: “Mean Streets,” from 1973, and “The Irishman,” from 2019. Although separated by nearly a half-century of...

Des Moines Double Feature: ‘Jojo Rabbit’ & ‘Pain and Glory’

Posted on November 18, 2019

by Clinton Olsasky

Want to know which new movies are worth your time? The Des Moines Film Society has you covered, with our new series: the Des Moines Double Feature! Every so often, we'll be recommending two of the best movies currently playing at Des Moines-area theaters. This week, we're highlighting two vastly different films from two singular artists working at opposite points in their respective careers: the wildly irreverent satire "Jojo Rabbit," from upstart director Taika Waititi, and...