Jason Ooi, Author at The Playlist

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Andrew Bujalski’s ‘Support The Girls’ Is A Sincere, Optimistic Film Filled With Career-Best Performances [Review]

August 23, 2018 5:09 pm

Though Andrew Bujalski's budgets have deservedly improved over the long sixteen-year span in which he has been active, his films still retain that unique and almost inexplicable sense of honest humanity present...

‘Chasing Coral’ Is An Effective Rallying Cry For Coral Reef Preservation [Review]

Jason Ooi

July 13, 2017 4:44 pm

News, Reviews

Director Jeff Orlowski’s motivations are clear from the beginning of the Netflix documentary "Chasing Coral." For a brief minute, he becomes his own subject, taking a seat in front of the camera to personally r...

‘The Last of Us’ Is A Barebones Immigration Fable [ND/NF Review]

Jason Ooi

March 24, 2017 4:55 pm

News, Reviews

Wordless and spiritual, the survival genre and the title are the only things that Ala Eddine Slim’s narrative feature debut shares with the other upcoming movie that people will probably get this confused with....

‘The Dreamed Path’ Is A Challenging But Worthwhile Endeavor [ND/NF Review]

Jason Ooi

March 20, 2017 11:17 am

News, Reviews

“The Dreamed Path” accurately describes its serene, minimalist structure with its title, before the opening scene — a couple panhandling on the side of a long stretch of road, calmly crooning “The Lion Sleeps T...

James Gray & The Cast Of ‘Lost City Z’ Talk Jungles, 35mm & The Future Of Film

Jason Ooi

October 17, 2016 12:57 pm

News

Debuting more than six months before its scheduled release with an extremely minimal amount of information present, the press screening for “The Lost City Of Z” was one of the New York Film Festival’s most anti...

Mike Mills Encourages You To Make Movies About Your Mom & Explores Emotional Landscapes In ‘20th Century Women’ [NYFF]

Jason Ooi

October 12, 2016 3:24 pm

News

“Beginners” director Mike Mills' latest feature “20th Century Women” recently debuted at the New York Film Festival to great critical reception (read our review here). The film, which is set in Santa Barbara in...

Jim Jarmusch Talks Cinephilia, Dilettantes, Love For Sam Fuller, Jean-Pierre Melville & More [NYFF]

Jason Ooi

October 8, 2016 1:10 pm

News

NEW YORK - Those who have ever had the highly specific dream of being taught film by Jim Jarmusch were indulged when it was first announced that the director would be leading a masterclass on films which have i...

Andrew Ahn Talks ‘Spa Night,’ ‘Doctor Strange’ Whitewashing, Asian & Gay Representation On Screen

Jason Ooi

October 2, 2016 11:12 am

Interviews

Director Andrew Ahn came out to his parents as gay with a short film — after making them star in it. Since “Dol (First Birthday)” (which premiered at Sundance in 2012), he’s come a long way, with his first feat...

NYFF: Ava DuVernay Talks Racism, Rage, Trump, Netflix’s “Deep Pockets” & Her Documentary ‘13th’

Jason Ooi

October 2, 2016 10:02 am

Features, News

A new film from director Ava DuVernay became the first documentary in the history of the New York Film Festival to play opening night. “13th” — a title which references the amendment which deemed slavery illega...

Documentary ‘Author: The Story of JT Leroy’ Is A Fascinating Look At A Fabulist [Review]

Jason Ooi

September 9, 2016 5:50 pm

Reviews

In fictional storytelling, truth is something to strive for. Sure, few attempt to separate themselves from reality, but ultimately, only some succeed in the pursuit thereof. “Author: The JT Leroy Story”, a docu...

‘Ben-Hur’ With Jack Huston Is Uneven, But Makes Case For Its Own Existence [Review]

Jason Ooi

August 22, 2016 5:05 pm

Reviews

Fighting against the remake machine is perhaps a fruitless endeavor. This is no trend; Hollywood has been retelling stories for as long as people have been attending theaters. And the reasoning is often sound w...

‘Posthumous’ Starring Jack Huston And Brit Marling Trades Depth For Accessibility [Review]

Jason Ooi

August 17, 2016 5:08 pm

Reviews

The lack of space in popular culture for the more visionary voices is saddening. Such acclaimed artists as Vincent Van Gogh and Emily Dickinson were famously ahead of and therefore ignored in their time, only d...

Though Based On A True Story, ‘Amateur Night’ Still Feels Like Just Another Raunchy Comedy [Review]

Jason Ooi

August 5, 2016 5:36 pm

Reviews

The biggest surprise “Amateur Night” has to offer comes after it ends, when it is revealed just how much of the film’s zany events uphold the “based on a true story” label. It is a refreshing revelation, especi...

A Trio Of Outsiders Step Into A Cycle Of Prejudice In ‘Some Freaks’ [Review]

Jason Ooi

July 25, 2016 5:03 pm

Reviews

MONTREAL — We are introduced to Lily Mae Harrington’s overweight and therefore unpopular Jill in Biology class after she and Thomas Mann’s Matt — similarly ridiculed for his eyepatch — are paired up for a disse...

‘Don’t Worry Baby’ Is An Idealistic, Comforting Delicacy [Review]

Jason Ooi

July 21, 2016 5:25 pm

Reviews

Writer/director Julian Branciforte tackles an astronomical coincidence with an air of levity in his feature length directorial debut, which pits struggling photographer Robert Lang against his father, the wealt...

Author Jason Ooi