Essays — Manuela Lazić

‘GLOW’ Season 2 Is Bigger, Bolder, and One of the Year’s Best Shows

Netflix’s wrestling dramedy pumps up the storytelling and takes a leap from the top rope in an extraordinary new set of episodes.

Manuela LazicJune 28, 2018essay, ringer

You Gotta Act: It’s Paul Rudd’s Time

Like a true comedian, it is when he commits to absurdity and hyperbole that Rudd is the most truthful.

Manuela LazicJune 22, 2018essay, vaguevisages, yougottaact, actors

The Real-Life Fictions of 'The Tale' and 'American Animals'

Each film presents the truth as far from self-evident: objectivity appears impossible when reality is experienced by people with their own sets of motives and emotions.

Manuela LazicJune 14, 2018essay, rogerebert

The Curious, Courageous Career of Jodie Foster

The past 20 years of the actress-director’s career have been peculiar and unpredictable. In ‘Hotel Artemis’ she returns to the screen after five years, and reminds audiences what makes her so special.

Manuela LazicJune 11, 2018essay, actors, ringer

Are superhero movies killing traditional screen acting?

As tentpole blockbusters expand and evolve, actors are having to flex their performance muscles in different ways.

Manuela LazicApril 28, 2018essay, littlewhitelies

Alma Matters: Modelling and Being in 'Phantom Thread'

Having established Reynolds’ persona in a series of precise strokes, "Phantom Thread" adopts Alma’s point of view on his behavior. Invited into the House of Woodcock not as a client but a semi-permanent resident, she perceives (and then grabs hold of) the phantom thread running through the designer’s life: a need for control and chosen isolation from the world.

Manuela LazicMarch 2, 2018essay, rogerebert

Critics in Conversation: Talking about Filmmakers and Talking with Them

“I hope it’s not too naive of me to say that when I review a film, I never really set out to “solve” it for my readers. I try instead to remain clear about how the reading I’m offering is subjective and self-aware.”

Manuela LazicJanuary 18, 2018essay, vaguevisages, conversation

Critics in Conversation: The Critic and The Actor

“How do you go beyond simple, boring descriptions to reach a level of true analysis? And do you find it useful to be a completist when it comes to actors — or as some people have described it, are you a believer of acteur-auteurism?”

Manuela LazicJanuary 5, 2018essay, vaguevisages, actors, conversation

Critics in Conversation: Manuela Lazic and Adam Nayman – First Cinematic Loves, Current Inspirations and Finding Your Voice

“I think that the practice of writing about movies is partially about reconciling — or maybe just recognizing and respecting — the two realities you addressed just now: a desire to watch as many movies as possible and an acknowledgment that completism, at least when it comes to cinephilia, is an illusion.”

Manuela LazicDecember 21, 2017essay, vaguevisages, conversation

12 masterful Brian De Palma set-pieces

Brian De Palma has always been a divisive filmmaker, but these dozen sequences from a selection of his best films are sure to leave your jaw on the floor.

Manuela LazicSeptember 11, 2017essay, bfi

12 Masterful Brian De Palma Set-Pieces

Manuela LazicSeptember 11, 2017essay, bfi

'Fatal Attraction' at 30

The contradictions between Dan’s status as the architect of his own misfortune and a put-upon victim give Fatal Attraction a maddening and fascinating ambiguity.

Manuela LazicAugust 21, 2017essay, vaguevisages