Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor is a freelance film critic, book reviewer and feature writer living in Los Angeles.
Born in Israel and raised in London, Taylor taught media studies at the University of Washington in Seattle; her book Prime Time Families: Television Culture in Post-War America was published by the University of California Press.
Taylor has written for Village Voice Media, the LA Weekly, The New York Times, Elle magazine and other publications, and was a regular contributor to KPCC-Los Angeles' weekly film-review show FilmWeek.
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In A.J. Eaton's documentary, Crosby proves a "passionate, wry, often bellicose" storyteller who "often seems to be writing his own self-lacerating obituary."
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Director Karyn Kusama has a history of films where women fight back. But Destroyer, despite its transformation of Nicole Kidman, fails to develop a compelling story to support that transformation.
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The sudden de-Spaceying of a lead role is the least interesting thing about Ridley Scott's propulsive thriller that features a standout performance by Michelle Williams.
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In 2007, filmmaker John Maloof bought thousands of undeveloped negatives at an auction. Now, he and Charlie Siskel present Finding Vivian Maier, a film about the reclusive woman behind the photos.
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Any Day Now, set against the backdrop of the 1970s, tells the story of a gay couple's fight to adopt a neglected boy with Down syndrome. Director Travis Fine's film lacks technical polish, but critic Ella Taylor says the story's heart makes up for most of its faults.
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A new documentary follows a modeling agent and his scout, former model Ashley Arbaugh, as they export young Russian girls to Tokyo to participate in a cutthroat, underpaid modeling industry.
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The Green Wave documents the protests that gripped Iran in 2009 and helped inspire the Arab Spring, only to fall victim to violent government crackdown. Critic Ella Taylor says the film overcomes a lack of traditional reporting to show Iran's brutal internal battle for democracy. (Recommended)
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Searching for Sugar Man tracks down Rodriguez, a '60s folk singer who unknowingly became an anti-apartheid icon in South Africa. Critic Ella Taylor says Rodriguez's fairy-tale resurgence is only part of the film's charm. The movie's biggest payoff comes from the mystery of his fame. (Recommended)