Dear Readers,
A deep focus in filmmaking creates a significant depth of field by presenting the image’s fore, middle, and background in sharp clarity. When I launched Deep Focus Review (DFR) in 2007, I set out to do something similar. In addition to a textual analysis of what appears onscreen, nearly every review or appreciation on DFR will contain some consideration of a movie’s production, its makers, or its relevant place in culture or history.
Some would argue that this approach is counterintuitive to watching a movie, that movies should be watched for nothing else besides what we see before us. However, another philosophy, one I subscribe to, considers movies, and indeed all art, to be multi-textual. Factors such as technique, artistic intent, box-office performance, the auteur theory, or the culture that made the movie can inform a reading, layering it from beyond the screen.
Through DFR’s reviews and essays, I hope to stimulate critical thinking about films and foster an increased appreciation for the art form in general. I write so readers will think about movies as more than entertainment. To be sure, all movies, whether high or low examples of the art, are texts for aesthetics, history, politics, culture, and countless other disciplines.
I sometimes engage in spoilers in my coverage. My reviews are intended to meet at the intersection of a traditional movie review and critical analysis. I’m interested in more than just a star rating or a recommendation, and I will often discuss films in detail. When I detail the particulars in a new release review, you will be forewarned if I reference a plot twist. Elsewhere, in my essay series, The Definitives, I write comprehensive analyses of well-established films and regularly summarize the complete story in detail.
My objective goes beyond supplying movie recommendations. I hope to enhance your viewing experience. If someone discovers a great film because I have written about it, I have done my job. If a budding movie fan visits DFR and starts looking at cinema from new perspectives, I have done my job. If a longtime cinéphile reads an essay in The Definitives about one of their favorite films, and it helps them see the movie from a new perspective, I have done my job.
I realize these are not modest ambitions for an independent film critic and historian. And admittedly, I sometimes fail to live up to these lofty motivations when writing a review. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy DFR and, after visiting, find that you think more about movies and feel more engaged in your moviegoing experiences.
Thank you for your readership, and happy viewing!
Brian Eggert
Critic, Essayist, Founder
Brenda Harvieux
Editor
Brian Eggert is a national award-winning film critic and scholar. He is Tomatometer-Approved and belongs to several critical and scholarly associations: the Society for Cinema and Media Studies, Minnesota Film Critics Association, Online Film & Television Association, International Film Society Critics, National Coalition of Independent Scholars, and the Large Association of Movie Blogs.
Additionally, Brian is a member of the Independent Film Critics of America, which honored him with the 2024 Critic of the Year award. Read the announcement.
Brian lives in Minnesota with his wife, Brenda Harvieux (DFR’s copy editor). He is an occasional programmer and regularly appears on the NBC affiliate in the Twin Cities, KARE 11, to review and talk about movies. He also appears on the syndicated streaming show, The CineFiles, which airs on YouTube and various local networks throughout the USA.
A lifelong cinéphile, Brian holds a Master’s degree in Film Studies. Tiffin University honored him with the 2018 Award of Excellence in Graduate
