Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria and “inspired” by a true story, “Hustlers” is one in a long line of movies that pretends to be deeper and smarter than it is in reality. At one crucial moment for the viewer,… Read More ›
review
Movie Review: “Freaks” (2019)
There are some movies that totally and completely blow you away; they somehow manage to peel back any and all emotional calluses and hit you were it hurts the most. After watching them you leave the theater shaking, wondering how… Read More ›
Movie Review: “It: Chapter Two”
There is a recurring joke in “It: Chapter Two” that James McAvoy’s Bill Denbrough, an author, doesn’t know how to write a good ending. Rather than simply feeling as though it is a trait of Bill’s work, it comes across… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Blinded by the Light”
The strength and determination it must take to go to a new country, a place where people speak a different language, look at society differently, act differently, live differently, is incredible. Even taking such an action believing it will better… Read More ›
Movie Review: “47 Meters Down: Uncaged”
Much like “Jaws” before it, the shark-based horror film “47 Meters Down” may seem like an unlikely candidate for a sequel and yet, just like “Jaws,” it continues past the first film. We now have a second entry in the… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Cold Case Hammarskjöld”
Appearing front and center in the documentary “Cold Case Hammarskjöld” is the film’s writer-director, Mads Brügger. He tells the story via voiceover, he tells the story directly to those he’s working with, he—quite theatrically—injects himself into everything going on. He… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Dora and the Lost City of Gold”
The animated “Dora the Explorer” television series began after I was too old to be watching such a show. That said, as a good consumer of media, I am well aware of the show and the general structure of an… Read More ›
Movie Review: “The Art of Racing in the Rain”
To say that a movie is “calculating” implies some sort of malevolence but of course, all movies attempt to elicit a response be it an emotional one, an intellectual one, or both. All movies are calculating. Words are often imperfect… Read More ›
Movie Review: “After the Wedding” (2019)
There is something magical about the start of “After the Wedding,” the new movie from writer-director Bart Freundlich (and based on the movie “Efter Bryllupet”). This is a movie with adults who happen to find themselves in a difficult situation,… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Corporate Animals”
More than anything else, the new film “Corporate Animals” resembles a particularly off-kilter episode of “The Office.” Directed by Patrick Brice with a script from Sam Bain the movie sees a dysfunctional CEO, Lucy (Demi Moore), bringing her peculiar group… Read More ›
Movie Review: “The Operative” (2019)
Stories of undercover agents not following their handler’s orders are rather de rigueur. Stories of undercover agents following in love with someone they shouldn’t are none too fresh. Seeing the two types of issues crop up for an agent in… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Teacher” (2019)
Not all movies deal in subtlety. Some instead choose to beat the audience over the head with any message they have to offer. That is a decision that filmmakers can make, but it needs to fit in with the rest of… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Mike Wallace is Here”
There is no doubt that director Avi Belkin’s new documentary, “Mike Wallace is Here,” wishes to squarely place itself within the present day journalistic conversation, the conversation which includes the President of the United States and his White House abusing… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché”
Documentaries prompt questions, it is simply in their nature. For instance, there is often the easy and obvious question: why is the filmmaker telling me this; what is their goal? But, the questions don’t stop there at the easy and the… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Stuber”
The buddy comedy is a tried-and-true genre, one which offers up ample opportunity to not just deliver big laughs but explore differences between personalities as well. Some of the greatest films ever made fall into the category—especially when you expand… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Cold Blood”
It can be dangerous for a movie to refuse to explain itself, for the movie to allow the viewer the time and latitude to work it all out for themselves. First and foremost, that which is shown immediately has to… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Spider-Man: Far From Home”
While “Avengers: Endgame” may have ended a storyline in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is still a whole lot of fallout to be dealt with from just how that close came about. Tales of what happens due to the events of… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Yesterday” (2019)
Some movies never get much beyond the great idea that spawns them. These sorts of films are often more disappointing than mediocre films which began without a great idea at their core. Something that is merely passable throughout somehow feels… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Child’s Play” (2019)
The new version of “Child’s Play” hitting theaters this weekend is a story of capitalism and consumerism gone awry; it is our connected life gone villainous; it is our desire for ease turning into our undoing. Plus, it’s the story… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Shaft” (2019)
This is not your father’s Shaft. Well, no, that’s not quite right. This totally is your father’s Shaft. It’s also your Shaft and a younger Shaft thrown in for good measure (your relationship to them varies based upon your age). … Read More ›
The TV and Film Guy's Reviews 