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 ›
reviews
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: “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”
People will tell you that a preponderance of summer movies are big, loud, and stupid. Whether or not that’s the case, blockbusters don’t come much bigger, louder, or more stupid than this week’s “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.” … 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: “The art of Self-Defense”
Taking a look at our world today, there can be no doubt that “toxic masculinity” is a problem. This idea of clinging to bygone notions of what it means to “be a man” and defining oneself around those things causes problems. … 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 ›
Movie Review: “Men in Black: International”
A movie can succeed in any number of ways. There are movies that succeed with their plot. There are movies that succeed with their visuals. There are movies that succeed with their characters. There are movies that succeed with the… Read More ›
Movie Review: “The Dead Don’t Die”
Ah, the zombie film. At this point, they’re a dime a dozen. They have to different in order to shine through. They have to be unique. They have to have a way of separating themselves out from the pack. Frankly, I think… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Dark Phoenix”
At one point in “Dark Phoenix,” the new X-Men movie, our heroes are being held captive on a train. The armed baddies holding them have patches on their shoulders that read “MCU.” Is this, like so much of the rest of… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”
Although Godzilla has been around for decades, the current iteration of films here in the United States began in 2014 with the utterly mediocre “Godzilla.” The film is shot with a fetish for not showing the title creature himself and… Read More ›
Movie Review: “Ma” (2019)
There are people who will suggest that “Ma,” the Octavia Spencer-starring, Tate Taylor-directed pseudo-thriller film falls into the category of “so bad it’s good.” This critic vehemently disagrees. It is, instead, just plain bad. The tale focuses on Sue Ann, an adult… Read More ›
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