Visually stunning Fire and Ash undone by length When L’Arrivee d’un train a La Ciotat (Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat) was shown at the Lumiere Brothers studio in 1896, viewers apparently recoiled as they saw the locomotive pull in, certain that the engine coming toward them would do them harm. While that may […]
Film
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Wake Up Dead Man captivates while Merv fails to inspire
Johnson, Craig continue to delight with Dead Man One of the aspects in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out movies that elevates them above other films of that ilk is the social commentary he manages to weave into them. The first entry was a sharp examination of class in America, xenophobia and the predatory attitudes the haves […]
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Jay Kelly provides reminder, Fackham Hall casts wide net to get laughs
Jay Kelly: Portrait of an empty man Jay Kelly is very good at being Jay Kelly, that is Jay Kelly the international film star who’s been gracing audiences with his presence on the world’s movie screens for 35 years. It’s a role he can play in his sleep. But the other Jay Kelly, the eager, […]
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Zootopia 2 for kids and adults, Eternity an intriguing premise
Timely Zootopia 2 a vibrant, entertaining fable Adhering to the maxim that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Disney’s Zootopia 2 follows much the same template as the original. Writer/directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, who were also behind the 2016 hit, once more weave timely, vital social commentary into this kid-friendly animated feature, […]
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Train Dreams is touching and powerful, Wicked: For Good stumbles
Bentley’s Dreams examines a quiet life bravely lived In adapting Denis Johnson’s novella Train Dreams, director Clint Bentley has pulled off a small miracle. This quiet, touching film runs counter to so many accepted notions of what makes up a movie. The plot, such as it is, is rather bare, the incidents that propel it […]
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New Predator film full of twists, Son addresses issues of faith
Badlands features a more human predator A savage, alien hunter with daddy issues? A sci-fi adventure with shades of Don Quixote? Believe or not, that’s what you get with Predator: Badlands, the seventh entry in the surprisingly resilient franchise that contains one pleasant surprise after another. Credit must be given to writer/director Dan Trachtenberg who […]
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Frankenstein a masterpiece, Nuremberg serves as cautionary tale
Del Toro cobbles together ambitious, magnificent Frankenstein Referred to as “my Everest,” director Guillermo del Toro has longed to put his distinctive stamp on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Stating recently that each movie he’s made has been in preparation for this undertaking, he was able to secure a $120 million budget and a generous six-month shooting […]
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Christy Martin keeps punching
On her way to breaking through barriers and becoming the pre-eminent female boxer of her era, Christy Martin had to possess a specific kind of courage whenever she stepped in the ring. Today, she’s displaying a different kind of moxie in allowing her deeply personal story to be told on the big screen. David Michod’s […]
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Humor lifts Bugonia, Farrell helps Player pay off
Ironic humor buoys Lanthimos’ sly, pointed Bugonia Teddy is convinced he’s right. There’s no question in his mind there’s a race of aliens embedded on our planet, intent on wiping out humanity. The Andromedans aren’t overt in executing their plan; they’re taking a subtle approach which is why only Teddy and few others are aware […]
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House of Dynamite both suspenseful and terrifying, Shelby Oaks disappoints
Plausible Dynamite a terrifying doomsday tale Timely, taut and terrifying, Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite is a master class in suspense, times three. Working from a script by former journalist Noah Oppenheim, the director plays out an all-too-real doomsday scenario from a trio of different perspectives, taking the viewer repeatedly on a tumultuous ride […]
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Message of Good Fortune muted, The Perfect Neighbor a gripping cautionary tale
Near perfect Fortune hindered by conclusion There’s a tempered optimism in Aziz Ansari’s Good Fortune, and for good reason. When his film Being Mortal was canceled in mid-production due to accusations of impropriety leveled towards its star, Bill Murray, the writer/director needed a fresh start. Turning lemons into lemonade, he was able to pivot and […]
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Derek Cianfrance speaks about Roofman and its complex character
“I was looking for something that focused on a person people could relate to and what their hearts and desires were. I heard this story, and it walks the line between comic and tragic, which are two sides of the same coin. So, I was looking for something more palatable for people to see and […]
