There is something undeniably powerful about a film that swings this hard, that embraces myth, spectacle, and the strange dream logic of ancient storytelling.
Read more‘The Fall Guy' is A Highly Stylized, Dumb and Empty Exercise in Meta-Action [Review]
My refusal to submit to Leitch’s brand of action-packed cinema, marketed as an ode to stuntmen, led to a mind-numbing 126-minute experience, that fell flat on its behind, from one set-piece to the next.
Read more‘When You Finish Saving the World’: Jesse Eisenberg’s Directorial Debut is a Neurotic Mixed Bag [Review]
You would expect nothing more than cringe when it comes to oddball actor Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, and that is exactly what we get in “When You Finish Saving the World,” which plays like a mix of Nicole Holofcener and Todd Solondz.
Read more‘Plane’: Gerard Butler Action Movie Isn’t As Bad As You Think
We seem to be in throwback mode right now at the movies. Last week’s “M3GAN” was a deep dive into ’80s killer doll movies and this coming Friday sees the release of “Plane,” a throwback action movie recalling the days of Arnold and Stallone.
Read more‘Holy Spider’: Graphic Serial Killer Noir Works Better as Iranian Indictment [Review]
Set 21 years ago in Masshad, Iran, Ali Abassi’s “Holy Spider” shocked quite a few people at Cannes for its depiction of violence towards women.
Read more‘The Good Nurse’ is Fairly Gripping and Includes Another Strong Performance From Chastain [Review]
My expectations were fairly tamed down when I entered the Princess of Wales theater at TIFF for Tobias Lindholm’s “The Good Nurse,” and know what?
Read moreCharlotte Wells’ ‘Aftersun’ is the Best Debut of the Year [Capsule]
This Cannes Critics’ Week title had everybody talking on the Croisette. Debut filmmaker Charlotte Wells depicts the personal story of the melancholic and bittersweet resort holiday she took with her father (Paul Mescal) twenty years ago.
Read more‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ is the Best Film of 2022, So Far
We are only six days away from the best movie of 2022, so far, at least, being released in theaters.
Read more‘Till’: Danielle Deadwyler’s Grieving Performance Hits Where It Hurts [Review]
Chinonye Chukwu directs the hell out of the conventional screenplay she’s been given in “Till.” The movie wouldn’t have worked in many hands, but through her caring direction, and a landmark performance from Daniel Deadwyler, it does.
Read more‘Triangle of Sadness’: Ruben Ostlund’s Latest Provocation is the Best Comedy of the Year [Review]
Ruben Ostlund’s latest provocation, this year’s Palme d’Or winner, is absurdist satire done right. The writer-director yet again proves he’s a unique voice in cinema and one that is much-needed at the moment.
Read more‘Don’t Worry Darling’ is Not A Total Train Wreck
I’m telling you, if Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” didn’t have all this behind-the-scenes baggage going against it then maybe critics would have been kinder to it. It’s not a terrible movie, nor is it a very good one either.
Read more‘Casablanca Beats’ Has No Rhythm [Review]
More than a year after its failed Cannes premiere, director Nabil Hayouch’s “Casablanca Beats” has finally been released in theaters.
Read more‘Blonde’ is A Gloriously Crazy, Sometimes Brilliant, and Bloated Mess [Review]
Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde” is essentially split into various passages of Marilyn Monroe’s tragic life. It’s a messy, sprawlingly ambitious 165 minute movie that, at times, feels like Lynch and Malick’s love child.
Read more‘Pearl’: Ti West’s Twisted Technicolor-Fever Dream [TIFF]
The titular character in Ti West’s “Pearl” is played by Mia Goth, and if you’ve seen West’s previous film, “X,” then you soon realize she’s the insane old lady from that movie.
Read more‘Funny Pages’: One of the Best Films of the Summer, Shot Three Years Ago [Review]
A bitingly funny coming-of-age story concerning a teenage cartoonist who vehemently rejects the comforts of his suburban life, Owen Kline’s “Funny Pages” is one of the best films of the summer.
Read more‘Emily the Criminal’: Aubrey Plaza Steals the Show in ‘70s-inspired Drug Thriller [Capsule]
If you like Aubrey Plaza as much as I do, then don’t miss this one — being released next Friday.
Read more‘Vengeance’: B.J. Novak’s Assertive Debut Tries to Find Answers in a Polarized America [Review]
Ben Manalowitz (B.J. Novak), a journalist and podcaster from New York City, travels to West Texas to investigate the death of a girl he was hooking up with.
Read more‘Resurrection’: All Hail, Rebecca Hall in This Hypnotic Thriller [Capsule]
You can feel the influence of Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos in this spellbinding thriller.
Read more‘A Love Song’: Flat Sundance Hit Feels Ever-So-Slight [Capsule]
Character actress Dale Dickey, who has the definition of a weathered face, is given her chewiest role, and does most of the heavy lifting, in Max Walker-Silverman’s ever-so-slight “A Love Song.”
Read more‘Nope’: Ambitious, Messy, Fascinating, But Ultimately Disappointing [Review]
In his third film, “Nope,” Peele has a much bigger canvas to paint on. The result is his most ambitious movie, but also his messiest.
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The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.