I’m not a fan of Ryan Murphy’s art, but I do have to give him credit for being so prolific and gathering up this huge fanbase over the past few years. His deal with Netflix has resulted in a gluttonous amount of shows (and movies) already, “Ratched,” “Hollywood,” “Boys In The Band” and “The Politician”. Despite the negative reviews, he keeps chugging along, again, mostly due to his passionate following.
Read more‘Goldfinch’ Trailer: ‘Brooklyn’ Director Teams With DP Roger Deakins, Nicole Kidman And Ansel Elgort
Donna Tartt’s novel “The Goldfinch” won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is no doubt a story that needed to eventually be told on-screen and, no surprise, we are getting a screen adaptation already set for release this coming fall.
Read more'Boy Erased' is well-intentioned but saccharine-inducing [Review]
An adaptation of Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir about gay conversion therapy, writer-director Joel Edgerton's "Boy Erased" is a well-intentioned but maudlin attempt at Oscar-bait. Edgerton's film tackles the case of Jared Eamons, an Arkansas teen (Lucas Hedges), with conservative Christian parents, including his dad Marshall (Russell Crowe), a Baptist minister who has a knack, like many ministers do, of taking the bible a tad-too-literally. Mom Nancy (Nicole Kidman) is the sane voice of reason, but not enough to prevent Jared from being shipped off to a gay conversion therapy center when dad finds out that his son is gay. Nancy's reluctance is eventually turned into agreement with hubby when church leaders advise her it's the right thing to do, Jared needs to be 'cured.'
Read moreNicole Kidman is brutally brilliant in DESTROYER | Official Trailer
I saw and reviewed Karyn Kusama's "Destroyer" this past September at TIFF. It's essentially a dirty cop movie delivered via a female perspective. If the screenplay has weak spots, contrivances, if you will, since this should be considered a B-movie, Kusama does break through due to her brilliant strengths as a director of atmosphere. She's a fantastic filmmaker, I highly recommend you check out, if you haven't already, the work she did in 2015's "The Invitation." However, "Destroyer" is, by all means, the Nicole Kidman show. At 51-years-of-age, and completely de-glammed, God I hate that term, she delivers her best performance in more than two decades, she's devastating.
Read more'Destroyer' features Nicole Kidman at the peak of her powers [TIFF]
De-glamming has all but becomes a cliche for well-known actors and actresses to nab that ever elusive acting Oscar. We saw it with Charlize Theron in "Monster" and Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball," among many others. Nicole Kidman also donned that infamous nose prosthetic for her 2003 Oscar-winning performance in "The Hours," but now she's back at it again, de-glammed and uglified, in "Destroyer," which is the best work she's done in years, maybe ever.
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Paul Greengrass’ "The Uprising," starring Andrew Garfield, opened to $3.2M from 2,068 theaters this weekend. Yikes. The budget hasn’t been disclosed, but is said to be in the $20-$30M range.