January and February give us a mix of the new year’s worst and last year’s best, with the occasional new year gem. Many 2016 award-contender films will opt not to compete during the holiday season and instead release to a wide audience in January so they only have to compete with lesser quality wide releases, […]
Archives
Hell or High Water Review
In a year when the quality of life in middle America small towns has come back into focus, “Hell or High Water” feels like an important film, perhaps more important than it might have been had it been released prior to 2016. But it’s not just timeliness that makes this a good movie. There are […]
La La Land Review
Classical cinema sensibilities collide with 21st century realities in Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land.” The “Whiplash” filmmaker follows up that highly acclaimed effort with its tonal opposite, a breezy, colorful romance wrapped in original songs and musical numbers.
Rogue One Review
“Rogue One” is the first “Star Wars” film without the word “episode” in the title, but other than not following the main characters or narrative arc of those previous installments, what does that really mean? This was LucasFilm’s chance to set the tone for what the “A Star Wars Story” movies could be. So far, […]
Sing Street Review
It’s official — John Carney is the master of the modern day movie musical. The filmmaker who broke onto the scene and stole indie movie fans’ hearts with “Once” has a gift for crafting films and original music that work together seamlessly to tell emotionally compelling stories. “Sing Street” is probably his most personal effort […]
Arrival Review
Science fiction might have a reputation as a niche genre, but sci-fi movies have also proved, over the course of film history, to be among the most socially important. It’s not often that those important ones come along, but time could prove “Arrival” to be one of them.
Holiday Movie Preview 2016
As holiday season rolls around, so does award season, and while in past year’s the top awards contenders have been released on a wide variety of dates, some of the real winners look to be hiding among this very promising slate of films. In fact, the slate is so promising I opted for 12 anticipated […]
Doctor Strange Review
Believe it or not, there was a time – eight years ago – when Iron Man seemed just as obscure of a comic book character to the public as Doctor Strange had been (until now). So it would surprise no one if in 2024, Stephen Strange was almost as much of a household name as […]
Sully Review
In 2009, America got a rare hero in the form of Captain Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed a commercial plane with two blown engines on the Hudson River without losing a single passenger. Clint Eastwood, as he did with “American Sniper,” takes a closer look at that heroism in “Sully,” which follows the […]
Fall Movie Preview 2016
Summer 2016 was a pretty big disappointment. Don’t ask me, because I barely saw any movies in theaters this summer, but I was following the critical reception to many of the summer’s blockbusters and the box office receipts, and I saw a sad state of affairs. I would argue that’s a large part of why I wasn’t […]
Don’t Think Twice Review
Actors, improvisers, comics or any kind of artist, really, shouldn’t miss Mike Birbiglia’s “Don’t Think Twice.” The comic-turned-actor/filmmaker journeys behind the curtain for his second film to put an honest lens on the inherent friction that occurs when artists need each other to succeed but also have their own dreams, egos and pursuits.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Review (Ultimate Edition)
Arguably the two biggest heroes in comics have come together for “the greatest gladiator match in the history of the world,” a pretty tall order for DC Comics and Warner Bros., who have struggled to build the cache of their superhero universe over the years and watched in anguish as Marvel has become an unstoppable […]
Finding Dory Review
The talented storytellers and animators at Pixar are too creative to be devoting so much time to sequels like “Finding Dory,” but money talks. At least they’re clever and thoughtful enough to turn an easy payday into something entertaining and heartfelt.
Zootopia Review
“Zootopia” has all the best trappings of an entertaining animated family film with ample wit and heart.
Hail, Caesar! Review
In tackling Hollywood’s Golden Age, the Coen Brothers have made their glitziest film to date in “Hail, Caesar!”
