Nat Wolff and Lucy Hale co-star in this surprisingly smart and heartfelt romance about two forlorn souls who meet at a wedding and embark on a ‘Before Sunrise’-style night of getting to know each other. The chemistry between the two carries the film along, and the witty and effective script […]
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Role Play
Hot on the heels of last month’s perfectly fine ‘The Family Plan’ (and countless others that have come before it), this so-so film about an assassin (Kaley Cuoco) who hides her secret from loved ones does benefit from a decent sense of danger and a nice smattering of comedy, but […]
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Mean Girls (2024)
Based on the Broadway musical (which is based on the 2004 movie, which is based on a book), this yet-another rehash sparkles, sure, and has many of the same feels and fun as the original, but what was truly groundbreaking way back when now seems (sadly) kinda like an ordinary […]
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Self Reliance
Actor Jake Johnson (‘New Girl’) makes his directing debut with this allegory about loneliness in a desperate world—starring as Tommy, a guy living a drone-like, solitary existence who gets offered the chance to win a million dollars by Andy Samberg (playing himself). The proposition is simple enough: survive for thirty […]
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Lift
Struggling mightily to launch Kevin Hart’s career as a serious action star, this all-over-the-place ‘Ocean’s 11’ wannabe finds the comic as the ringleader of a heist gang hired by Interpol to foil an even larger heist. Not nearly as clever (or believable) as the ‘Oceans’ films, however, the film crumbles […]
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The Zone of Interest
As harrowing as it is thought-provoking, this British (though German-language) film by director Jonathan Glazer may demonstrate the banality of evil more than any film in history. On one level, it’s a presentation of the mundane day-to-day life of SS officer Rudolf Hess (Christian Friedel) and his family in the […]
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Wonka
This clever and whimsical origin story stars Timothée Chalamet as fiction’s most famous chocolatier. Co-written and directed by Paul King (‘Paddington’), it’s a loopy and uplifting holiday treat, chock-full of magic and music, co-starring a trove of familiar faces. Chalamet has more than enough charm and charisma to make it […]
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The Family Plan
It’s certainly not a novel idea by any means, but this ‘True Lies’ redux about a schlubby suburban dad who’s actually a government-trained assassin kinda works, more or less. Mark Wahlberg leads the way as the schlub in question, who clicks into full Jason Bourne mode when the bad guys […]
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American Fiction
This wicked satire from first-time feature writer/director Cord Jefferson is a scathing and hilarious commentary on white America’s stereotype-fueled image of African Americans and also an absolute tour de force for Jeffrey Wright in his best performance to date. He stars as author ‘Monk’ Ellison, who, after years of earning […]
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