Is it just me, or are we getting more and more end-of-the-world movies these days? Used to be a time when flicks like ‘Armageddon’ and ‘Deep Impact’ were outside the norm, but…here we go again—this time courtesy of writer/director Adam McKay, who steers an all-star cast (Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, […]
Read More
Sing 2
Back in 2016, ‘Sing’ came out of kinda-nowhere to earn more than $600 million worldwide and emerge as one of the better (and more infectious) animated films at the time. The sequel builds on that goodwill and continues the story in grand fashion. Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, and Taron Egerton […]
Read More
The King’s Man
I called Matthew Vaughn’s 2015 original a ridiculously “profane and violent…James Bond-lite (and -like) romp”, and its 2017 sequel a “vertiginous frenzy of fast edits, tumbling camera work, and sub-sophomoric humor”. Alas, the downward spiral continues with this prequel/origin story starring Ralph Fiennes and Djimon Hounsou. Apparently, Vaughn couldn’t decide […]
Read More
Spider-Man: No Way Home
The third entry in the Tom Holland-starring Spider-Man franchise for the MCU may be the best and most ambitious yet, but much of that has to do with the fact of how cleverly it integrates the Sam Raimi (’02, ’04, and d ’07), and Marc Webb (’12 and ’14) iterations […]
Read More
The Tender Bar
George Clooney helms this touching adaptation of J. R. Moehringer’s memoir of growing up in 1970s New York, starring Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, and Lily Rabe. Though infused with drops of melancholy, it still manages to eke out a satisfying and heartwarming message, powered by excellent performances all around (including […]
Read More
Nightmare Alley
Guillermo del Toro adapted and directed this beautiful, twisted, and tragic story about a carny (Bradley Cooper) who wows crowds with his mentalist act. Things slowly start to go off the rails, though, once he meets up with skeptic Lilith (Cate Blanchett). It’s a sumptuous epic full of bizarre, colorful […]
Read More
The Lost Daughter
Olivia Colman continues to prove herself among the best contemporary actors in this mind-melting drama based on the best-selling novel about a woman coming to grips with her past. Adapted and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, ‘Daughter’ is not only a showcase for the talents of all involved (including Dakota Johnson, […]
Read More
West Side Story (2021)
Though purists of the original 1961 film will likely never give Speilberg’s re-do a second thought (at least not a positive one), there’s plenty to like about this version, starting with Janusz Kaminsky’s stunning cinematography. There are some updates that work and others that don’t, but at its heart, it’s […]
Read More
Being the Ricardos
While not quite up to the level of Aaron Sorkin’s best screenplays, this Lucy and Desi biopic (which Sorkin also directed) is still among the more entertaining of the year. Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem both kill it as the titular pair, as we’re let into the behind-the-scenes machinations of […]
Read More
A Clüsterfünke Christmas
If you love to guilty-watch your Hallmark Christmas movies but wish they’d let loose and have a little fun once in a while, this one’s for you. Produced by Comedy Central and written by/starring Rachel Dratch and Ana Gasteyer, it skewers the holiday tropes while still being fun (and very […]
Read More