Turns out all the pedigree in the world (the Marvel brand, writer/director Chloe Zhao, and a top-flight cast) is no match for a silly script that makes you seriously wonder how anyone associated with this kept a straight face. More foolish than it is fun and more dazzle than it […]
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Spencer
Give Kristen Stewart all the awards now for her depiction of Princess Diana in this slice-of-life biopic set against the 1991 Christmas holiday at Sandringham Estate. Director Pablo Larrain (‘Jackie’), working from a pitch-perfect script by Steven Knight, creates a tinderbox, tosses the People’s Princess into the middle of it, […]
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Love Hard
As the air gets cooler and the leaves get deader, the movies get holidayer and sappier. This latest Hallmarky-type flick (with a cast that does not include anyone named Candace, Lacey, or Danica) fits squarely into that mold, but thanks to committed performances from Nina Dobrev and Jimmy O. Yang, […]
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The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
Louis who? Benedict Cumberbatch stars as the eccentric British artist who made a name for himself (in late 19th century England, at least) drawing vibrant pictures of anthropomorphized cats for the newspapers. The fact that his later years were lost due to the onset of schizophrenia may have short-changed his […]
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The Harder They Fall
Jeymes Samuel makes his writing and directing debut in this rough-and-tumble bloodbath of a kick-ass Western that boasts a casts almost as impressive as its body count. Regina King, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, and Lakeith Stanfield are only a few of the names that power this thing, which […]
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Attica
As powerful a documentary as any this year, this inside look at the deadly 1971 prison riot is both eye-opening and something that will make you want to shield your eyes. It’s brutal and unapologetic (as it should be) and an important part of American history that has survived too […]
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Last Night in Soho
Writer-director Edgar Wright forays into horror with this brilliant and terrifying time-hoppy thriller starring Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy. Part 60s nostalgia trip, part Hitchockian suspense, ‘Soho’ is a well-crafted treat that forges an unlikely (though effective) blend of fashion, violence, and erstwhile British pop. It’ll keep you guessing and […]
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Army of Thieves
This prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead from last May gives us the backstory on safecracker Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer), and, frankly, is a much better film than Snyder’s bloated mess. That’s not saying much in and of itself, but make no mistake, Army of Thieves is a solid […]
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Dune: Part One
It’s hard to think of anyone in the past decade who has made his stamp on cinema quite like Denis Villeneuve. From Prisoners to Sicario to Arrival to Blade Runner 2049, everything he’s touched has been pure art and among the most captivating films of their respective years. That streak […]
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