Following in the footsteps of the Oceans flicks and The Italian Job(s), The Vault tries hard to be an edge-of-your-seat nailbiter about a group of decent folks trying to take back what’s rightfully theirs by breaking into “the most secure vault in the world”. Unfortunately, plot holes, trite coincidences, and […]
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Last Call
Jeremy Piven shines as a neighborhood pariah returning to his old Philly suburb stomping grounds (think Southie with even more of an attitude) to help convince the locals to get behind a planned casino for the area. While definitely having its heart in the right place, the film (written and […]
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The Courier
Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this Cold War thriller based on the true story of British businessman Greville Wynne and his dealings with Soviet spy Oleg Penkovsky—actions that effectively brought about the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis. With all the trappings of early James Bond flicks plus some outstanding cinematography […]
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Zack Snyder’s Justice League
Well, if we’ve all been reminded of anything by the release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, it’s that there’s always another layer to a story. And in this case, that’s true not only of the film itself but also in all the behind-the-scenes goings-on, which are just now seeing the […]
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Operation Varsity Blues
This documentary about the college admissions scandal doesn’t pull any punches (nor should it) in examining the ins and outs of the famous case, the key players, and the culture that pretty much willed it to happen. The always-great Matthew Modine plays sleazy lynchpin Rick Singer in reenactments of the […]
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The Last Cruise
Smartphone videos and news footage take you inside the Diamond Princess cruise ship that sat in quarantine for weeks off the coast of Japan in February 2020 as one of the first COVID-19 hot zones. (Ultimately more than 700 people on the ship would test positive.) The film is a […]
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Long Weekend
This head-scratcher of a possibly sci-fi rom-com may prove either infuriating or cozy and comforting, and it all comes down to how you (no spoilers!) receive the big reveal at the end. It’s a simple enough premise (boy meets girl, who in turn says she’s from the future… but is […]
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The Human Voice
Pedro Almodóvar’s English-language debut is a short film adapted from Jean Cocteau’s play about a woman coping with a recent break-up. Filmed in the director’s trademark vivid color and continuing his fierce devotion to strong women, it stars Tilda Swinton in the lead (and only) role, which pales only slightly […]
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Kid 90
Forty years after her Punky Brewster days, actress Soleil Moon Frye unleashes all her secret diaries and 90s-set home movies on the world, giving us some hefty insight into the Hollywood culture for kid actors back in those days. Drug abuse, teen sex, suicide, and pubescent burnout all figure heavily […]
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Yes Day
It’s a goofy, seen-it-before, kid-fueled romp, but Netflix’s latest family flick works when it counts. The idea (that one day a year, kids get to make the rules) will surely get the attention of the milk-and-cookies set (and, more importantly, hold it), but there’s a decent amount of parent-friendly fare […]
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