Is it possible for a movie to be too successful at achieving its goals — so good at its intentions that it becomes more of an intellectual exercise than an emotional experience? I would argue that this has happened with Annihilation, […]
Continue reading »Month: March 2018
Death Wish (2018) ☆ ☆
I’m not a fan of the first Death Wish, a mean, nasty, ugly 1974 ode to vigilantism which was incredibly popular. There is no doubt that it was effective, but it pandered to basic, elemental fears and blood lust. It also […]
Continue reading »Call Me by Your Name (2017) ☆ ☆ 1/2
After all of the hype surrounding this drama — a Best Picture nomination, a Best Adapted Screenplay win for James Ivory, et al — I must admit that I am disappointed with it. Partly because the film is just overlong […]
Continue reading »Red Sparrow (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
Intricately plotted spy thrillers often intrigue me, and this one feels like a vintage John le Carré plot — except that le Carré normally avoids the kind of sexual fireworks that Red Sparrow exploits. This movie is based on a Jason Matthews […]
Continue reading »The 15:17 to Paris (2018) ☆ ☆
Filmmakers hiring real-life subjects to portray themselves is not new. Sports figures such as boxer Muhammad Ali (The Greatest, 1977), daredevil Evel Knievel (Viva Knievel!, 1977), baseball players Jackie Robinson (The Jackie Robinson Story, 1950) and Babe Ruth (in several […]
Continue reading »The Greatest Showman (2017) ☆ ☆
A couple of weeks after seeing it, I’m still not sure what to think about the musical The Greatest Showman. It’s a musical (loosely) based on the life of P. T Barnum (Hugh Jackman) and his attempt to make a living […]
Continue reading »The Shape of Water (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
The Creature of the Black Lagoon and Zaat aside, The Shape of Water is the Citizen Kane of amphibious man movies. Director and co-writer Guillermo del Toro has fashioned a singular cinematic experience that defies easy categorization, spans many genres, is genuinely beautiful […]
Continue reading »Phantom Thread (2017) ☆ ☆ 1/2
Paul Thomas Anderson is a truly accomplished filmmaker whose offbeat st0ries offer unique, different views of our world. When he is on point, as with Boogie Nights (1997), he’s one of the best in the business. The trouble for me is […]
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