It’s nice when cheesy action movies realize their inherent cheesiness and have a little fun with the audience. To be sure, much of this parental retaliation movie is played straight, enough to be affecting at the right moments. But a […]
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Aquaman (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
Although I never venture into the ocean (or lakes, rivers, ponds or anywhere else that might hide sharks or other threats) I do admit a curiosity and wonder at the beauty and mystery of the deeps. After all, three quarters […]
Continue reading »Stan and Ollie (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
One of the sweetest films I’ve seen in a long time, Stan and Ollie captures the essence of the deep friendship which made the cinematic exploits of Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) so memorable and touching. […]
Continue reading »The Favourite (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
My mother-in-law saw this movie and never realized that it is a comedy. Such are its serious subject matter, viperish tone, mean-spirited hijinks and deadly consequences, that it defies traditional categorization. It is a fascinating, darkly humorous, absolutely troubling glimpse […]
Continue reading »On the Basis of Sex (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has emerged as an unlikely cultural icon, and this movie is intended to depict the origins of her progressive appeal. But it is also designed to contribute to her legacy, and this close alignment makes me a […]
Continue reading »Mary Poppins Returns (2018) ☆ ☆ 1/2
Is it wise to revisit or update a genuine cinematic classic? Hollywood certainly thinks so, because the studios keep remaking old classics and are now creating sequels decades after the originals. Now the Disney company has made a belated sequel […]
Continue reading »If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) ☆ ☆
Only a couple of acclaimed novelist James Baldwin’s novels have been transformed into movies, but writer-director Barry Jenkins has tackled the task, with mixed results. The story, involving a young urban black couple whose dreams of a good life are […]
Continue reading »Green Book (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
For my money the best film of 2018 is Green Book, and I was delighted (and, I must admit, surprised), when it finished strong at the Academy Awards. It has been controversial for its (questionably) relative truthfulness and because the source […]
Continue reading »Mary Queen of Scots (2018) ☆ ☆ 1/2
My unintended sabbatical from reviewing is now over; I’ve got ten or twelve recent releases reviews to present, and shall do so as quickly as possible. The first is an historical drama that was poised to be an Oscar contender, […]
Continue reading »The Killer Clown Meets the Candy Man (2019) ☆ ☆
Independent horror films push boundaries of taste and excess, which is certainly true of this movie. The “Killer Clown” of the title is none other than John Wayne Gacy / Pogo (Jeremy Woodworth), while the “Candy Man” is Dean Corll […]
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