Category: Reviews

Phoenix Rises to Lay Some Devastating Smackdowns – You Were Never Really Here

Written and directed by Lynne Ramsay (best known for We Need to Talk About Kevin), the harsh and traumatic You Were Never Really Here was one of the darlings of last year's Cannes Film Festival, where it earned a seven-minute standing ovation after its premiere (in an unfinished state), as well as Best Screenplay honors for Ramsay … Continue reading Phoenix Rises to Lay Some Devastating Smackdowns – You Were Never Really Here →

Future Gamers Go on a Cinematic Speed Run – Ready Player One

Okay, right off the bat I feel I have to give away a major spoiler for Steven Spielberg's latest film, Ready Player One, based on Ernest Cline's best-selling novel (Cline also co-wrote the screenplay). Don't worry, I'm not telling you how it ends, just how it doesn't end. You see, it's a sci-fi film from Spielberg, but … Continue reading Future Gamers Go on a Cinematic Speed Run – Ready Player One →

If I Had a Tail, it Would Wag the Whole Time – Isle of Dogs

The films of Wes Anderson have been sort of hit and miss for me. I absolutely loved The Grand Budapest Hotel, and thought it should have won Best Picture. I got Rushmore, but apart from the lead performances, it really didn't resonate. I couldn't stand The Royal Tenenbaums. I enjoy his artistic style and snappy dialogue, but sometimes … Continue reading If I Had a Tail, it Would Wag the Whole Time – Isle of Dogs →

Kevin Smith’s Signature Joke Becomes a Movie Premise – Flower

In his 1994 debut, Clerks, writer-director-actor-my hero Kevin Smith started his most famous running gag. During a frank discussion about sex, Dante Hicks and his girlfriend Veronica have a fight because Veronica claims a moral high ground, as she's only had sex with three men as opposed to Dante's 12 women. However, the punchline is that … Continue reading Kevin Smith’s Signature Joke Becomes a Movie Premise – Flower →

A Love Story That’s Short on Substance, but Big on Heart – Love, Simon

Representation in mainstream cinema has a long way to go, but there have certainly been significant strides in the right direction. Case in point: Greg Berlanti's new film, Love, Simon. It's a testament to how far we've come as a society (and how far we still have to go) that an otherwise standard teen rom-com could … Continue reading A Love Story That’s Short on Substance, but Big on Heart – Love, Simon →

Ava DuVernay Proves That Even the Best of Us Have Off Days – A Wrinkle In Time

Disney's latest adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time (they did a TV movie in 2003) had all the ingredients to be great. First off, it was my favorite book as a child (though my first exposure to the story was in an opera in 1992 put on by OperaDelaware, which adapts children's stories for the stage … Continue reading Ava DuVernay Proves That Even the Best of Us Have Off Days – A Wrinkle In Time →

Es un Mundo Loco, Loco, Loco, Loco – Gringo

It seems apparent that director Nash Edgerton and writer Matthew Stone (writer of Intolerable Cruelty, Man of the House, Life, and Soul Men, not the co-creator of South Park) were really trying to capture the wonderful silliness of the classic caper films of old with their newest film, Gringo. At times they succeed, with the movie containing some of the madcap … Continue reading Es un Mundo Loco, Loco, Loco, Loco – Gringo →