Articles tagged: movie review

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Goodbye Christopher Robin Grapples With War and Public Persona

Goodbye Christopher Robin tells the story of A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson), the former playwright and creator of Winnie the Pooh. Going into the movie, one may think that this subject... Read more

By October 15, 2017

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Happy Death Day Kills It As A Comedy

Calling Happy Death Day a horror movie is a bit of a stretch. It has its fair share of jump scares, screams, and murder, but when the entire audience erupts... Read more

By October 15, 2017

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American Made Fails to Address Sensitive Issues

From the very first scene, viewers of American Made know what they are getting themselves into as Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) deliberately startles the sleeping passengers on board by taking... Read more

By October 11, 2017

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Emma Stone Shines in Unfocused but Entertaining Biopic Battle of the Sexes

Battle of the Sexes employs a largely impractical structure to tell the story of how two tennis giants of opposite sexes went head-to-head in a legendary match in 1973. Starring... Read more

By September 29, 2017

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Kingsman: The Golden Circle Is Too Much of a Good Thing

Few films are made with as little restraint as Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Writer and director Matthew Vaughn manages to squeeze jaw-dropping action, political commentary, Elton John, betrayals, relationship drama,... Read more

By September 29, 2017

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mother! Lives Up To Its Peculiar Reputation

In mother!, Darren Aronofsky flaunts his aptitude for making controversial films that leave some people fascinated and others irritated. The leading actors Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem have already sparked... Read more

By September 20, 2017

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It Captivates with both Scares and Laughs

Adapting a Stephen King novel is never an easy task. Most directors have struggled with walking a fine line between creative liberty and adherence to the source material. When filmmakers... Read more

By September 15, 2017

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Despite Strong Lead, Patti Cake$ is Nothing New

Fluorescent green light cuts through billowing smoke as producer O-Z (Sahr Ngaujah) introduces Patti (Danielle MacDonald) — Killa P — onstage. The crowd roars with approval as Patti ambles onstage.... Read more

By August 30, 2017

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Despite Big Names, The Dark Tower Lacks Development and Excitement

Films with child leads don’t always do well at gaining adult audiences. Director Nikolaj Arcel’s The Dark Tower hit theaters on August 4 and has already attracted large audiences, likely... Read more

By August 12, 2017

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Dunkirk is a Tense, Beautifully Rendered Struggle to Survive

Five young men roam the empty, eerily quiet streets of Dunkirk, catching flyers slowing falling from the sky that read “We surround you.” One young man carefully reaches through the... Read more

By July 31, 2017

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Born from Quirky Comedy, Brigsby Bear is Warm and Fuzzy

Brigsby Bear Adventures — an off-kilter mishmash of Teletubbies and Barney — is such a constant in the life of 25-year-old James (Kyle Mooney) it borders on a religion. Day... Read more

By July 24, 2017

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Spider-Man: Homecoming Gets Caught in Its Own Web

When a film gets a character as right as Spider-Man: Homecoming gets Peter Parker, it can go a long way towards making a great movie. There’s no doubt that Homecoming’s... Read more

By July 19, 2017

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Rage and Empathy in I, Daniel Blake

Daniel Blake (Dave Johns), the titular character of Ken Loach’s new film on working class Britons, is the salt of the earth. A 59-year old widower, Dan lives in a... Read more

By June 20, 2017

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Better Off Dead: Don’t Bother Exhuming The Mummy

Casting Tom Cruise in what is supposed to be a cinematic universe starter may not be the best idea. At this point in his career, almost anything Cruise stars in... Read more

By June 17, 2017

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The Beguiled Exploits the Intersection of Gender and Desire

A braided girl (Oona Laurence) hunts for mushrooms in the dark soil, humming a war song as canons smoke in the distance. Taken separately, the shots of her quiet footsteps... Read more

By June 9, 2017

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Time to Abandon Ship?

In the fifth installment of one of the highest-grossing film series in history, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales “rights the ship” after the widely criticized fourth... Read more

By June 5, 2017

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Maudie Praises Love Amidst Differences

Maudie begins with a close up between a painting and an artist. A small woman paints flowers and smiles in delight at her talent as a title card introduces her... Read more

By June 2, 2017

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Paris Can Wait Marries Insight And Indulgence

Paris Can Wait begins with a jazzy number. Anne (Diane Lane) leans reflectively against her hotel balcony while staring out at the sparkling French coast. She muses at her croissant... Read more

By May 23, 2017

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Alien: Covenant: A Welcome Comeback of the Xenomorph

In the age of prequels and sequels, it is hard to find quality films that can be part of a whole while also working well as standalone products. Alien: Covenant,... Read more

By May 18, 2017

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King Arthur Decrees a Manic, Hugely Enjoyable Experience

A 100-foot tall elephant sweeps its tusk across the ground, destroying the unfortunate souls in its way. It crashes through a bridge, allowing the soldiers on its back to disembark... Read more

By May 15, 2017