Articles tagged: movie review

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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

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Beyond Shimmering Skies

To enjoy Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, one must love three things: superhero action films, Chris Pratt with imposing, curled sideburns, and a certain tiny, adorable baby tree. The... Read more

By May 12, 2017

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Norman Redefines Stereotypes, Asks Audiences to Look Deeper

Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere) is a curious, awkward, and struggling New York fixer, someone who incessantly hatches illicit deals and schemes. The entire world of Norman: The Moderate Rise and... Read more

By April 28, 2017

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Stranger in a Strange Land: Discover The Lost City of Z

The Lost City of Z understands one very important part of filmmaking: settings matter. Based on the David Grann novel of the same name, the film tells the story of... Read more

By April 27, 2017

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Graduation Cleverly Contemplates Mortality in Adversity

Graduation, a Romanian film directed, produced, and written by Cristian Mungiu, grapples with ethical dilemmas, heartbreaks, and the pitfalls of cyclical corruption. Set in a small city in Romania, Graduation... Read more

By April 19, 2017

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The Promise: A Love Affair Overshadowed by Atrocity

Over a million and a half Armenian men, women, and children were killed between 1915 and 1923. Distracted by the atrocities of World War I, the world turned a blind... Read more

By April 17, 2017

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Despite Clichés, Their Finest Inspires in the Face of Darkness

With the recently-released film The Zookeeper’s Wife and the anticipated summer release of  Dunkirk, World War II films are proving to be all the rage this year. Although the war... Read more

By April 17, 2017

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Smurfs: The Lost Village Lacks Plot Development and Ingenuity

The Wikipedia description of the premise for Smurfs: The Lost Village is only two sentences long, and for good reason. The newest movie of the Smurfs franchise is the least... Read more

By April 10, 2017