Thanks to a strong third act monologue from Ejiofor speaking on approaching loss as the “inevitable outcome of the love that unites us all,” we want what we he wants and have to remove cynicism to accept that outcome from Johansson’s film with warmth. There’s plenty for the new director to be proud of and a high value to being a mouthpiece for human connection as this film intends.
Read MoreIncontrovertibly, the loudest word reverberating out of Paul Thomas Anderson’s imposing crime saga and instant awards season juggernaut, One Battle After Another, is “revolution.” When an ambitious movie, no matter the subgenre, invokes that term as its core for conflict, it sets out to establish a setting and context of corruption while positioning a potentially dramatic and dangerous chessboard of characters prepared to take risks and fight against their marked opposition.
Read MoreStarring the multi-talented Lilly Singh, the sex farce comedy flies a bunting’s worth of freak flags, all of them willfully fluttering with pride and wantonness in the face of pearl-clutching prudeness and opposition. While it stumps for modernity to do away with antiquated thinking on a few topics, Doin’ It also turns back the clock to bring back a downright horny level of raunch, a tone setting long abandoned by studios and missed by plenty of audiences.
Read MoreTrue to the old recipe, the improvisational nature of the conversations and interactions shows its essentialness for the cast and storytellers. For the audience who has missed the casualness of this style, The Baltimorons is comfort food not unlike the hearty plates both these characters wouldn’t mind partaking in with loved ones before the day is out.
Read MoreYet, Rachael Abigail Holder makes her choice. She leans on love and lets the rest of the issues orbit like an accompanying breeze. In doing so, Love, Brooklyn offers a bountiful, conversation-driven romantic drama that exudes intelligence, not only in its portrayal of the neighborhood's dynamics but also in its exploration of the hurdles modern relationships face in such a culturally affluent setting.
Read MoreMissing children are an unsettling movie crisis, often rapt in thriller-sized peril. The helplessness is crippling, even if a happy ending arrives. As well, the fear and uncertainty hit very close to home, even if the viewer is not a parent themselves. More often than not, films about missing or kidnapped children amplify the danger to an exasperating and overwrought level. Stranger Eyes encapsulates the aforementioned proliferating dangers in an almost entrancing, methodical way
Read MoreIn a movie where being present without the cares of future jobs or the outside world becomes a unifying emotional investment sought by two normally different people, The Map That Leads to You is missing a little bit of that extra level of dramatic bond. Jack’s path of tracing the journal’s exploits—a noble endeavor for sure—feels one-sided at times, more than something broadened to include Heather or a tsunami of pure destiny and rapturous swoon.
Read MoreBetween his signature stylistic flourishes and incendiary thematic infusions, Spike Lee’s flair of exceptionality is what makes him one of the best and boldest storytellers of his generation. Dare him to take a run at Akira Kurosawa, return the incomparable Denzel Washington to his call sheet, and watch his cup, and ours, runneth over with Highest 2 Lowest.
Read MoreThe Knife’s suspense stirs from the thoroughness on display inside and outside of the film’s events. Getting involved with every character, Melissa Leo is granted an excellent showcase, prying truths from lies and pushing this plot along, proving, once again, her sizable screen presence in the right role. For her detective, specifics and details matter, and the screenplay from Asomugha and prolific writer/actor Mark Duplass masks them in a taut and efficient movie
Read MoreGetting swept up in the stylish pageantry, big or small, of a wedding grabs audiences consistently and well. Curiously, My Mother’s Wedding unfurls as a dramedy where the nuptials in question might be the most inconsequential part of the movie. That’s not a bad thing, as it has happened before in celebrated wedding movies, so long as the film has more to say or is interesting elsewhere. Actress Kristen Scott Thomas’s directorial debut generously tries its hand at offering more than just pure ceremony.
Read MoreAs a whole, Michael Winterbottom took on a very difficult slice of history, with many facets and fractures that pit “our land” versus “promised land,” and chose an observant path over a declarative one. In one regard against that arms-length of safety, more terse politics were possible, and probably preferred with this many decades of reflection since the Palenstinian Revolution. The decision not over-project is understandable.
Read MoreShe Rides Shotgun puts these two through hell with slivers of hope pushing them to carry on. The connection built through the close quarters performances of Ana Sophia Heger and Taron Egerton to lift that sense of drama is exceptional. The camera rarely leaves Heger, making the point of view one of fragility, callousing over with experiences of toughness.
Read More
