After more than a half century, the magical flying nanny is returning to Cherry Tree Lane (and movie theaters). It was a major risk for Disney to make a sequel to 1964’s Oscar-winning “Mary Poppins”. Who would be trusted to direct? What would the storyline be? Who could play the iconic Ms. Poppins? Disney chose […]
“Mirai” is a fantastical, surprising and deeply moving anime feature from Japan’s Studio Chizu. It’s directed by Mamoru Hosoda, of 2015 Annie Awards nominee “The Boy and the Beast”. 4-year-old Kun must adjust to life with a new baby sister. His parents name her Mirai, which means “future”. Things aren’t easy for Kun or his […]
The Discovered Superstar. It’s a tale as old as time. And when it comes to the latest version of “A Star Is Born”, it’s re-told beautifully. For years Clint Eastwood was rumored to be directing this incarnation. But he ended-up choosing other projects. This paved the way for his “American Sniper” leading man, Bradley Cooper, to […]
For nearly a century, the works of author A.A. Milne and artist E.H. Shepard have taken us deep into the Hundred Acre Wood. Now, Disney and “Finding Neverland” director Marc Forster take us deep into the mind of Christopher Robin, the young boy now all grown up in the new, original (that word has more […]
Sorry to disappoint all the haters – including everyone who plastered the internet with phony marketing posters – but “Ready Player One” is a very good movie. Just three months after the release of “The Post”, the best movie of last year (in my opinion) director Steven Spielberg gives us an early “Best of” contender […]
It’s almost unfair. Hanks, Streep, Spielberg, Williams all together on the same film? Arguably, these four make-up the Mount Rushmore of modern cinema. Well, here’s the good news for fans and the bad news for every other movie competing this Awards Season: “The Post” is even better than the sum of its parts. It’s 1971. […]
There’s at least one movie a year that comes out of nowhere and just speaks to me. Last year it was “Sing Street” – a joyous, deep look at growing-up and finding yourself. This year that honor belongs to “Wonder” – a family dramedy whose subtle power is nothing short of remarkable. Based on the […]
“I, Tonya” made a big splash at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, instantly skyrocketing stars Margot Robbie and Allison Janney to the top of the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards season races. And boy, do they deserve to be there. This is the second recent movie based on an event that […]
At first glance, “Step” seems to be a typical documentary. There have been so many films (both fictional and real-life) about a team preparing for a major competition – a group of underdogs looking to pull-off the major upset against all odds. And while that may be the basic framework of “Step”, trust me, you’ve […]
J.K. Simmons called his “Whiplash” writer/director, Damien Chazelle, “The Boy Wonder”, during his Best Supporting Actor Awards Season run two years ago. Just as he did with that intense indie, the now 31-year-old Chazelle showcases his incredible talent for visually captivating storytelling with the dazzling, “La La Land”. This musical romance was originally set for a […]