I really wanted to like “Belfast”. But it’s difficult to get past the numerous odd technical elements in writer/director Kenneth Branagh’s ode to his days growing-up in Northern Ireland in the late ’60s. The film opens with a contemporary shot of Belfast, in color. Then the flashback saga begins and the chroma shifts to black […]
Edgar Wright is a director known for breaking the genre conventions of comedy, romance, action, thriller and even “end of the world” films. This time he twists-up the “coming of age” story AND horror with “Last Night in Soho”. Thomasin McKenzie had her breakthrough moment opposite Ben Foster in 2018’s “Leave No Trace”. She followed […]
Over the past year and a half I’ve screened five new films starring Amanda Seyfried. One of them, “Mank”, earned Seyfried her first Oscar nomination. Her latest picture reinforces her status as one of the most talented actresses working today, even if the material isn’t up to her standards. “A Mouthful of Air” is adapted […]
2021 is truly The Year of the Chef Documentary. We’ve already been served docs on the lives and careers of Wolfgang Puck and the late Anthony Bourdain. Now it’s Julia Child’s turn. Of course, Child was portrayed by Meryl Streep in 2009’s “Julie & Julia”. But that film only showed a portion of who Child […]
“Violet” is the narrative feature film directorial debut of “Family Ties” actress Justine Bateman. She also wrote the screenplay. The story centers around a mid-level, female Hollywood film executive in who’s yearning to push back against the naysayers in her life, including family members, colleagues and the destructive voice in her own head. The title […]
“Hard Luck Love Song” is based on a country music song. The script doesn’t just borrow a line here or there. Nearly all the major story points match lyrics from singer/songwriter Todd Snider’s 2006 ballad “Just Like Old Times”. And the film’s unconventional nature doesn’t end there. The first half hour or so is basically […]
Following feature film versions of “Sex and the City”, “Entourage” and “Deadwood”, it was only a matter of time before HBO got around to “The Sopranos”. But how do you dare attempt to continue the saga of one of the most beloved drama series in TV history? The answer is to go back in time. […]
“Blue Bayou” comes from writer, director and actor Justin Chon. In this case, Chon’s most impressive talent of the three is his acting. He plays Antonio, a Korean American man who has lived in the U.S. since he was three years old. He’s currently a tattoo artist in New Orleans and is married to Kathy […]
“The Card Counter” is writer/director Paul Schrader’s first film since 2018’s “First Reformed”. That movie earned Schrader the first Oscar nomination of his decades-long, critically-acclaimed career. It had a unique, polarizing story and featured a top-notch performance from Ethan Hawke. The strength of “The Card Counter” is also the central character, more specifically the idea […]
“Worth” is based on a remarkable true story — with one of the worst tragedies in American history as a backdrop. If it wasn’t true… if Kenneth Feinberg wasn’t a real person… there’s no way this movie could’ve been made. But writer Max Borenstein (of WB’s Monsterverse films) and director Sara Colangelo (“The Kindergarten Teacher”) […]