“All the Money in the World” is based on the true story of the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, the teen grandson of the richest man in the world, J. Paul Getty. The kidnappers (Italian radicals) initially ask for $17 million, but Getty, who lives in his elaborate London mansion, refuses to pay […]
“The Leisure Seeker” is based on a 2009 novel and stars two of cinema’s most respected actors, Donald Sutherland (who just received an honorary Oscar) and Helen Mirren (who has earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in this film). It’s being marketed as a comedy, but that’s false advertising. This is actually one […]
Three-time Best Actor Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis has said “Phantom Thread” will be his final film. If that’s true, this is quite a way to go out. His performance as ’50s London fashion designer Reynolds Woodcock isn’t as monumental as his Abraham Lincoln portrayal in 2012’s “Lincoln”. But once again, Day-Lewis immerses himself completely into […]
“The Shape of Water” is director Guillermo del Toro’s latest visionary… Well, I wanted to end that sentence with the word masterpiece. I can’t say I’m disappointed by this film. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed it. The acting is strong, the look is stunning, and the musical choices are smart. I just wasn’t blown out […]
When I first heard that James Franco was making a movie about the making of what some say is the best worst movie of all-time, I decided I wanted to see Franco’s “The Disaster Artist” without first checking-out 2003’s cult classic “The Room”. That turned-out to be a smart decision. Having no emotional ties to […]
“Molly’s Game” marks the directorial debut of “The West Wing” creator and “The Social Network” writer Aaron Sorkin. He also penned the screenplay. And just to make sure you know that “Molly’s Game” is an Aaron Sorkin movie, the opening scene features incredibly fast editing and rapid-fire narration from the title character, played by Jessica […]
When I first learned about “Downsizing”, I was surprised that Alexander Payne was attached to direct. His two previous films, “The Descendants” and “Nebraska”, were so grounded in real life events. A sci-fi fantasy about a guy who becomes really, really small seemed like a major departure for Payne. Because of the premise and marketing, […]
Last summer’s “Bad Moms” was a surprise box office hit, complete with some clever dialogue, a couple of memorable cameos (Wanda Sykes and Martha Stewart), and a terrific, showcase performance from Mila Kunis. STX quickly greenlit a “Bad Moms” sequel, but also ordered a “Bad Dads” spinoff…which they just as quickly cancelled. The studio probably […]
Director Rob Reiner’s “LBJ”, starring Woody Harrelson, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in Sept. 2016. That was just a few months after HBO aired its highly-acclaimed film “All the Way”, with Bryan Cranston as President Johnson and a few months before “Jackie”, the Jacqueline Kennedy biopic hit theaters. If yet another movie […]
“Call Me by Your Name” is based on the 2007 novel by Andre Aciman. At the post-screening Q&A I recently attended, Aciman said that while writing the book, “I had no idea where it was going, and I didn’t want it to stop.” While watching the film, I had a good idea where things were […]