Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo once said, “The only kind of love worth having is the kind that goes on living and laughing and fighting and loving.” As a new biopic showcases, Trumbo loved to write, and he fought for his First Amendment rights for the freedom to express himself while holding beliefs that weren’t shared […]
The latest true-story investigative journalism drama “spotlights” one of the most star-studded casts of the year: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery from “Mad Men”, Brian d’Arcy James (who played Shrek on Broadway), Billy Crudup and the great Stanley Tucci. “ Spotlight ” deals with a controversial topic and a groundbreaking, […]
In 2009, Warner Bros. scored a touchdown with Sandra Bullock, the actress earning an Oscar for “The Blind Side”. Four years later, they soared together again, Bullock snagging a nomination for her work in “Gravity”. Can this team go three for three with the political dramedy “Our Brand Is Crisis”? Well, early results are not […]
“Truth” is based on the real-life 2004 events surrounding a “60 Minutes” investigative report put together by veteran show producer Mary Mapes (played by Cate Blanchett), legendary CBS News anchor Dan Rather (Robert Redford), and their team, involving then President George W. Bush’s military service. On-record interviews and copies of documents obtained by Mapes revealed […]
Remember when Barry Levinson made great films? I don’t, specifically, because they all came-out before I was born. His latest, “Rock the Kasbah” is set, as the opening title card reads, “in the recent past”. The director of such 80s classics as “Diner”, “The Natural”, “Good Morning, Vietnam” and “Rain Man” (for which he won […]
“Room” is a powerful indie drama with two heartbreakingly effective lead performances. Brie Larson (most recently seen as Amy Schumer’s sister in the comedy “Trainwreck”) is outstanding as Joy, and nine-year-old Jacob Tremblay is a breakout star as Joy’s five-year-old son Jack. Writer Emma Donaghue adapted her own popular novel for the screen and it’s […]
I was one of only a few critics who genuinely appreciated “Jobs”, the 2013 biopic on legendary Apple CEO Steve Jobs, starring Ashton Kutcher. A little more than two years later, Hollywood tackles the complicated mind of one of the most fascinating technological pioneers of all-time yet again with “Steve Jobs”. And this time they’ve […]
“Mississippi Grind” is a solid and engaging drama about the extreme highs and lows of the world of gambling. This low-budget indie more effectively portrays this culture (just how quickly you can make money – and how destructive it can be when you lose it) than both Mark Wahlberg’s recent remake of “The Gambler” and […]
Johnny Depp has given a lot of great performances in his career…just not lately. With his portrayal of ruthless gangster Jimmy “Whitey” Bulger in director Scott Cooper’s “Black Mass” , Depp is generating the most positive buzz since he played Sweeney Todd on screen back in 2007. Often it’s the Depp performance that either makes […]
“A Walk in the Woods” is about two older gentlemen who decide to hike the Appalachian Trail. It certainly couldn’t have been a walk in the park for 79-year-old Robert Redford and 75-year-old Nick Nolte to make this film. And, unfortunately, it’s a bit of a struggle to watch as well. This is a true […]