Spike Lee’s “Highest 2 Lowest”, a new, modern day interpretation of Akira Kurosawa’s “High and Low”, is quite a ride! Denzel Washington is as good as ever, delivering an electric, knockout performance in his fifth collaboration with Lee (and first since 2006’s “Inside Man”). Washington is the reason to watch “H2L”, which is now streaming […]
“John Wick: Chapter 4” was quite a finale for Keanu Reeves’ iconic character. Looking back on it now, it’s kind of crazy that the 2014 original only debuted to $14 million and totaled just $43 million domestically. But each subsequent installment in the franchise earned significantly more money in its opens and totals. Lionsgate loves […]
We’re 35 movies into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Every single one doesn’t need to be the most epic or cameo-filled film ever made. Just give me a good story, with interesting characters and plot developments, some solid action and memorable moments. In that regard, “Captain America: Brave New World” delivers. It’s not spectacular — or […]
“The Critic” is a classic case of a fantastic performance and lead character in a movie that doesn’t rise to the same level of impact. This is an enjoyable dramatic thriller, and I don’t completely hate the directions it goes in. But when director Anand Tucker and writer Patrick Marber’s adaptation of Anthony Quinn’s 2015 […]
“My Penguin Friend” is inspired by a rather unique true story. It begins with a lovely opening credits sequence featuring a map, followed by a rather dark prologue involving a father, Brazil fisherman Joao, who loses his child dies at sea. A bit too intense for the family film crowd the rest of the movie […]
I love M. Night Shyamalan’s breakthrough thriller “The Sixth Sense”. It’s on my 100 Favorite Movies list. Maybe even in the Top 50. But I’ve been hit and miss with the director over the past decade and a half. He delivered two clunkers in “The Last Airbender” and “After Earth” but began a comeback in […]
“The Exorcism” stars Russell Crowe. Last year he was “The Pope’s Exorcist”, but this is completely different. It’s not your typical horror movie. This is mostly about the making of a horror movie. Crowe plays an actor named Anthony, who is trying to make a comeback with a role as a priest in a film […]
“Shirley” stars Academy Award winner Regina King as Shirley Chisholm. In 1968, she was the first African American woman elected to U.S. Congress, representing the state of New York. In 1972, she campaigned to run for President of the United States, hoping to secure the Democratic nomination. This film is mostly a chronicle of that […]
“Being Mary Tyler Moore”, HBO’s new documentary on the legendary actress/comedian, opens with clips from a 1966 interview between Moore and talk show host David Susskind. He’s on the attack, questioning the value of women in society and, specifically, Moore’s character on “The Dick Van Dyke Show”. Moore fights back confidently, defending Laura Petrie and […]
“Stay Awake” is family drama centered on two brothers who are trying to figure out what’s best for themselves — and their mother, who’s addicted to prescription drugs. Both Steffan Fin Argus, who plays older brother Ethan, and Wyatt Oleff, as high school senior Derek, deliver breakthrough performances. Their complex characters are portrayed with a […]