“Murder on the Orient Express” is based on the iconic Agatha Christie novel, which was turned into a film in 1974 that earned 6 Oscar nominations and a Best Supporting Supporting Actress win for Ingrid Bergman. The best chance this new adaptation has for an Oscar nom may be for Makeup and Hairstyling – simply […]
2015’s “Daddy’s Home” was a pleasant surprise: some great one-liners, hilarious gags (Will Ferrell’s half court shot is a classic), and he and Mark Wahlberg were terrific together. Since sequels often underwhelm or completely fail in comparison to the original. I went into “Daddy’s Home 2” with rather low expectations. I’d already sat through four […]
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 […]
Chris Hemsworth is a likable, charismatic actor, but his Thor, from the start, has been the dullest, most uninteresting character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The God of Thunder was in need of a re-vamp, and “Thor: Ragnarok” is that film, though the makeover is only a partial success. This 3rd Thor solo movie gets […]
“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 […]
Last year it was “Moonlight”. In 2015 it was “Mad Max: Fury Road”. It seems that every awards season I’m in the minority when it comes to one or two highly-praised contenders. Heading into “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” I never thought it would be this year’s submission to the category. A talented, all-star cast. […]
“In the Fade” is Germany’s entry in this year’s Academy Awards Foreign-Language category. But as we’ve seen recently, that isn’t the only category in play for foreign-language submissions. Isabelle Huppert was nominated for Best Actress last year for “Elle”, and “Amour” was a Best Picture nominee in 2013. Diane Kruger (“National Treasure”, “Inglourious Basterds”) finally […]
“Lady Bird” marks the directorial debut of actress Greta Gerwig. She also wrote the screenplay. And no, this is not a biopic of former First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson, but rather an offbeat, coming-of-age comedy that, in the wrong hands, could’ve been quite ordinary. Instead, Gerwig’s smart writing, simple but effective direction, and talented ensemble, […]
The creation story of the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood has been made into a movie that’s pretty good. “Goodbye Christopher Robin” has a lot to say and will certainly surprise you along the way. But be aware: this Winnie the Pooh origin tale isn’t joyous like a birthday party for Piglet or a tail-bouncing […]