“Joy” marks the third collaboration of director David O. Russell and “Silver Linings Playbook” and “American Hustle” stars Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. While Lawrence is, once again, a knockout, this true-life “rags-to-riches” story isn’t nearly as strong as their previous work. Lawrence plays Joy Mangano. As the film begins we see […]
In the scene that Will Smith will be most remembered for from this biopic/drama, his Dr. Bennet Omalu (a Pathologist from Africa who comes to America and becomes a crusader in the area of traumatic head injuries in football) repeatedly asks a reluctant colleague to “Tell the Truth!” Well, that’s exactly what I will do […]
Dame Maggie Smith is approaching her 81st birthday, but age isn’t slowing her down one bit. The veteran actress is in the midst of an impressive renaissance. She’s been the quintessential player in the PBS drama “Downton Abbey” and has given great performances in both “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and its even better 2015 […]
After a solid first installment and an even stronger sequel, “The Hunger Games” franchise flamed-out with last year’s “Mockingjay – Part 1”. Lionsgate decided to split the third and final book from Suzanne Collins’ phenomenon series into two films based on the financial successes of the “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” series, which utilized this strategy. […]
40 years ago, Sylvester Stallone ran up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as boxer Rocky Balboa in a film that established the standard for the sports movie genre. Following five other “Rocky” films Balboa is finally retired. But in “Creed” a special young fighter inspires Rocky to make yet another comeback. We’ve […]
In a season filled with blockbusters and awards hopefuls, “Love the Coopers” deserves a very special recognition: This all-star comedy takes elements from every “dysfunctional family coming together for the holidays” movie ever made, combining them into one, large fruitcake…that’s as hard as a rock. If you’re expecting some holiday cheer from this star-studded effort, […]
2012’s “Skyfall” marked a box office high and critical resurgence for James Bond. However, the 53-year-old franchise has, sadly and surprisingly, taken a downfall with the newest installment – “Spectre”: that’s Bland, James Bland. Returning director Sam Mendes does deserve credit for getting things off to a rousing start, with Daniel Craig’s 007 in Mexico […]
“Brooklyn” is a charming and enchanting period romance, featuring one of the best performances of the year. This marks a major step up for director John Crowley, whose previous film, 2013’s “Closed Circuit”, was a “thriller” with absolutely no thrills. “Wild” screenwriter Nick Hornby adapted a 2009 Irish novel for the screen and he paints […]
Daniel Day-Lewis’ Oscar win for playing the 16th President of the United States marked the first time an actor won an Academy Award for a Steven Spielberg movie. “Bridge of Spies”, the legendary director’s first film since “Lincoln”, features another Hollywood heavyweight and, what could be, statue-worthy work. First off – Tom Hanks is sensational, […]
Matt Damon plays an astronaut stuck on Mars in director Ridley Scott’s “The Martian”. But unlike another recent space saga – 2013’s Oscar-winning “Gravity” – “The Martian” doesn’t have enough dramatic pull to last its entire 2 hours and 20 minutes. This “Martian” is not named Marvin, but rather Mark. On the 18th day of […]