Popular recording artist Cynthia Erivo has already won a Tony, a Grammy and a Daytime Emmy for her performance and contributions to the 2016 Broadway revival of “The Color Purple”. She only needs an Oscar to reach the coveted EGOT status. Erivo’s lead performance in “Harriet” could put her on that track. This historical biopic […]
Director Taika Waititi follows-up his (mostly) well-received “Thor: Ragnarok” with an even riskier project: a satirical comedy about WWII, in which he plays… Adolf Hitler. This sounds like a tough sell, especially in these politically correct times. And that’s one of the many charms of “Jojo Rabbit”. Newcomer Roman Griffin Davis is remarkable as the […]
Terrence Malick directed two films in the ‘70s and then took a 20-year break. He returned with “The Thin Red Line” in 1998 and then followed it up “The New World” in 2005. Six years later, Malick directed “The Tree of Life”, an abstract, thought-provoking and controversial look at creation and family. It arguably brought […]
“The Current War” debuted at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Its editor and distributor at the time was none other than Harvey Weinstein. A few weeks later the Weinstein scandal broke. All of the studio’s films yet to be released went into limbo. One of them – “The Upside” with Kevin Hart and Bryan […]
There have been plenty of movies in which the same actor plays two different characters — either twins or two versions of themselves. Will Smith’s new film tries to put a “fresh” spin on this concept. In “Gemini Man”, Smith plays Henry Brogan – a government hitman with 72 confirmed kills. On the brink of […]
Get Happy because Renee Zellweger is simply dynamite as Judy Garland in the new biopic “Judy”. The Oscar winner not only looks like the entertainment icon (through special makeup, hair, teeth and contact lenses), but her voice is spot-on, too. “Judy” is based on the Tony-nominated play “End of the Rainbow”. That title alone tells […]
Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Ryan Gosling, Jennifer Lawrence, Matthew McConaughey and Chris Pratt have all gone into space in recent years (in big sci-fi movies). The newest A-lister to come aboard the genre is… Brad Pitt. Even if you’re feeling a little spaced-out by all these interstellar offerings — put that aside. “Ad […]
“Where’d You Go, Bernadette” is co-written and directed by Richard Linklater (“Boyhood”). It stars two-time Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as the title character. And as she did in “Blue Jasmine”, Blanchett sinks herself into a role that’s dark, complex, unsettling and relatable. Bernadette lives with husband Elgie (Billy Crudup). He’s a successful software developer working at […]
In a movie summer that’s already showcased the music of Elton John and the Beatles, The Boss now gets his shot as headliner. “Blinded by the Light” is inspired by the music of Bruce Springsteen and the real-life story of a Pakistani teenager whose life was changed by Springsteen’s songs. When Sarfraz Manzoor was living […]
“Brian Banks” is the latest “based on a true story” drama about a football player. But unlike with “Invincible”, “The Express” or even “The Blind Side”, football actually takes a major backseat. And that’s refreshing. This is the story of Brian Banks, the person. In 2002, at the age of 16, Banks was accused of […]