Author: tlkabtmovies
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Bad Boys For Life [2020] ★★½
It doesn’t reinvigorate the genre or take the franchise in completely different directions, but “Bad Boys For Life” has a pair of live wires that would make any action flick rise above the routine. I’m talking about Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, who are still just as entertaining to watch as they were 25 years…
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Like A Boss [2020] ★
This painfully unfunny comedy, courtesy of Miguel Arteta, is easily the worst film of the decade so far. Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne are wasted as Bffs who run a small, local cosmetics company. Enter Claire Luna (Salma Hayek, so bad), a giant in the industry who offers to cover their huge debts, as long…
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Richard Jewell [2019] ★★★
Simply put, “Richard Jewell” is director Clint Eastwood’s best film since 2016’s “Sully”. Yep, Eastwood, 89, is still out there making films that resonate with audiences in 2020. It’s a thing to admire, but I expect nothing less from the man who gave us “Gran Torino”, “Invictus”, “American Sniper” and “Sully” in the span of…
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Parasite [2019] ★★★★
Like a powerful punch to the gut. That’s how Bong Joon Ho comes at you with his latest cinematic masterpiece “Parasite”. It’s a thing of beauty and terror; a bold and audacious look at the gap between the haves and the have-nots as seen through the eyes of a Korean family living in a miserable…
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Jojo Rabbit [2019] ★★★
It doesn’t always hit all the right notes, but there’s something charming and irresistible about this World War II satire, courtesy of Taika Waititi. “Jojo Rabbit” is just as quirky as it sounds, as we follow Johannes “Jojo” Betzler, a 10-year-old German boy who also happens to be a die-hard Hitler fan. One day, he…
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The Grudge [2020] ★½
It’s January, which means we either get an Oscar contender or a movie that nobody asked for. Case in point: “The Grudge”, a lazy attempt at reviving a franchise that was dormant for many years now. Still, I gave this film a chance to prove me wrong, especially with Sam Raimi being a producer on…
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1917 [2019] ★★★½
I don’t use the word “immersive” lightly, but that’s probably the best way to describe Sam Mendes’ masterful “1917”. From the first frame to the last, Mendes and his cinematographer, the legendary Roger Deakins, have managed to pull-off the impossible: follow two soldiers (in what seems to be one continuous take) through uncharted territory as…
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The Farewell [2019] ★★★
I ended the year with a movie and I’m starting my 10th year on this blog with a review about it. “The Farewell”, written and directed by Lulu Wang and starring Awkwafina in a superior performance, is a film that you need to experience. In telling the story of how a Chinese woman living in…
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The Lighthouse [2019] ★★★
As someone who didn’t fully embrace Robert Eggers’ directorial debut “The Witch”, I thought his latest effort was a much superior exercise in psychological terror. “The Lighthouse”, co-written by Eggers and his brother Max and starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as lighthouse keepers trying to maintain their sanity while living on a remote island,…
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The Two Popes [2019] ★★★
It’s the news that rocked the world back in 2013: Pope Benedict stepped down as the head of the Catholic church, leaving millions in doubt, before his successor Pope Francis emerged as an unlikely savior. And the rest, as they, is history. But what exactly went on behind closed curtains? This is where “The Two…
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Bombshell [2019] ★★½
“Bombshell” flirts with greatness so many times, it’s a shame it never truly reaches its full potential. It has an important story to tell, no doubt about that, and just the right actors to carry it through. But there’s still something missing. Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie play the women who dropped a…
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Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker [2019] ★★★
It’s the epic conclusion we’ve all been waiting for. The “Star Wars” saga comes full circle in “The Rise of Skywalker”, a film many deemed “impossible” to make, following its controversial predecessor. Having enjoyed the new trilogy so far (yes, including “The Last Jedi”, and if this makes me part of a minority, then so…
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Last Christmas [2019] ★★½
T’is the season. Every year I struggle to find a new Christmas movie to watch, so I always end up revisiting the same old classics. I refused to see “Last Christmas” at first (it kept reminding me of the song and I can’t listen to this song anymore), but I finally caved in this weekend…
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Judy [2019] ★★★
If you want to see Renee Zellweger transform herself completely to play an older Judy Garland, then this film is definitely for you. As someone who heard a lot about her sad demise, I was curious to know more about this legendary Hollywood actress/singer. And the movie does not disappoint. After an opening sequence that…
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Jumanji: The Next Level [2019] ★★½
As far as sequels go, “The Next Level” is enjoyable enough. The harshest thing anyone can say about it is that it lacks the element of surprise, and understandably so. The 2017 movie caught audiences by surprise and delivered superior entertainment (although I was skeptical at first). So naturally, a sequel had to happen. Dwayne…
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Marriage Story [2019] ★★★½
Noah Baumbach’s masterful film about a marriage falling apart ranks among the year’s most powerful experiences. “Marriage Story”, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in two of the best performances you’ll see this Oscar season, slams you like a body punch scene after scene. Baumbach sets his film between New York and LA, where Nicole…
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Le Mans ’66 (Ford Vs Ferrari) [2019] ★★★½
Alright let’s take care of the elephant in the room right away: I’m no car aficionado. I know almost nothing about Le Mans or NASCAR racing in general. So why would a movie about a rivalry between Ford and Ferrari set in the 60’s interest me at all? That’s what I kept telling myself as…
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Knives Out [2019] ★★★½
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated with a good “murder mystery”. I’ve watched films, played “Cluedo” endlessly, and read Agatha Christie books religiously. And yet, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a whodunit as perfectly crafted as “Knives Out”. You know you’re in for a treat as soon as…
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The Irishman [2019] ★★★½
Martin Scorsese has done it again. Decades of experience run through his latest cinematic masterpiece “The Irishman”. So what better way to celebrate than to bring along Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and an incredible supporting cast that includes Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale and Jesse Plemons? “The Irishman” is an…
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Doctor Sleep [2019] ★★★
When asked about “Doctor Sleep”, Stephen King said that he wanted to “check up” on Dan Torrance, years after the events of “The Shining”. And indeed, this sequel set over 30 years after the first film gives Ewan McGregor the chance to shine (no pun intended) in a movie that tries to juggle a lot…
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