Category: The Twenty-First Century
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The 15:17 To Paris [2018] ★★½
Only a skilled filmmaker like Clint Eastwood can take real life heroes, put them in a movie, and make something out of it. I’m talking about Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos, three childhood American friends who, while vacationing in Europe in 2015, had to face a terrorist on board the 15:17 To Paris. It’s…
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Fifty Shades Freed [2018] ★
Think of every bad movie I’ve ever reviewed on this blog. Way below that is “Fifty Shades of Grey” and its sequel “Fifty Shades Darker”. Then there’s 50,000 feet of horse shit. Dig another 100,000 feet until you hit rock bottom and there you will find “50 Shades Freed”, a sequel so stupid and so…
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Phantom Thread [2017] ★★★½
Daniel Day Lewis is a genius. Having tackled so many different characters throughout his career (he took home 3 Oscars as a result), he oddly insisted that his role as Reynolds Woodcock, a British dressmaker in the 1950’s would be his very last. A damn shame? You bet. But what a sendoff. Working with the…
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Darkest Hour [2017] ★★½
The Oscar for best actor in a leading role goes to Gary Oldman. His brilliant performance as Prime Minister Winston Churchill is the best, and probably only reason to see this slice of history. Of the movie itself, I can’t say I loved it. I suppose there’s no other way of depicting a history lesson…
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Call Me By Your Name [2017] ★★★½
Luca Guadagnino’s devastating and unforgettable “Call Me By Your Name” hits you like a shot in the heart. In detailing the relationship between 17-year-old Elio Perlman (a wonderful Timothée Chalamet) and an older man (Armie Hammer) during the summer of 1983, Guadagnino takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions and heartbreak. Both actors wear their…
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All The Money In The World [2017] ★★★
88-year-old Christopher Plummer is sensational in Ridley Scott’s drama “All the Money in the World”. But it almost didn’t happen. That’s right. A month before its release, a scandal involving Kevin Spacey broke, and Scott had to re-shoot his scenes with Plummer instead to avoid a box-office disaster. So yes, kudos to Scott for pulling…
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The Shape Of Water [2017] ★★★½
Guillermo Del Toro makes movies like no other filmmaker. If you’ve seen “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan’s Labyrinth”, you probably know the scale of his vision. But nothing could have prepared me for his latest masterpiece: a beautifully crafted, visually stunning love letter to cinema that ranks among his best films. Other Hollywood movies may…
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri [2017] ★★½
I’ve been a huge Martin McDonagh fan for at least a decade now. His movie “In Bruges” won me over completely and I still have fond memories of his underrated “Seven Psychopaths”. That being said, I didn’t fully appreciate his latest film, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”, despite its critical acclaim (and the fact that it…
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Maze Runner: The Death Cure [2018] ★★½
The final chapter in the “Maze Runner” trilogy is a huge improvement over its predecessor. While the first film offered an intriguing premise (a bunch of kids trapped in a maze with no blueprint in hand), the second one decided to settle for formula, which was disappointing for me. “The Death Cure”, while not completely…
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Downsizing [2017] ★★
Whether he’s teaching us a wine lesson in “Sideways” or simply taking us on a road trip with a father and his son in “Nebraska”, director Alexander Payne has managed to put a personal stamp on everything he does. I didn’t love his newest film, “Downsizing”, and come to think of it this is a…
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The Post [2017] ★★★
Steven Spielberg’s ode to journalism and freedom of speech comes at a time where these values are being questioned in our own country, which makes it all the more worth recommending. From a cinematic point of view, “The Post” is being compared to “All The President’s Men” and even “Spotlight”, and understandably so. Spielberg has…
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Goodbye Christopher Robin [2017] ★★★
I’ve seen all sorts of biopics, so it’s always refreshing to encounter a new one about a subject I wasn’t familiar with before. I’m talking, of course, about “Goodbye Christopher Robin”, the story behind the creation of one of the most beloved bears of all time: Winnie the Pooh. That such a lovely, heartfelt film…
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The Commuter [2018] ★★½
Liam Neeson is on a train. No, his daughter hasn’t been kidnapped. I know you’re tempted to call it “Taken” on a train. Or maybe “Non-Stop” the train version. Ok, I’ll stop. Director Jaume Collet-Serra, who directed Neeson in several films before, throws our hero this time around on a train, where a mysterious woman…
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Lady Bird [2017] ★★★½
Coming-of-age movies have been around since forever, hitting their peak in the 1980’s with such movies as “Breakfast Club” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”. Even Richard Linklater’s masterful “Boyhood” explored that part of adolescence with a keen eye for detail. Is there room for more? The answer is yes and she goes by the…
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Insidious: The Last Key [2018] ★
It’s Still January, but “Insidious: The Last Key” could well be the worst movie of the year. There are no scares in this fourth installment, only leftovers from its much superior predecessors. As a direct sequel to the third film (which in turn was a prequel to the first two), “The Last Key” focuses once…
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Pitch Perfect 3 [2017] ★½
It seems that third time isn’t the charm for Rebel Wilson and the rest of the Bellas. This second (and hopefully last) sequel takes everything that was good in the first two film and ruins it. Wilson gives it her best shot. The movie never does. The plot? Just a silly excuse for a reunion.…
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The Disaster Artist [2017] ★★★½
In 1994,Tim Burton took on Ed Wood, one of the worst directors of all time, and turned his story into one of the best movies of the 90’s. Fast forward 9 years and “The Room”, one of the worst films of all time, opens in one theater in LA to disastrous reviews. You don’t need…
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Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle [2017] ★★★
I was no more than 8 years old when the original “Jumanji” film was released. As an undemanding kid, the movie entertained me, despite its simple story. Now as an adult, I walked in to see “Welcome to the Jungle” with no particular expectations, and what I got in return was a fun ride, fueled…
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi [2017] ★★★½
I still remember struggling with mixed feelings when Disney announced that it would be acquiring the rights from George Lucas and kick-start a whole new “Star Wars” trilogy. What would happen to a saga that clearly ended on Endor with the burial of Darth Vader? The minute “The Force Awakens” opened, I heaved a sigh…
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Better Watch Out [2017] ★★★
On the surface, “Better Watch Out” sounds like a “Home Alone” rip-off. It isn’t. And the sooner you realize that, the more fun you’ll have watching this superbly twisted holiday thriller from director Chris Peckover, who does a great job of raising hell. With screenwriter Zack Kahn, “Better Watch Out” provides young Levi Miller the…
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