Category: drama
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Lost Girls [2020] ★★½
Amy Ryan is sensational and the main reason to see Netflix’s crime drama “Lost Girls”, which is based on a real, unsolved case. The movie itself is intriguing and well-made, but it remains earthbound while its leading lady delivers an unforgettable performance. When her daughter disappears, Ryan’s Mari Gilbert would stop at nothing to get…
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Miracle In Cell No. 7 [2020] ★★½
“Miracle in Cell No. 7” is a difficult movie for me to review. On one hand, it celebrates the bond between father and daughter in a sweet and uplifting way. On the other hand, it didn’t affect me the way I was hoping it would (I could also say it was manipulative and shamelessly sentimental…
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Bad Education [2019] ★★★
This fact-based story starring Hugh Jackman like you’ve never seen him before is the perfect film to stream during confinement. Jackman transforms himself completely to play happy-go-lucky superintendent Frank Tassone, who, in 2002 became a prime suspect in an embezzlement scandal. The film , directed with a keen eye for detail by Cory Finley, focuses…
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After The Wedding [2019] ★★½
Quarantine life means two things: catching up on shows and movies that I missed in 2019. Case in point: “After The Wedding”, a well-made, albeit predictable drama that features a good cast. Michelle Williams plays a woman who has dedicated her life to helping orphaned children in Calcutta. One day, she receives a generous donation…
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The Way Back [2020] ★★½
Hate on Ben Affleck all you want, but the man can deliver some emotional performances at times. Case in point: “The Way Back”, a lowkey but effective drama about an everyday man trying to get his life back on track. Affleck’s Jack Cunningham is a mess when we first meet him, struggling with alcohol addiction…
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Ordinary Love [2020] ★★★
I was reluctant to see this film when I first saw it playing in theaters this week. I didn’t think a movie about a couple dealing with cancer was something I needed to experience right now. But having heard all the good buzz, I finally caved in. This is a well-crafted drama that has all…
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Uncut Gems [2019] ★★★½
To say that “Uncut Gems” is Adam Sandler’s best movie in years would truly be the understatement of the year. But here’s the thing: when he’s not being a goofball in lazy, recycled comedies, Sandler can act. For further proof, check him out in Paul Thomas Anderson’s underrated “Punch-Drunk Love” or in Judd Apatow’s “Funny…
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Little Women [2019] ★★★★
I didn’t think I’d care for another version of “Little Women”, but now that I’ve seen what writer-director Greta Gerwig has managed to achieve, I have to apologize. This is a beautiful film from start to finish, a staggering achievement from a filmmaker that doesn’t play by the rules. How can a story written by…
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Just Mercy [2019] ★★★
Jamie Foxx plays a man wrongfully convicted of a murder he did not commit. Michael B. Jordan is the lawyer who vowed to clear his name and get him out of death row. That’s “Just Mercy” in a nutshell, a straightforward but deeply touching film that you need to experience before it gets lost in…
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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 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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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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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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