Category: drama
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Boy Erased [2018] ★★★
At a time when most movies playing at your local multiplex offer nothing but escapism, it’s good to encounter one that has something to say about modern society, and a solid cast to bring it to life. In adapting Garrard Conley’s 2016 memoir, writer-director Joel Edgerton takes a thought-provoking look at gay conversion facilities, and its…
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The Favourite [2018] ★★★½
He’s done it again. Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos follows up “Dogtooth”, “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” with a period piece that has his name written all over it. It’s a deliciously wicked film, beautifully shot and perfectly acted by Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone and Olivia Coleman (no wonder they’re all nominated for…
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On The Basis Of Sex [2018] ★★½
“On the basis of sex” dramatizes an important chapter in history when young lawyer Ruth Ginsburg fought hard for equal rights between men and women in 1970. It’s an interesting slice of history, and you couldn’t ask for a better actress to fill in Ginsburg’s shoes. Felicity Jones has already made an impression in such…
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Vice [2018] ★★★½
I have a confession to make: I was not looking forward to this movie. As much as I love Christian Bale, I never thought I would be interested in a movie about Dick Cheney, the American politician who served as a Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009. But as soon as…
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The Upside [2019] ★★½
On paper, this Hollywood version of the french hit “Intouchables” has no reason to exist. But I tried to keep an open mind as I was watching it last night. As a result, I found myself enjoying it. It’s nowhere near as funny or moving as the original, but with that aside, it’s an enjoyable…
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Roma [2018] ★★★
“Roma” doesn’t look or feel like any other movie I’ve seen in 2018, and not just because it was shot in black and white. It has a distinct atmosphere, and that’s obvious from the very first shot. Director Alfonso Cuarón transports us back to his childhood neighborhood in Mexico City. The year is 1970 and we’re…
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The Mule [2018] ★★½
If I had to give you one reason to see “The Mule”, Clint Eastwood would be it. It’s a joy and a privilege to see him in top form at 88, playing a Korean war veteran who somehow ends up transporting drugs for a Mexican cartel. He is also a man who is trying to…
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Colette [2018] ★★★
Whether it’s in “Pride and Prejudice”, “Atonement” or “The Duchess”, Keira Knightley is always portraying interesting and colorful characters in period pieces. Now with “Colette”, this might be her most important role yet. Director Wash Westmoreland (who did a fine job in “Still Alice”) manages to capture the “grandiose” dreams of Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, the woman who…
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Ben Is Back [2018] ★★½
“Ben is Back” is at once intriguing and frustrating. While the first half grabbed me, I found myself losing interest after the hour mark. But at least I can start on positive note. Writer director Peter Hedges opens his movie with a bang: Julia Robert’s drug addicted son shows up unexpectedly on Christmas eve. It’s…
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Creed II [2018] ★★★
It’s easy to throw the word “predictable” at any boxing movie these days. After all, if you’ve seen the 6 Rocky movies and 2015’s terrific “Creed”, then you probably know what to expect from “Creed II”. So to say that it’s all about the journey and not the destination would really be the understatement of…
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Green Book [2018] ★★★½
Simply put, “Green Book” is one of the best movies of the year. It celebrates friendship and family in a way that feels irresistible, thanks to a clever script, and, above all, a pair of terrific performances by Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. They’re both a marvel, and watching them inhabit their characters brought me (and…
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Private Life [2018] ★★★
At last a good Netflix film. I know I’ve expressed my dissatisfaction with their recent releases, but as soon as I saw Paul Giamatti’s name in the credits, I knew this movie would be at least decent. And I wasn’t wrong: this is a solid adult drama, very reminiscent of Woody Allen movies and featuring…
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![First Man [2018] ★★★½](https://tlkabtmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/first_man.jpg?w=477)
First Man [2018] ★★★½
You’d think a movie about Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the moon, would be your typical Hollywood blockbuster. That’s where director Damien Chazelle steps in, by making this trip to the moon a personal journey, fueled with superior performances, beautiful cinematography, and a quietly profound score by Justin Hurwitz. Chazelle and Hurwitz…
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The Wife [2018] ★★★
As if we needed more proof of her talent, Glenn Close delivers a masterful performance as the wife of a renowned author (Jonathan Pryce), who is about to receive the Nobel prize for Literature. Over the course of a couple of days in Stockholm, old wounds are reopened and secrets are revealed, as we begin…
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A Star Is Born [2018] ★★★½
Bradley Cooper has managed to do the impossible: take an old-fashioned Hollywood story that’s been done and redone so many times before (in 1937, 1954 and 1976), hire Lady Gaga to play the lead, and turn it into one of the best films of the year. In many ways, “A Star is Born” pays tribute…
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A Simple Favor [2018] ★★
“Weird” doesn’t even begin to describe “A Simple Favor”. When I first saw the trailer over a month ago, I was instantly hooked. I guess you could describe it as a mix between “Gone Girl” and a Hitchcock movie. That was my first reaction at least. But nothing could have prepared me for one of…
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Capharnaüm [2018] ★★★
It took one film back in 2007 to put Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki on the international map permanently. Now she’s back with a new film that’s unlike anything she’s done before. “Capharnaüm” is Labaki’s third feature film as a director, and she shot it in documentary-like fashion, making us believe her “actors” aren’t playing characters…
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Alpha [2018] ★★½
It’s an age old tale: prehistoric man meets man’s best friend for the very first time, and the rest, as they say, is history. That’s the story at the core of “Alpha”, a familiar but visually stunning film that has to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. Director Albert Hughes knows that his material…
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Papillon [2018] ★★★
Here’s a pleasant surprise: a remake that doesn’t suck. It would be easy to dismiss it at first as an updated version that has no reason to exist, but once you warm up to it, it’s just as brutal and poignant as the 1973 classic starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. The “heroes” this time…
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Disobedience [2018] ★★★
To describe “Disobedience” purely as a lesbian drama is to miss the point. This is a devastating story of love, that happens to take place in an “obedient” society. When the movie opens, we are welcomed with a speech by a rabbi, talking about angels, beasts, and, ironically, freedom of choice. It’s a gripping speech,…
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