Category: drama
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The Last Face [2016] ★
How can a movie have a powerful message and still suck so bad? Director Sean Penn’s attempt at telling a love story amidst a political conflict in Africa is a slow, stupefyingly dull mess from start to finish. What’s even worse is all the talented people who wasted their time on this. Javier Bardem and…
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Listen (Ismaii) [2017] ★★★
After a series of disappointing Lebanese movies (even “Nuts” was a crushing disappointment), it’s refreshing to encounter a local movie that I can genuinely recommend. Filmmaker Philippe Aractingi (“Bosta”, “Under The Bombs”, “Heritages”), who has been making feature films for over a decade, said that he wanted to tackle something completely different this time, and…
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Movies to watch this Valentine’s day (or any other day)
I’m not here to tell you to watch a Nicholas Sparks movie or (God forbid) “50 Shades of Grey”. This is a list of good movies that you can enjoy alone or with your partner over beer (yes, beer) and pizza (why the hell not?).As far away as possible from the Hollywood formula, the “Before”…
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Fifty Shades Darker [2017] ★
I can think of 3 ways to torture your Valentine date this year: buy them a crappy giant teddy bear from Malik’s bookshop, force them to read/watch any Nicholas Sparks story, or just take them to see “Fifty Shades Darker”, the sequel to the equally terrible “Fifty Shades of Grey“, released a couple of years ago.…
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Jackie [2016] ★★½
I didn’t fall in love with “Jackie”, despite an incredible performance from its leading lady: Natalie Portman. It goes without saying that she’s a great actress, and in the case of “Jackie”, her mesmerizing performance as Jacqueline Kennedy is probably the best, and perhaps the main reason to watch this less than perfect film. A lot…
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Manchester By The Sea [2016] ★★★½
Casey Affleck gives a tour de force performance in “Manchester By The Sea”, an emotionally charged drama that ranks among the best movies of 2016. Writer-director Kenneth Lonnergan paints a picture of an emotionally wounded man that is both harrowing and heartbreaking. Affleck plays Lee Chandler, a man who finds his life thrown into turmoil…
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Fences [2016] ★★★½
People will talk about Denzel Washington’s performance in “Fences” for years to come, but that’s not the only reason why the movie works so well. This is a first-rate film in every aspect; wonderfully acted, beautifully shot and directed with a keen eye for detail. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has…
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The Birth Of A Nation [2016] ★★½
It takes courage to drop a movie about slavery so soon after “12 Years A Slave”. And the fact that it’s called “The Birth of a Nation” and yet bears little resemblance to D.W Griffith 1915 epic of the same name might mislead audiences into expecting an Oscar worthy movie. It isn’t. And the sooner you…
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![Live By Night [2016] ★★★](https://tlkabtmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/lbnben-2.jpg?w=1000)
Live By Night [2016] ★★★
It’s no surprise that a movie set during the roaring 20’s would win me over almost instantly. I’m a sucker for old gangster films of the 30’s and 40’s in which Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson and the great James Cagney headlined most of them. In paying tribute to this era, Ben Affleck has managed…
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Moonlight [2016] ★★★
When a movie is so hyped and still falls short, one can talk about its good qualities or nitpick its failings. In the case of “Moonlight”, it’s a bit of both, but at least I can begin on a positive note because of the movie’s raw feelings and exceptional performances. In adapting Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play…
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A Monster Calls [2016] ★★★
Who would have thought that a story about a little boy and a giant tree could be so emotional? Like a mesmerizing bedtime story, “A Monster Calls” is superior storytelling that sneaks up and quietly breaks your heart. After two winning performances in “The Theory of Everything” and “Rogue One”, Felicity Jones delivers yet again…
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Silence [2016] ★★★½
Even before it hit the big screen, Martin Scorsese’s passion project “Silence” was met with a mixed reaction from critics and fans alike. The film, said the buzz, doesn’t look or feel like a Scorsese film. Now that I’ve finally seen the movie, I have to respectfully disagree. Having tackled issues of sin, religion, and…
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Patriot’s Day [2016] ★★★
Powerful docudrama recounts the events leading up to the 2013 Boston marathon bombing and the pulse-pounding manhunt that ensued in its aftermath. I personally couldn’t care less about director Peter Berg’s previous disaster film “Deepwater Horizon”, but what I liked about “Patriot’s Day” is that the story he tells is a scary reminder of the…
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The Edge Of Seventeen [2016] ★★★
Teen movies have been around since forever, hitting their peak in the 80’s when the late, great John Hughes cooked up some of the most memorable and quotable films of all time. “Sixteen Candles”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, “Pretty in Pink” and The Breakfast Club” have acquired a cult following ever since they were released.…
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La La Land [2016] ★★★★
Hollywood has always had a soft spot for musicals. “The Broadway Melody” in the 1920’s, “Singin’ in the Rain” and “An American in Paris” in the 1950’s, “Oliver!” in the 1960’s and “Chicago” in the early 2000’s. In 2011, french director Michel Hazanavicius hired Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo to star in his film “The Artist”,…
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Demain Tout Commence [2016] ★★★
Omar Sy has developed an irresistible persona as a comedian, which has served him well in such films as “Les Intouchables” and last year’s underrated “Chocolat”. In that context, his latest film, “Demain Tout Commence”, is a charming, funny and touching family melodrama with another winning performance by Sy. In short: it’s a crowd-pleaser. Sy…
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Collateral Beauty [2016] ★★½
Nothing kicks off the Holiday season like a heartwarming movie featuring an all star cast that includes Will Smith, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley, Edward Norton, Michael Pena and Kate Winslet. Smith is no stranger to dramatic roles, having previously starred in “Seven Pounds” and the highly rewarding “The Pursuit of Happyness”. In “Collateral Beauty”, he…
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Lion [2016] ★★★
It may be less than perfect, but “Lion”, starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, has enough emotional moments to satisfy moviegoers seeking a heartwarming true story. When the film opens, we meet Saroo, a 5 year old boy who lives in poverty with his mother, sister, and big brother in a small indian village. One night,…
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Allied [2016] ★★★
World War II movies have been around since…well World War II, that you start to wonder if there’s still room for more. But I have faith in director Robert Zemeckis (“Cast Away”, “Forrest Gump”) and I have nothing but admiration for Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. They play intelligence officer Max Vatan and French Resistance fighter…
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Shut In [2016] ★★
Tagline says “a heart pounding thriller” but all I saw was a thriller made by people who have never seen a real thriller before. Naomi Watts plays a widowed child psychologist who lives with her bedridden son. When one of the boys she’s treating goes missing one night, she becomes convinced that some kind of ghost…
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