Category: GENRE
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Split [2017] ★★★
Maybe you’ve read articles about “Split” being director M. Night Shyamalan’s return in form. Maybe you’ll think so too if you’ve seen “The Happening”, “The Last Airbender” or the preposterous “After-Earth” starring Will Smith and his son Jaden. Here’s the deal: “Split” is Shyamalan’s best film since 2002’s “Signs”, and we owe it all to…
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Monster Trucks [2016] ★★
First the good news: this is better than any “Transformers” sequels, for the simple fact that the characters in it actually have words to say. But that’s not saying much is it? Shot in 2014 and originally scheduled for a 2015 release, Paramount pictures later on decided to move its release date to 2016, then…
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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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Resident Evil: The Final Chapter [2017] ★½
Nobody expected a masterpiece, but director Paul W.S Anderson’s failure to end this series on a high note ranks as a major disappointment. There’s literally nothing new here, only one merciless action scene after the other as Alice (Milla Jovovich) tries to put an end to the Umbrella Corporation once and for all. Will she? Obviously.…
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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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Sing [2016] ★★½
From the trailer and the poster you’d expect an animated picture filled with music and colorful characters. And “Sing” is exactly that, with music ranging from Frank Sinatra to modern, popular songs that kids and their parents will most certainly recognize. While the finished product is likable and enjoyable, it’s also hectic at times and doesn’t…
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xXx: Return Of Xander Cage [2017] ★★
The sequel we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Lol I’m kidding nobody asked for this. But here we are: 15 years since the very first “xXx” hit theaters back in 2002 and 11 since its terrible sequel starring Ice Cube. “Return of Xander Cage” is pretty much self-explanatory, especially if you’re familiar with its…
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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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Why Him? [2016] ★★½
You don’t walk in to see a movie called “Why Him?” with high expectations, which is why I’m about to cut this movie some slack. It’s crude and unashamedly nasty, but it made me chuckle, and that’s why I can’t completely dismiss it. Bryan Cranston is the last person I expected to see here, playing…
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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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Assassin’s Creed [2016] ★
Since everything has already been said and done about “Assassin’s Creed”, the awful big screen adaptation of the popular video game, I’ve decided to do things differently for this review. I’m going to pretend that this is Twitter and I’m going to “tweet” my opinion about this movie using 140 characters or less. It might…
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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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The Great Wall [2016] ★½
The Great Wall, starring Matt Damon as China’s last hope in their fight against some ancient creatures (huh?) is… how shall I put it? Cheesy. Ridiculous. A waste of talent. Damon traveled all the way to China to shoot this big budget production from director Zhang Yimou (“Hero”). He’s the lucky one. We have to…
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The Founder [2016] ★★★
Ever wondered how it all started? How McDonald’s became McDonald’s? Then you’ve come to the right place. Just like its main character, “The Founder” has a fascinating story to tell about the people whose rocky collaboration resulted in one of the most famous restaurant chains in the world. But first, we meet Ray Kroc (Michael…
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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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