Category: 3.5/4
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Avengers: Infinity War [2018] ★★★½
It’s finally here: the biggest, best superhero gathering of all time, and fans couldn’t ask for a better result. “Infinity War” is an epic in every sense of the word, a feast for the eyes and the senses, an exhilarating ride from start to finish. You name it. So much in fact that I had…
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In Syria [2018] ★★★½
“In Syria” is a devastating drama that further reaffirms the fact that Diamand Bou Abboud is one of the best Lebanese actresses in the industry. Belgian director Philippe Van Leeuw shot the entire film in an apartment building to depict the lives of a group of Syrian people who try their very best to survive,…
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Annihilation [2018] ★★★½
Behold. The best Science-Fiction film of the year so far is upon us. Writer-director Alex Garland follows up his ambitious first feature “Ex Machina” with a mind-bending film that defies the laws of Hollywood. Much like Denis Villeneuve’s masterful “Arrival”, “Annihilation” is a game-changer in the genre, a film deemed way too intellectual for regular…
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Black Panther [2018] ★★★½
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Marvel’s latest superhero movie “Black Panther”, and now that I’ve finally seen it, I can genuinely say that the hype is truly justified. This is one of the finest superhero films I’ve ever seen: visually stunning, sharply-written, and directed with a keen eye for detail by Ryan Coogler.…
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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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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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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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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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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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Coco [2017] ★★★½
I feel bad for missing out on “Coco” on the week of its release, but now that I’ve seen it I can finally weigh in on this extraordinary film from Disney/Pixar. The concept itself is unprecedented, which makes “Coco” even more original than any animated film I’ve seen this year. Without spoiling the movie’s many…
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Thor: Ragnarok [2017] ★★★½
I don’t like the word “hype”, but with “Thor: Ragnarok”, at least I can say that the hype is justified. This is easily the best “Thor” movie thus far and one of my favorite Marvel films as well. As someone who enjoyed Thor’s first adventure, I thought “The Dark World” was a massive step back.…
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Blade Runner 2049 [2017] ★★★½
Other Sci-Fi filmmakers will have to work hard to match the brilliance of Denis Villeneuve’s masterful “Blade Runner 2049”, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult classic. What? A sequel that doesn’t suck? You heard it. The original had Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a blade runner who hunts for fugitive, murderous replicants. Having vanished…
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Stronger [2017] ★★★½
“Stronger” may be a Hollywood product, but it is absolutely real, and certainly one of the year’s finest films. It’s also a perfect showcase for Jake Gyllenhaal, who delivers one of the best performances of his career, playing Jeff Bauman, a 28 year-old Boston man who lost both his legs in the 2013 Boston marathon…
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![The Insult [2017] ★★★½](https://tlkabtmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20638103_1186331088138702_5460941636943281305_n.jpg?w=960)
The Insult [2017] ★★★½
Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri needs no introduction, having directed a series of successful films over the years. While “West Beirut” will forever remain my favorite movie, his latest effort, “The Insult”, further confirms his skill as a talented storyteller. In short: it’s one of the most intense Lebanese movies I’ve ever seen. What makes “The…
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The Big Sick [2017] ★★★½
From the trailer and poster you might think this is yet another film about culture clashes with absolutely nothing new to offer. But it doesn’t take long for this constantly appealing crowd-pleaser to draw you in, win you over, and make you leave with a big smile on your face. How you can create a…
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Germany Year Zero [1948] ★★★½
Roberto Rossellini’s “Germany Year Zero” is a frightening portrait of post-WWII Berlin, from the point of view of 12-year-old Edmund, who lives with his family in terrible conditions. The war may have ended, Hitler’s third Reich has fallen, but Berlin has never been more miserable. Edmund’s only concern is to provide food for his bedridden…
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Rome, Open City [1945] ★★★½
Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini kicked off his so-called “war trilogy” with “Rome, Open City”, a harrowing look at Rome during the Nazi occupation of 1944. Though the events that take place in the movie are strictly fictional, Rossellini knows exactly how to deliver an authentic experience. The main character here is Don Pietro, an Italian…
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Dunkirk [2017] ★★★½
Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” is a knockout. But it’s also a rare example of a war movie that isn’t purely made to satisfy a mainstream audience. In a recent interview with Criterion, Nolan has named Terrence Malik’s 1998 masterpiece “The Thin Red Line” as one of his favorite films. After watching “Dunkirk”, one might even say…
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Baby Driver [2017] ★★★½
Forget the Fast and the Furious movies, if you want a truly original car movie that pumps up your adrenaline level with first-rate action scenes and a killer soundtrack, “Baby Driver” is the summer film for you. This instant classic from director Edgar Wright (“Shaun of the Dead”, “Scott Pilgrim Vs the World”) is everything…
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War For The Planet Of The Apes [2017] ★★★½
I rarely say this about a summer blockbuster, but “War for the Planet of the Apes” is a masterpiece. God knows I’ve been disappointed by sequels and reboots before; what’s more, the original “Planet of the Apes” still holds a special place in my heart. But this movie, once again directed by Matt Reeves, is…
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