Category: 3/4
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Deadpool 2 [2018] ★★★
Prepare your chimichanga, put on some R-Rated music, and get ready for another round of your favorite anti-superhero. It’s not Shakespeare, but Deadpool indeed belongs in history books for being one of the most entertaining heroes in this huge Marvel universe. Ryan Reynolds has a blast, once again, playing Wade Wilson, the cancer patient turned…
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Ready Player One [2018] ★★★
Can a movie be set in 2045 and still feels straight out of the 80’s? The answer lies in Steven Spielberg’s CGI extravaganza “Ready Player One”, an ode to pop culture and…dare I say…the Atari 2600, which holds a special place in my heart. But good CGI doesn’t mean a damn thing if the movie…
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Unsane [2018] ★★★
Looking for a solid thriller to get lost in? “Unsane” is the movie for you. Steven Soderbergh, a master when it comes to experimental filmmaking, takes it to a whole new level in his latest mind-bender. The movie was shot entirely with an iPhone 7 plus, but in true Soderbergh fashion, it never feels gimmicky.…
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A Quiet Place [2018] ★★★
This is the horror movie we’ve all been waiting for. Director John Krasinski (who would have thought) delivers the creepy goods, leaving us unnerved, terrified, and exhilarated. This is “A Quiet Place” in a nutshell, a tense and extremely well-crafted tale of survival. Krasinski himself plays a family man who must protect his family from…
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Tomb Raider [2018] ★★★
How you react to this fresh adaptation of “Tomb Raider” will have a lot to do with your expectations. I didn’t care much for the two movies starring Angelina Jolie (come to think of it, they were awful, despite a good performance from Jolie), so I was certainly looking forward to seeing Alicia Vikander as…
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All The Money In The World [2017] ★★★
88-year-old Christopher Plummer is sensational in Ridley Scott’s drama “All the Money in the World”. But it almost didn’t happen. That’s right. A month before its release, a scandal involving Kevin Spacey broke, and Scott had to re-shoot his scenes with Plummer instead to avoid a box-office disaster. So yes, kudos to Scott for pulling…
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The Post [2017] ★★★
Steven Spielberg’s ode to journalism and freedom of speech comes at a time where these values are being questioned in our own country, which makes it all the more worth recommending. From a cinematic point of view, “The Post” is being compared to “All The President’s Men” and even “Spotlight”, and understandably so. Spielberg has…
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Goodbye Christopher Robin [2017] ★★★
I’ve seen all sorts of biopics, so it’s always refreshing to encounter a new one about a subject I wasn’t familiar with before. I’m talking, of course, about “Goodbye Christopher Robin”, the story behind the creation of one of the most beloved bears of all time: Winnie the Pooh. That such a lovely, heartfelt film…
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Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle [2017] ★★★
I was no more than 8 years old when the original “Jumanji” film was released. As an undemanding kid, the movie entertained me, despite its simple story. Now as an adult, I walked in to see “Welcome to the Jungle” with no particular expectations, and what I got in return was a fun ride, fueled…
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Better Watch Out [2017] ★★★
On the surface, “Better Watch Out” sounds like a “Home Alone” rip-off. It isn’t. And the sooner you realize that, the more fun you’ll have watching this superbly twisted holiday thriller from director Chris Peckover, who does a great job of raising hell. With screenwriter Zack Kahn, “Better Watch Out” provides young Levi Miller the…
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The Killing Of A Sacred Deer [2017] ★★★
In an era of remakes and cash-in sequels, it’s good to see filmmakers still taking risks with movies that keep their distance from the multiplex formula. I’m talking about Yorgos Lanthimos, the genius behind “The Lobster“. If you’ve seen that movie, you know he’s a director who doesn’t play by the rules. Then again so did…
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I, Tonya [2017] ★★★
I knew almost nothing about Tonya Harding, the American figure skater who was involved in a national sports scandal back in the 90’s. So it was up to Margot Robbie to give me a reason to care. To say that she succeeds with flying colors would be an understatement. Robbie is simply sensational, as she…
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Loving Vincent [2017] ★★★
You can think of “Loving Vincent” as a gift for art lovers and movie buffs alike. It’s a mesmerizing look at Vincent Van Gogh’s final days, as elegantly interpreted by a team of 100 professional painters who hand painted every single frame of this truly unique film. That’s right, you’re not just watching a story…
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Breathe [2017] ★★★
Andrew Garfield is superb in “Breathe”, completely immersing himself in the role of Robin Cavendish, a British army captain who was taken ill with polio and given just months to live. His wife (played by Claire Foy of “The Crown”), can’t accept it. How could she? Refusing to give up, they decide to escape the hospital…
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Wonder [2017] ★★★
Want to see a movie that will put you in a good mood, even long after the credits start rolling? “Wonder” is the movie for you. This is the kind of film that gives feel-good stories a good name. I honestly can’t see how anyone could pick a fight with it. Based on the New York…
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The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected) [2017] ★★★
If you’re familiar with writer-director Noah Baumbach, you know that he’s a filmmaker who observes family with an incredible eye for detail. Having tackled similar themes in the past (see “The Squid and the Whale”), Baumbach returns with one of his most ambitious projects yet: “The Meyerowitz Stories”. Can’t spell that title out? Don’t cringe.…
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Murder On The Orient Express [2017] ★★★
To say that this version of Agatha Christie’s beloved novel “Murder on the Orient Express” surpasses the 1974 film (at least in my eyes) would be an understatement. While its predecessor had an all-star cast, it also had its problems, chief among them a slow pace. That’s not to say that Kenneth Branagh’s movie is…
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Happy Death Day [2017] ★★★
Movies like “Happy Death Day” are so easy to get wrong, but director Christopher Landon (who wrote “Disturbia”) has managed to pull it off. It’s best to describe his movie as a cross between “Groundhog Day” and basically any slasher film you can think of (the movie even pokes fun of that and I loved…
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Mother! [2017] ★★★
Artistic ambition can be a bitch in this day and age. Just try to make a movie that doesn’t sound or look like your typical Hollywood film and the angry dogs will be out to get you. That’s Darren Aronofsky, from “Requiem for a Dream” to “Black Swan”, he delights in stirring controversy. I’ve had…
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Brad’s Status [2017] ★★★
Ben Stiller was always my go-to-guy when I wanted to laugh myself silly (try “Zoolander”, “Dodgeball” or even “Tropic Thunder”). But in recent years, he has established himself as a drama actor, which has served him well in such films as Noah Baumbach’s “Greenberg” and the underrated “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”. In “Brad’s…
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