Review: Action and Friendship at the Heart of Alpha
Perhaps best looked at as a prehistoric twist on the “boy-and-his-dog” adventure story, Alpha is set 20,000 years ago (in the last Ice Age, according to the press notes) in […]
Review: Mile 22 Moves Fast, Sets Up a Sequel…And Not Much Else
Marking the fourth—and perhaps most bizarre—collaboration between actor Mark Wahlberg and director (and occasional actor) Peter Berg, Mile 22 seems like a standard-issue action piece, with Wahlberg’s CIA operative James […]
Review: Important, if Imperfect, Crazy Rich Asians Is Fun yet Flat
It is possible for a film to be important and culturally significant without it being especially great. For me (and I’m guessing many critics) to call any film great, a […]
Review: Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood Has Plenty of Sex—And Heart
I’ll fully admit, I’m not someone who dabbles even a little bit in Hollywood gossip. If I hear two celebrities are dating, I think “Good for them,” and move on. […]
Review: Glimpse a Creative Life in Decline in Nico, 1988
The model-turned-musician Nico (with a memorable period at the heart of Andy Warhol’s extended family) has always been a source of fascination for me. Her work with the Velvet Underground […]
Review: Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman Is Audacious, Impressive and Timely
The best movie of the week, possibly the month, and certainly one of the best of the year is the latest from master cinematic provocateur Spike Lee, who gives us […]
Review: Jason Statham Faces The Meg in a Shark Movie With Bite
Sure, why not? It’s been about a year since our last people vs. shark movie on the big screen, so let’s throw Jason Statham in the mix just to make […]
Review: Christopher Robin May Not Be Essential Viewing, But There’s a Heart To It
Unlike last year’s Goodbye Christopher Robin, which was an account of the circumstances that led to A.A. Milne creating the Winnie-the-Pooh character, this week’s Christopher Robin is a fictional story […]
Review: Generation Wealth Is Part Autobiography, Part Cautionary Tale
Over her 25-plus years as a filmmaker and photographer, Lauren Greenfield has returned to the themes of wealth culture, economic disparity, the life of children of wealthy families, eating disorders, […]
Review: The Personal Becomes Art in Fashion Doc McQueen
It seems as if we’re getting a documentary related to the fashion world about once every other week these days. The truth is, I’m truly enjoying the immersion into a […]
Review: The Darkest Minds Falls Short as a Poor Man’s Mutant Story
The only thing missing from The Darkest Minds is a Stan Lee cameo and maybe a quickie Wolverine appearance. And I’m fairly certain that the only thing stopping the studio […]
Review: An Immigration Story from a Different Perspective in En el Séptimo Día
En el Séptimo Día (On the Seventh Day) is set in the summer of 2016, and in a way, this timing—recent as it may be—is a small grace as we spend […]