Guillermo del Toro (Crimson Peak) aims for romance in his new fantasy film The Shape of Water. Unlikely lead Sally Hawkins (Maudie) delivers a quiet performance, literally, where her full talent is finally on display for the rest of the world to discover how amazing she is. Fans of del Toro’s will eat this up […]
There was a huge wave of buzz after Darkest Hour debuted at Telluride. Not only just for the obvious best actor race, but even some mention of best picture. Mainstream American audiences will likely write this film off a stuffy historical drama where history plays out in a bunch of different rooms. It’s true that
Texas Art & Film critics Dustin Chase and Dr. Donna Copeland reveal their ten best films of 2017.
Every year I catch at least one western at the SXSW film festival. Maybe there is only one each year. Either way, this year it was traditional western, The Ballad of Lefty Brown. Jared Moshe’s story has a catch though, he offers the sidekick, the bumbling cowboy behind the hero, his own chance at the
Justin Timberlake’s character describes himself as “poetic by nature”. He is of course taking on the Woody Allen persona in the filmmaker’s new flick. The poetry fades quickly in Wonder Wheel as it opens on the most beautiful images of 1950’s Coney Island. A smorgasbord of color for the eyeballs, you don’t know where to
The Tonya Harding biopic / mockumentary came into the Toronto Film Festival as an “also showing” flick. Yet after the first screening, it became one of the most buzzed about films and now was just nominated for five Critics Choice Awards. It was also one of the highest profile acquisitions during TIFF, and will be
It’s hard to describe what this movie is, but one thing for sure, it’s one of James Franco’s best films behind the camera after a long continuous stream of junk. It’s also a career best for Dave Franco (Nerve) who has long struggled to find a role that provided a substantive challenge. There is a
Norway’s entry to the 90th Academy Awards shouldn’t be defined by that status. In fact, Thelma has such an ideal blend of science fiction, horror and suspense, it makes it one of the more enjoyable and recommendable genre films of the season. Thelma comes to us from the director of Louder than Bombs, which showcased
Ireland’s submission to the 90th Academy Awards is by far the worst of the selections I have reviewed. Song of Granite is also one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. To be fair, Pat Collins black and white film is mixed media, combining documentary style interviews, recreations of characters and songs with archival footage.
“My Friend Dahmer” won’t satisfy the horror appetite of those expecting a “Jeffery Dahmer” movie. Marc Meyers’ (“Harvest,” “Approaching Union Square”) film lacks the nuance to capture the in-between moments of Dahmer’s transition from neglected and disturbed teenager to one of America’s most discussed serial killers. The gem here is Disney’s Ross Lynch (“Austin &