“Avatar: The Way of Water,” the much-anticipated sequel to James Cameron’s 2009 blockbuster “Avatar,” is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant masterpiece that builds upon the themes and world-building of its predecessor.The story, set several years after the first film’s events, follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family, who have settled into a peaceful […]
The growing trend of high-profile directors turning their personal stories into movies continues with one of the most celebrated men in cinema “Movies are dreams you never forget.” Steven Spielberg’s “The Fablemans” is a blend of fact and fiction, exploring how he came to live and breathe cinema. This family-friendly, coming-of-age
Between Benoit Blanc and Hercule Poirot, the whodunnit genre has an influx of sequels. Here’s the thing, from True Crime thrillers to murder mysteries, less has almost always proved to be more. Earlier this year, Kenneth Branagh’s forgettable “Death on the Nile” was the epitome of an overproduced film. It
Luca Guadagnino may be most well-known for his critically acclaimed adaptation of André Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name, but his work has spanned many genres and subjects. His twisty psychological drama A Bigger Splash starred Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes as former lovers with unfinished business on a gorgeous Italian holiday. His limited series
The “Black Panther” sequel has a heavier burden than most films. As we see in the prologue, before the title card, “Wakanda Forever” is functioning partly as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. Director Ryan Coogler returns to the franchise with even more responsibility than the original. It’s a juggling act of delivering a
Two Time Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s latest film is a bit of inside baseball for cinephiles. Meaning it’s not a film you can plop anyone in front of and enjoy. Iñárritu follows the auteur trend of creating a film that reflects his own life and uses fictionalized elements to make it more cinematic. While
As Generation Xers enter the fullness of middle age, many are examining their formative years for perspective on where we are now as a society. James Gray (Ad Astra, Lost City of Z) wrote and directed Armageddon Time, a semi-autobiographical tale about a sensitive boy who has trouble making sense of it. Armageddon Time navigates the currents of familial,
The film’s opening scene looks and feels like actress Cate Blanchett sitting down for an interview about her work. The two-time Oscar-winning actress has been doing lots of interviews for this film, which could land her a third Academy Award. Writer/director Todd Field blends the reality of Blanchett as a highly
Director Michael Grandage’s interpretation of Bethan Roberts’s “My Policeman” is an old fashion “looking back” film. Reminiscent of those stories within story structures prevalent in the ’90s like “Bridges of Madison County,” “The Notebook,” etc. The script sticks to the romance element of the story, only briefly touching on the laws and constraints of the
French director Claire Denis is leaning increasingly toward English language films. Typically known for her French language submissions that make a splash at Cannes or international film festivals, Denis is not what you would call a mainstream filmmaker. Her intimate films always explore human connections, whether it be love triangles, space life, or in this