Director Hans Petter Moland has adapted Per Petterson’s dense novel of the same name into a film that’s cinematically ornamental. Internationally, the film is being sold as a Stellan Skarsgård vehicle, despite the fact he’s a minor character in the story. Narratively framed similar to The Reader, Out Stealing Horses exists almost entirely in flashback. […]
“Short and spicy”, “married or dead”, those were the parameters Louisa May Alcott was given on how to write women and end her stories in the 1850’s. Academy Award nominated director Greta Gerwig brings Alcott’s “Little Women” back to life 25 years after it’s last theatrical treatment that starred Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon. Short
It’s probably not a coincidence that opening sequence shots in “Ophelia” resemble Kings Landing from “Game of Thrones”. The Disney like voice over in the prologue, “the story you don’t know”, quickly dispels the association that this will be anything as riveting as HBO’s bloodthirsty shock-value series. Lisa Klein’s novel might borrow names from Shakespeare,
Oscar winner Barry Jenkins highly anticipated new film opens exactly the way you would hope. A perfectly timed musical score from his “Moonlight” collaborating composer Nicholas Britell folds into the frame. The two lead actors (KiKi Layne and Stephan James) wearing outfits that compliment each other, slowly walk down the street daydreaming about their future
Jean-Marc Vallée’s “Wild” is the best comparison for what to expect with Belgium director Felix Van Groeningen’s “Beautiful Boy.” Both films focus on the struggle with addiction and despair. “Beautiful Boy” based on two novels, one from the point of view of the father, the other from the son. It is a gripping and thoroughly
Director of 27 Dresses Michael Mayer doesn’t seem to have much of a clue how to adapt Anton Chekhov’s play. He’s in good company, as other versions have also disappointed. Despite the lack of inspired direction, the actors rise to the occasion of melodrama, especially Oscar nominee Bening (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool). The
Director Ava DuVernay’s fourth feature film is based on the beloved children’s book of the same name. Debuting at a time where diverse directors are making their mark, “A Wrinkle in Time” comes to the screen on the heels of Disney’s groundbreaking “Black Panther”. DuVernay’s snub in the best director category for “Selma” a few
The bestselling book about understanding your classmates, bullying and accepting others for what’s on the inside, comes to the big screen with big stars. R.J. Palacio’s book Wonder is a film that will be far more emotional and meaningful to parents than a younger audience. Restless, was what I witnessed at a screening of middle
The author of the novel, in which this film (and two other foreign films) is based, walked away from the premiere. He said this was the worst adaptation yet. Writer/director Oren Moverman’s The Dinner is quite frustrating, it buries the lead if you will, until the end of act two. The Dinner is almost set
Stories like Ghost in the Shell are comic book and animated presentations for a reason. Their futuristic imagination is often beyond the capabilities of feature film, or certainly the creative ingenuity of what can and more importantly should be adapted into live action. Sadly, the lines of what is live action (real) and what is