Steven Soderbergh returns with “Oceans 7-Eleven”, putting old favorites and new faces into an original script by fictitious writer Rebecca Blunt (post film, you’ll point all fingers at Soderbergh). Regardless of who wrote it, it’s very clever, very charming and has all the things we love about Soderbergh’s work in an entirely new setting: The […]
Director Oliver Hirschbiegel (The Invasion, Downfall) once again tackles historical subject matter during WWII. This time he projects unsung war hero Georg Elser, who single-handedly tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler, to the big screen. 13 Minutes spends little time with the actual event, but introduces Elser to the world in dramatic fashion. Likely to be
Christopher Nolan is one of the most praise worthy filmmakers alive. His films challenge the audience beyond simple enjoyment, despite the fact, most are blockbusters. He is also the rare writer/director pleasing the majority of critics and mainstream audiences alike. It’s also worth mentioning his projects always make a profit. That being said, “Dunkirk”, his
There was a recent National Geographic Channel program called “Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of Isis”, which reconstructed events in the Middle East that led up to the terrorist organization’s establishment in the area, which I reviewed earlier (https://drdonnasfilmreviews.blogspot.com/2017/06/hell-on-earth-fall-of-syria-and-rise-of.html?m=0). This documentary is a report of subsequent events that have occurred
The best news about the third Spider-Man reboot (now in the hands of Marvel, still a product of Sony like the previous five installments), is they forgo the origin story. No spider bite, no dead uncle, we’ve been origin story’d to death with these reboots. Director Jon Watts (“Natural Selection”, “Cop Car”) takes a cue
Super pigs, rapid fire poo balls with both Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal playing cartoon like characters means this must be a Bong Joon-Ho film. The critically acclaimed South Korean director followed up action packed Snowpiercer with another thought provoking original concept. It’s hard not to like this film; it’s funny, cute, slightly twisted but
There are more great elements working for Beatriz at Dinner than against it, at the forefront, Selma Hayek. Mike White’s screenplay harks back to the first time he worked with director Miguel Arteta on The Good Girl (2002). That was a snappy, bold, but honest story about relationships. Beatriz at Dinner is the same vein
Colin Trevorrow’s follow up to “Jurassic World”, his non tentpole picture before “Star Wars Episode XI” (2019), takes him back to “Safety Not Guaranteed” territory. Despite appearances, “The Book of Henry” still functions within Trevorrow’s fantasy repertoire. The closest thematic resemblance here would be the 1992 flick “Radio Flyer”. The script abandons predictable narrative structure,
Director Roger Michell’s films can be quite good or forgettable depending on what he is working with. His latest was very anticipated on my part, the adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s novel. Maurier is the nearly forgotten author behind two of Hitchcock’s best adaptations The Birds and Rebecca. The first trailer for My Cousin Rachel
Warner Bros and DC comics have more riding on the first solo “Wonder Woman” film than just earning a profit. This marks the first female led superhero film since Marvel’s “Elektra”, and before that, it was 1986’s “Supergirl”. Wonder Woman is also only the second superhero film (first major one) directed by a female. Patty