It’s been a good year for directorial debuts. Producer/writer turned director Drew Pearce creates an unusual futuristic world with Hotel Artemis. It’s a suspense thriller with cleverness and a superb cast. Jodie Foster is back on the screen for the first time since the disappointing Elysium (2013) and Pearce’s sense of humor and violence isn’t […]
In many ways director Paul Schrader’s new film First Reformed could work as a double feature with last year’s Novitiate. It’s a dark piece on the complicated modern life of a minister dealing with his own internal demons. First Reformed is a twisted tale, not unlike the morally conflicted films in Schrader’s repertoire such as
His first film in seven years, John Cameron Mitchell doesn’t do anything unless it’s shocking and provocative. In his second collaboration with Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Mitchell’s How to Talk to Girls at Parties is likely the most obtuse movie you will spot all year long. A 1977 punk rock coming of age story, set
This Japanese animated fantasy film from Masaaki Yuasa seems more oriented toward adults than children. The story is about a community’s lore about and apprehension toward a group of “Merfolk” who live under the sea. There are tales of how they have kidnapped people in Hinashi and are the cause of all sorts of mysterious events. A grandfather
“Tully” feels like a do-over for director Jason Reitman and writer Diablo Cody’s 2011 film, “Young Adult”. Charlie Theron stars in both. “Young Adult” was a film made with good ingredients that never quite mixed together in a cohesive manner. “Tully” tackles similar subject matter, a woman struggling to cope with her current predicament and
A fellow critic asked the rhetorical question, “does latest Avengers live up to the hype”. What is hype, the excellent marketing Disney (which owns Marvel) telling fans who were already going to buy a ticket and love the film without seeing it to get excited? “Avengers Infinity War” is the 19th entry in Marvel’s Cinematic
As formulaic sports films go, The Miracle Season might be the first mainstream movie to focus on the sport of volleyball. However, if you have seen any decent sports film, you already know it’s never about a specific sport. Director Sean McNamara is no stranger to these PG rated feel good family flicks, in fact
The horror genre is making a comeback where intelligent and creative entries are concerned. “A Quiet Place” is the sophomore directorial effort from actor John Krasinski who also stars in the film. It’s a swift horror film that earns genuinely terrifying moments, never getting bogged down in the details of the story. Blunt’s performance is
Oscar winning director Steven Soderberg delivers his first horror movie and his first film shot entirely with an iPhone. This isn’t the first film released to be shot entirely on the popular mobile device. “Tangerine” by Sean Baker (“The Florida Project”) was an award-winning iPhone-shot film. It was a distracting experiment in technology for “Tangerine”,
Samuel Maoz’s film Foxtrot is a perplexing drama that pushes and pulls the audience into so many varying emotional states, you never know what to expect. Inspired from Maoz’s own devastation, he has created a very distinct three act feature that explores irony in its cruelest forms. Foxtrot is Israel’s submission to the 90th Academy