The casual superhero movie viewer might not remember the events of the original “Doctor Strange,” and not everyone will have seen the limited series “Wanda Vision,” and that’s ok. Versatile director Sam Raimi brings his specific set of skills to this sequel that takes the viewer on a gothic horror movie journey. The production design […]
Arguably another remake, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” marks the third solo film for Tom Holland and the franchise’s most complex plot to date. Ironically, the most simplistic new release this week is the one film that focuses on the future instead of the past. For years, this critic has delivered harsh criticism toward Marvel and
Yes there is a piano in Jane Campions new film, the Oscar nominated director worried about that element with “The Power of the Dog”, but has since embraced the idea that they are both companion pieces and bookends to her career. The director from New Zealand used her home country to stand in for Montana
Based on a true story of an exceedingly eccentric man, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain is about a British man living in the late nineteenth century who made a remarkable living out of his cat pictures. The electrical part is what he feels when he is around cats—inspiration, perhaps?—which he conceptualizes as electricity. He does talk in the
Some films are disadvantaged before opening credits. “The Courier” is a “spy film” that specifically isn’t a “spy thriller.” So leave any notions of James Bond or Tom Clancy at the door. Benedict Cumberbatch has been selected for this role because of his Marvel appeal, but that means little when your target audience falls outside
“This is a true story” we are told at the very beginning. That was smart to insert that sentence, because in the course of its telling, it’s so hard for most of us to believe what we see. We’ve certainly read/heard accounts of what took place at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, but to actually see it
Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”) has a somewhat erratic filmography. How can the same guy who directed “Skyfall” also be the same person behind “Away We Go?” This same man directed the brilliant cinematic crime film “Road to Perdition” before jumping to intimate family drama “Revolutionary Road.” Mendes’s range doesn’t necessarily speak to his talent and
A fascinating part of history, hypothetically a good movie, cast all wrong and handed to the wrong filmmakers. Jake Gyllenhaal was originally cast as George Westinghouse, which would have balanced the star power of Cumberbatch. Going out on a limb here and suggesting why the film feels so lopsided and told from all the wrong
Andy Serkis, actor, visual effects stunt genius and the vocal mastermind behind Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings,” has decided to add director to his list of credits. “Mowgli” was his first film, but it has taken years after filming principal photography, for the visual effects to be complete. His second film “Breathe,” came out
This production of the well-known story pleased the audience I was with, and there were lots of audible reactions from the kids, with applause at the end. I think it might be a hit at Christmas-time. The colorful animations, sets, and CGI effects; the Christmas messages that put presents and material things into perspective; and liberal doses