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 […]
Despite its title, this film is not essentially about Pablo Escobar; based on the TV anchorwoman Virginia Vallejo’s memoir about her love affair with him, it covers her gradual realization of who he actually was and the ways in which their relationship affected her life. In the beginning, she is so charmed by him and impressed
There are simply not enough films with Oscar winner Emma Thompson at the forefront. Director Richard Eyre (Notes on a Scandal, Iris) has crafted a rousing performance vehicle that could land Thompson back in awards consideration. The Children Act is written by Ian McEwan (Atonement) whose one of the most wonderfully British screenwriters around. Eyre,
Someone hailed this as “Glenn Close best performance yet” prior to its debut at The Toronto International Film Festival. It’s not, but Close is especially good in this film about marriage and celebrity. What surprised me most about simple drama The Wife, was the secret that’s uncovered within the story, albeit in a rather retrospective
If you ever wondered how experimental theater works—which you probably haven’t—but just in case you have, you can go see “Madeline’s Madeline,” and it will give you a good demonstration of what it could be in the wrong hands. Most of the production is ad lib, and in this case, the director (of the
Former Google employee Aneesh Chaganty’s first film Searching has an uphill battle thanks to disposable horror film “Unfriended”. The latest disposable feature film trend moves from i-Phone shot movies, to having everything displayed on a computer screen, webcam, facetime or security footage. Essentially, it’s the evolution of the “found footage” concept but Chaganty’s intelligence within
The opening sequence with Alec Baldwin is meant to set the tone for the rest of the film. However, don’t be confused by the trailers for “BlacKkKlansman” that try selling this as a Tarantino-style comedy. This film is serious. Spike Lee hasn’t been able tor recapture the success he had in the early 90’s. In
Disney’s new film “Christopher Robin” is not to be confused with 20th Century Fox’s “Goodbye Christopher Robin” Last year, “Goodbye” showed us the dark origins of young boy Robin and how the famous characters like Pooh and friends came to be. The latest is a fictional story along the lines of “Paddington” where a grown-up
Gus Van Sant is the textbook definition of a hit-or-miss director. He’s had award-winning hits like “Good Will Hunting” and forgettable snoozefests like “Gerry.” The one thing you can always count on with Van Sant is a challenging film. “Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot,” perhaps the most obnoxious title of the year,
How long can you listen to someone who uses the word “like” in every sentence before it becomes annoying? Bo Burnham’s new film opens with a scene that will give you your answer, the lead character uses “like” 50 times or more in under five minutes. “Eighth Grade” might be this year’s “The Florida Project,”