Two things you must know before reading my review on the Mary Poppins sequel. I didn’t like the original, even as a young child, I found it boring, and completely uninteresting. Not much has changed, you might dismiss my review, “oh he doesn’t like musicals”, which isn’t true; I love Chicago and Moulin Rouge. He […]
Shoplifters became the first Japanese film to win the Palme D’or since 1997. Typically that honor shortlists the winner for the Academy Awards best foreign language top five. Hirokazu Koreeda’s slow, meditative drama about a family living in poverty is the type of cinematic story that unfolds through patience and understanding. Shoplifters presents some difficult
Writer/director Sean Anders has turned a corner from, junk food comedies like Daddy’s Home and That’s My Boy, to junk food comedy with a purpose. Instant Family draws from Anders own personal experiences with adoption and foster parenting. He said his intent was to show a different side of the story than the usual serious dramas, such as the
It’s pretty impressive what actor turned director Paul Dano (“Little Miss Sunshine,” “There Will Be Blood”) has accomplished in this his directorial debut. He gives Oscar-nominated Carey Mulligan one of her best roles in a script co-written with his partner Zoe Kazan (“The Big Sick”). “Wildlife” is a sobering often difficult film about family, marriage,
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
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is just as enchanting as it should be, and involves a twist. In this case, the traditional hero’s journey is undertaken by a girl named Clara, the girl in Tchaikovsky’s popular “Nutcracker” ballet. The script is based on E. T. A. Hoffman’s 1816 story (“The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”), in which
There are a lot of great heartfelt moments in Elizabeth Chomko’s directorial debut, including the opening scene where the musical score and images really settle you into your seat. What follows is an intimate look at Alzheimer’s through the eyes of the children dealing with their mother. Oscar winner Hilary Swank is mounting a slow
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
Taking advantage of the politically charged and divided society, actor turned director Ike Barinholtz (Blockers) was inspired by his own family Thanksgiving conversation to write this script. The Oath isn’t the first film to try and make a profit off Trump era division, nor is it likely to be the last. One line in The Oath even uses the
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