Pablo Larraín’s latest film “Spencer” is a wild departure from the expected historical biopics or the kind of presentation seen on “The Crown”. Familiarizing yourself with Larraín’s particular style is recommended, meaning you should see his masterpiece “Jackie” before watching “Spencer”. It’s the audacity in Larraín’s script that makes “Spencer” surprisingly fun to watch. In […]
You barely have time to get your bearings before Underwater charges full steam ahead with its anxiety inducing deep sea horror. Relative new Director William Eubank and his screenwriters, Brian Duffield (Insurgent) and Adam Cozad (Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit) borrow heavily from institutional horror and science fiction films. Rarely does Underwater showcase original thinking or
Ironically indie darling Kristen Stewart gave a more original performance in Charlie’s Angels than Seberg. In a rare turn playing a real person, Stewart takes on the role of 70’s era actress Jean Seberg who became involved in The Black Panther movement. Director Benedict Andrews (Una) is a relatively new filmmaker who focuses the story
Despite writer, director, producer and star Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect, Love & Mercy) proving there is a bit more mileage in a franchise that’s been around since the 70’s; Charlie’s Angels newest revival is still an unnecessary commodity. Nearly a decade since Barrymore, Diaz and Lui first rebooted the original TV show, Banks version is
Sometimes when you take a chance on a movie you’re mildly curious about, it pays off, other times, not so much. One of those this year was JT Leroy, a wild but true story from the early 2000s. In a way, this film is like a female counterpart to last year’s The Disaster Artist and the ridiculousness
“Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done. She gave her father forty-one.” It’s a catchy rhyme that has kept the folklore of Lizzie Borden alive in pop culture for over 100 years. However, few know the real story of Lizzie Borden. She was acquitted
Olivier Assayas’s follow-up to Clouds of Sils Maria begins like any formulaic horror movie; Young girl in a dark, secluded, old house by herself. Personal Shopper is anything but formulaic as Assayas reteams with Stewart juggling narratives in this genre bending thriller/drama/horror film. Stewart is fascinating to watch, as always, whether cursing on SNL, breaking
I’ve been frustrated by two time Oscar winning director Ang Lee’s films before, but the disaster now known as Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk reaches new depths. Disclaimer, I saw the film in regular 2D presentation, not the 120 high frame rate that bothered so many critics at festivals. Lee would have been better off
Writer/director Kelly Reichardt doesn’t do cinematic women favors in her latest bleak slog Certain Women. Based on short stories that comprise three different women in three different segments, Reichardt sets out to show women in traditionally male roles/occupations and how differently they are treated. Normally a cast of Oscar nominees Dern, Williams along with Stewart
I’m a sucker for a director who can take a small product and make the viewer feel like it’s a big production. Director Drake Doremus (Like Crazy) achieves this with his latest film Equals, borrowing style and concepts for his story from Gattaca, Her and even A24’s 2015 hit Ex Machina. The first half of