The “Jurassic World” franchise has been on a steady decline since its revitalization in 2015. Nothing was ever going to recapture the magic of the original from 1993, which now seems like a modest, less-is-more film, compared with the five subsequent sequels. Colin Trevorrow (“Jurassic World”) returns to finish the series, which must end, as […]
“Short and spicy”, “married or dead”, those were the parameters Louisa May Alcott was given on how to write women and end her stories in the 1850’s. Academy Award nominated director Greta Gerwig brings Alcott’s “Little Women” back to life 25 years after it’s last theatrical treatment that starred Winona Ryder and Susan Sarandon. Short
It’s getting personal this awards season. Noah Baumbach is the latest filmmaker to project his own personal life story onto the big screen. Specifically his divorce from actress Jennifer Jason Leigh. Baumbach might have just created one of the most imperative films about divorce ever committed to cinema. Marriage Story is about everything from falling
Director Edward Zwick has a befuddling filmography. He has directed large scale projects like “The Last Samurai” and “Blood Diamond.” Classics like “Legends of the Fall” and “Glory.” He has also helmed misfires like “Love & Other Drugs” and the “Jack Reacher” sequel. Zwick’s latest, “Trial By Fire,” is a glorified television quality movie if
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
The 9th “Star Wars” film boasts not only one of the largest casts in the franchise history but also the longest running time (152 minutes). Fanboy director Rian Johnson (“Looper”) takes the reigns from JJ Abrams, delivering an entry that is categorically for the die-hard fan. The story picks up right where 2015’s “The Force
It remains to be seen if director Craig Johnson is a one hit wonder following oh so wonderful film The Skeleton Twins. His follow-up Wilson, starring Woody Harrelson, is another quirky family film, but without the comprehensive structure. In fact, Wilson feels downright episodic, strung together in a way that pulls the viewer from one
There isn’t any brilliant filmmaking here, Michael Keaton (“Birdman”) doesn’t land the performance of the year. “The Founder” instead works as a pure interest story, shedding light of the history of America’s most popular restaurant, McDonalds. John Lee Hancock is known for such family feelers as “Saving Mr. Banks” (exposing Walt Disney, it was a
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
Writer/director Ramin Bahrani’s last film At Any Given Price (2012) took a hard look at the family unit, human condition, and the corruption that fell between them. His latest, 99 Homes, continues to explore dramatic and stressful situations, with families at the center. This time everything from the performances to the script are more finely