The only reason the film adaptation of “The Circle” will be remembered is because it’s the final screen appearance of the actor Bill Paxton after his untimely and shocking death. Not to be overly harsh, but the film is so forgettable that discussing it feels like time that could be better spent focusing on the […]
Film
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We Are Groot
Marvel Studios adds art to commerce
I’ve been reviewing Marvel movies for as long as I’ve been writing about cinema. Truthfully, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not quite 10 years old (dating back to 2008’s “Iron Man”), but it has completely reshaped how blockbuster movies are written and directed. The staggering number of superhero movies released every year might be easy […]
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Gigantic
Colossal is the Citizen Kane of Monster Movies
Don’t read this review. Sorry, I don’t mean to tell you what to do, but one of the true joys of cinema I have had this year was watching “Colossal” without knowing anything about it. As the plot continued to escalate and become darker and entirely unpredictable, I realized I was watching one of the […]
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Start Looking at ‘Tomorrow’
It’s only a day away
At the beginning of “Tomorrow,” a new environmental documentary by French filmmakers Mรฉlanie Laurent and Cyril Dion, the message seems incredibly alarmist. The filmmakers bring in a pair of scientists who say that we have 20 years to start turning things around when it comes to climate change or else the world will face another […]
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Shoot ‘Em Up
Fire fight aims low
After “Pulp Fiction” came out in 1994, action films were basically reinvented for years to come. As soon as Quentin Tarantino unleashed his masterpiece, filmmakers attempted to capture that same lightning in a bottle by making movies combining sudden violence with characters spouting pop-culture heavy dialogue over hyper-stylized imagery. Films including “Things to do in […]
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Grumpy Old Men with Guns
Freeman, Arkin and Caine are going in style
In “Going in Style,” Morgan Freeman smokes a joint, gets stoned out of his gourd and plays with puppies while giggling. Sometimes that’s really all we need from our movies: A safe and entertaining 90 minutes away from the real world, with recognizable celebrities making us smile. While “Going in Style” isn’t by any stretch […]
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Scenes From a Marriage
“Emily” deconstructs faith and love
“Will you still like me?” “You’re my husband.” There’s a moment early on in “Emily” in which an argument that could have been mostly philosophical turns into a deconstruction of an entire marriage. It’s harrowing to watch, because it’s like witnessing a massive boulder rolling down a hill toward something precious and irreplaceable. The boulder […]
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The Fate of the Franchise
The new “Fast” trips over its own feet and tries to save the planet
It’s OK to like “The Fast and the Furious” movies. Even if you like them un-ironically, there’s nothing to be ashamed about. I mean, some of them are terrible (I’m looking at you, numbers two and four), but even the worst of the series are still wildly entertaining and better than your average guilty pleasure. […]
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Shell Games
The Ghost of an Idea
The title “Ghost in the Shell” is an ironic one. It’s explained to Major (Scarlett Johansson) early on that the “Ghost” is her soul and that even though she is primarily made up of cybernetic pieces, she is still mostly a real girl because of the humanity she possesses underneath all the metal and futuristic […]
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Spring into Cinema
A seasonal preview
We’re a quarter of the way through the year so far, and in the realm of cinema (and politics), it hasn’t been the best. There have been a few stone cold classics including “Get Out” and “Personal Shopper,” and some disappointments such as “The Space Between Us” and “War on Everyone,” but we also have […]
