Bardo is a head-scratcher of an annoyance of a personal film that I didn’t get for long swaths and resented having to sit through that somehow, some way, comes together in the final thirty minutes of understanding so that I … Continue reading
Empire of Light is a beautiful, well-acted film that can’t figure out what it’s about. I think it’s too personal or regional or temporal a film for anyone who wasn’t working in a movie theater in 1980 England. The film … Continue reading
For a four star movie, saying Avatar: The Way of Water was a bit of a disappointment is a head scratcher. But given its pedigree and how many years since the last James Cameron film, I was hoping for something … Continue reading
To be honest, the only reason I watched this obscure digital flick was because I spent a handful of weekends on a river when I was a kid. And I played the arcade game Toobin’… so when a horror flick … Continue reading
Something from Tiffany’s oozes so much charisma and chemistry that it blew past my cynicism and squirreled its way into my brain (or maybe my heart). This is an enormously charming and cute Christmas-based romantic comedy with great leads and … Continue reading
When I heard this movie was about a murderous robotic mall Santa, my mind immediately went to a killbot from Chopping Mall with a Santy hat and beard. I mean, why wouldn’t it? But no, this robot Santa just looks … Continue reading
Good intentions and handsome filmmaking are the hallmarks of this grim slavery/civil war epic. Lincoln has issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves of the the rebelling South. Will Smith plays real-life escaped slave Peter who must survive first his … Continue reading
How can you tell the difference between Disney’s Pinocchio and Guillermo del Toro’s? Del Toro’s is the one with a surprising number of fascists. And is clearly made by the guy who gave us the twisted fairy tale Pan’s Labyrinth. … Continue reading
Your Christmas or Mine gave me a brief existential crisis when I realized Asa Butterfield is now old enough to play the boyfriend in a silly Christmas rom-com. When did that happen? And will it ever stop happening? I mull … Continue reading
A Wounded Fawn is a kind of movie that’s 50/50 with me and my logical brain. There’s a lot of weird, surreal imagery and ponderous meaning that risked my attention and patience. But I think they knew what they were … Continue reading