On the surface, Free State of Jones, looks to be just another Civil War epic with a “white savior” leading the charge. You have a group of oppressed people who are powerless against the established forces that be and then you have a lone hero, who once fought alongside the oppressors, only to turn and […]
i-Lived, written and directed by Franck Khalfoun, is a laughably incompetent horror movie that takes a potentially interesting idea and utterly fails at every level of its execution. The basic premise revolves around a self-help app called i-Lived, which promises to fulfill whatever goals its users set for themselves. Simply enter your objective and i-Lived […]
Anomalisa, written and co-directed by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), is a brilliantly made introspective stop-motion comedy drama that feels like it should have more to say than it actually does. Michael Stone (David Thewlis) is a customer service expert, who is incapable of truly connecting with people. To […]
Andrei Tarkovsky is often considered to be one of the great auteur directors, making movies like Andrei Rublev, Solaris and The Sacrifice. His first movie was the war movie Ivan’s Childhood (My Name is Ivan in the US), a movie that won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and is now being re-released […]
It seems unavoidable to not become philosophical when evaluating films like Captain Fantastic. It is easy to cheer for the passion of this reclusive family and to agree with many of their views on the modern world. On the other hand, this depiction of childrearing, the family’s combative tone and their antisocial nature make for a mixed […]
There is little to no expectations that precede the screening of Ice Age: Collision Course.The fifth out for the folks at 20th Century Fox has the feeling of a money grab and lacks any conceptual originality, there seems to be little hope for this outing of the pre-historic friends. In 2002, we were introduced to […]
Independence Day: Resurgence is a creatively bankrupt highlight reel of the best parts of the first movie, adding next to nothing to a franchise that really should not have been a franchise. There is a modern precedent for mega blockbuster sequels that fall back on the familiar. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a prime […]
Adult Life Skills is a self proclaimed “comedy about grief” by British filmmaker Rachel Tunnard, starring Jodie Whittaker and an undeniably stand-out performance from newcomer Ozzy Myers. The film is a full length development of Tunnard’s 2014 BAFTA nominated short Emotional Fusebox. Adult Life Skills won the Nora Ephron prize at the Tribeca Film Festival […]
After 13 years, Finding Nemo, one of several Pixar gems, finally gets its follow up movie, which in the same vein as the Toy Story films in particular, feels like a logical next step in the story of these characters. Pixar’s recent setback, if you could call it that speaking particularly of The Good Dinosaur, […]
Ma Ma, a Spanish melodrama written and directed by Julio Medem and starring Penélope Cruz, is a beautiful and often heartfelt drama that fall short due to a handful of bizzare creative decisions and an over-reliance on sentimentality. Madga is an unemployed teacher and mother currently separated from her husband. When is she diagnosed with […]
