Lael Loewenstein
Tomatometer-approved critic
Publications:
Boxoffice Magazine,
Los Angeles Times,
Variety,
FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
Critics' Group:
Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Movie Reviews Only
| T-Meter | Title | Year | Review | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | Golden Voices (2021) |
This is such a charming film, and I liked it from the very first frame. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Oct 8, 2021
|
|
| 80% | Convergence: Courage in a Crisis (2021) |
It's fascinating in parts... They have footage that is extraordinary. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Oct 8, 2021
|
|
| 95% | Mass (2021) |
There are strong performances all around, Ann Dowd and Martha Plimpton I thought in particular. Both of them were excellent. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Oct 8, 2021
|
|
| 96% | Ascension (2021) |
A very powerful film. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Oct 8, 2021
|
|
| 97% | The Rescue (2021) |
In some ways, I think it's a massive achievement... What I would have liked from it was a little more about the boys themselves. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Oct 8, 2021
|
|
| 84% | Lamb (2021) |
Gorgeous, windswept, and horrifying at the same time. It's a wonderfully creepy, weird film. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Oct 8, 2021
|
|
| 84% | No Time To Die (2021) |
It was overlong and it got heavy in a way that I'm not sure a Bond film needs to. I admire what it was trying to do, but there was just a weightiness to it. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Oct 8, 2021
|
|
| 100% | The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain (2021) |
A very strong indie film that's very powerful. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Sep 17, 2021
|
|
| 75% | Blue Bayou (2021) |
There are so many plot twists and distractions that take away from the essence of the film. I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater... But it could have been more with a little bit less. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Sep 17, 2021
|
|
| 79% | Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021) |
It moved me, lifted my spirits, and I thought it was kind of fun to watch. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Sep 17, 2021
|
|
| 86% | The Mad Women's Ball (Le bal des folles) (2021) |
Even though this is a period piece, it is incredibly relevant and timely. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Sep 17, 2021
|
|
| 51% | Best Sellers (2021) |
An absolutely charming intergenerational buddy movie. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Sep 17, 2021
|
|
| 66% | The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) |
A spectacular parade of wigs... Chastain works extra hard, but you never get under her skin. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Sep 17, 2021
|
|
| 59% | Cry Macho (2021) |
There are things in the film that work and things that don't, but in general it's worth seeing if you're a Clint fan. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Sep 17, 2021
|
|
| 88% | Ema (2021) |
The visuals are striking... But narratively, it's weird. It's a weird, off-putting movie, and I didn't really want to be involved. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Aug 27, 2021
|
|
| 70% | Together (2021) |
It would have worked well as a theater piece, which is how it was conceived. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Aug 27, 2021
|
|
| 75% | On Broadway (2021) |
It makes a point, and it actually makes it rather elegantly... It's not the most incisive documentary, but there are wonderful interviews. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Aug 27, 2021
|
|
| 78% | Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021) |
It's a film that tries to do more than it's successful at, but if you're a fan of Bob Ross and his legacy, I think it's something you will appreciate. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Aug 27, 2021
|
|
| 31% | He's All That (2021) |
It is total fluff, but in some ways of the most delightful kind. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Aug 27, 2021
|
|
| No Score Yet | My Childhood, My Country: 20 Years in Afghanistan (2021) |
A remarkable, moving, and gripping film told with great intimacy. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Aug 27, 2021
|
|
| 100% | The Ladykillers (1955) |
Under Alexander Mackendrick's direction, all of these actors have a chance to shine... It's absolutely so much fun to settle back and watch these actors do what they do best. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jul 9, 2021
|
|
| 92% | No Sudden Move (2020) |
A pretty good yarn from one of our most experimental and gifted filmmakers. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jul 9, 2021
|
|
| 52% | The Tomorrow War (2021) |
Convoluted and frustrating. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jul 9, 2021
|
|
| 50% | Long Story Short (2021) |
A really lovely writer-director calling card. I would love to see more from Josh Lawson. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jul 9, 2021
|
|
| 47% | The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021) |
I still enjoy hearing Alec Baldwin as a baby genius. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jul 9, 2021
|
|
| 63% | 12 Mighty Orphans (2021) |
In the genre of the inspirational sports movie. I tend to fall for that... It was okay. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 21, 2021
|
|
| 80% | Summer of 85 (Été 85) (2021) |
It was well-acted and the compositions are strong, but it's not the finest Ozon film. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 21, 2021
|
|
| 67% | Fatherhood (2021) |
It's got its moments, but there are some things we've seen before. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 21, 2021
|
|
| 95% | The Sparks Brothers (2021) |
I thought it was a really good documentary -- just a little too long. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 21, 2021
|
|
| 91% | Luca (2021) |
I struggled to find what was unusual or recommendable for this one... It is B-list Pixar. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 21, 2021
|
|
| 100% | Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer (2021) |
Just outstanding. It was so informative. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 21, 2021
|
|
| 90% | Les nôtres (2021) |
Very well directed [and] very emotionally authentic, calibrated performances. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 21, 2021
|
|
| 96% | Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It (2021) |
Stunning, revealing, and a really eye-opening look at an artist who we've always respected. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 21, 2021
|
|
| 96% | Plan B (2021) |
It was funny with great performances, smart writing, and whip-smart direction by Natalie Morales. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 3, 2021
|
|
| 84% | Port Authority (2019) |
I thought Leyna Bloom was absolutely tremendous, and she was worth seeing the film for. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 3, 2021
|
|
| 100% | Changing the Game (2019) |
What worked in this film is that even though it definitely had a point of view and an agenda, it also showed the ironies in the capricious ways some of these laws are enforced. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 3, 2021
|
|
| 52% | Moby Doc (2021) |
It's very stylistically inventive and weird, but it also doesn't completely add up to a full portrait. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 3, 2021
|
|
| 74% | Cruella (2021) |
The duel of the Emmas is fun to watch... Jenny Bevan's costumes were absolutely phenomenal. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 3, 2021
|
|
| 91% | A Quiet Place Part II (2021) |
Like in the first film, Krasinski has a greatly assured sense of direction. He brings terrific performances out of his cast. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Jun 3, 2021
|
|
| No Score Yet | Her Name Is Chef (2021) |
It brings up a lot of questions about equality in gender and how women can make their way in this world, but it also is a touching and tragic tale of one woman being gone way too soon. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Mar 26, 2021
|
|
| 15% | Deadly Illusions (2020) |
It's not particularly good. Soft-core cheese. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Mar 22, 2021
|
|
| 100% | Martha: A Picture Story (2019) |
I thought she was a truly remarkable person. Very inspiring. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Mar 22, 2021
|
|
| 51% | City of Lies (2018) |
I don't think it's a particularly great film. I can see why it sat in the can. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Mar 22, 2021
|
|
| 100% | Perfumes (Les Parfums) (2020) |
This is an utterly charming film. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Mar 22, 2021
|
|
| 69% | Happily (2021) |
Seems much more accomplished than a debut film. I really liked it. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Mar 22, 2021
|
|
| 71% | Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) |
I think that DC fans will be happy, but regular people? Maybe not so much. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Mar 22, 2021
|
|
| 86% | The Courier (2020) |
It's really an incredible story, and speaks to Benedict Cumberbatch's great range... This is one of his finest performances. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Mar 22, 2021
|
|
| 76% | The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021) |
We've seen some of this before... but for the most part I thought it was a sweet, gentle romance with some nice humor. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Feb 12, 2021
|
|
| 12% | Breaking News in Yuba County (2021) |
Mostly terrible but I thought the first half was actually quite funny. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Feb 12, 2021
|
|
| 63% | French Exit (2021) |
I felt it was a very mannered performance by Michelle Pfeiffer... I didn't feel like her performance, which was supposed to anchor the film, was very accessible. - FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
EDIT
Read More
| Posted Feb 12, 2021
|
