Ben Travers
Tomatometer-approved critic
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Chris Rock: Selective Outrage (2023) |
While courting indignation via pervasive buzzwords certainly isn’t all Rock did, “Selective Outrage” was in no way built to last. Half the jokes were obsolete before he finished saying them. - indieWire
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| Posted Mar 06, 2023
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Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend (2020) |
To complain that parts of this special don't make sense might seem beside the point... but when timelines don't match up or potentially powerful moments are quickly disposed of, it undermines any substantial impact the special might otherwise carry. - indieWire
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| Posted Aug 09, 2021
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Friends: The Reunion (2021) |
Just seeing the core cast, 17 years older and inhabiting the sets out of character, is a little bizarre, but what makes the reunion so much weirder (to the point where I had to take a break 20 minutes in) is how desperate it feels. - indieWire
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| Posted May 26, 2021
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WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (2021) |
That version of Neumann is just one more tech yuppie full of hot air, and "WeWork" doesn't work hard enough to convince us why anyone would believe he's a unicorn, let alone what broke the spell. - indieWire
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| Posted Mar 18, 2021
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Yearly Departed (2020) |
Maybe a roast isn't exactly what "Yearly Departed" was going for, but a wake doesn't quite fit either. - indieWire
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| Posted Jan 05, 2021
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A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (2020) |
Still, the reunion's determination to put its prolonged hold on people to good use is an admirable twist on the series' continuing legacy - indieWire
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| Posted Dec 31, 2020
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Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical! (2020) |
It really feels like they were going for a zany, over-the-top vibe to match the Seussian weirdness driving this story, and while the set design and costumes got there, the performances, songs, and blocking didn't quite make it. - indieWire
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| Posted Dec 10, 2020
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The Sunset Limited (2011) |
Jones and Jackson are fantastic, yes, but we already knew that and these characters aren't exactly a stretch for either of them. I'm sure they enjoyed doing it, especially Jones, who gets the juiciest lines. It's just not enough to justify viewing. - PopMatters
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| Posted Aug 06, 2020
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(undefined) |
"Long Gone Summer" offers little more than a barrage of shallow pop flies to convince me I should. - indieWire
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| Posted Jun 16, 2020
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Lance (2020) |
Anyone interested enough in Armstrong to watch three hours of "Lance" will be entertained and informed, perhaps they'll even form fresh opinions on the figure, but he's still just a guy. - indieWire
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| Posted Jan 28, 2020
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John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch (2019) |
It's an inventive, exciting, and very funny homage. - indieWire
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| Posted Dec 19, 2019
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Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019) |
It doesn't revolutionize or reinvigorate the web series, so much as it draws on nostalgia from when the idea still seemed fresh. - indieWire
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| Posted Sep 23, 2019
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Joe Mande's Award-winning Comedy Special (2017) |
Netflix is flooded with comedy specials, including the "series" mentioned next on this list, but Mande is one to make sure you don't miss. - indieWire
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| Posted Jul 18, 2019
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Michael Che Matters (2016) |
While not consistently fresh (bits on giving money to the homeless and Jesus being white feel familiar) or laugh-a-minute hysterical, the special is intriguing in its demand for more honesty. - indieWire
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| Posted Jul 16, 2019
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Aziz Ansari: Right Now (2019) |
Framed by a sincere pseudo-apology and an earnest thank you, Ansari's not interested in going for the joke at all costs, so much as he wants to engage again with the audience he almost lost. - indieWire
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| Posted Jul 10, 2019
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Deadwood: The Movie (2019) |
The closing line of David Milch's "Deadwood" movie is one of the greatest ever written. - indieWire
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| Posted May 23, 2019
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O.G. (2018) |
Can be a tad slow, a touch too simple, and even a little distracted from making a larger, more declarative point about modern incarceration. But by carving its own path through Louis...it's nothing short of original. - indieWire
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| Posted Feb 25, 2019
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Rent Live (2019) |
There were moments, songs, and even stretches of "Rent Live" that worked as an engrossing musical experience, but the whole thing did not gel. - indieWire
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| Posted Jan 28, 2019
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My Dinner With Hervé (2018) |
What's left are two dudes with varying degrees of moral disrepair shouting at each other across the Hollywood Hills. That's not enough to hold up an entire feature, or even a good dinner conversation. - indieWire
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| Posted Oct 22, 2018
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Fahrenheit 451 (2018) |
Unfortunately, Fahrenheit 451 isn't hard-hitting enough as a film to be a proper motivating factor on its own. - indieWire
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| Posted May 14, 2018
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Paterno (2018) |
It speaks to viewers with disparate reactions, but it also speaks to anyone who didn't dig into the scandal at the time by outlining what happens when we are too quick to defend the famous faces instead of those claiming to be victimized by them. - indieWire
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| Posted Apr 09, 2018
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Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018) |
Well, it's safe to say that was the best live musical since Grease. From a production standpoint, I'm glad to see they tried to raise the bar creatively instead of just copying what was done before. - indieWire
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| Posted Apr 02, 2018
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Spielberg (2017) |
Spielberg still feels like a respectful appreciation of a beloved figure more than an insightful study. There's nothing wrong with that, but ... it's also OK to ask for more. - indieWire
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| Posted Oct 07, 2017
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Burn, Motherf*cker, Burn! (2017) |
Blatant and unflinching, the documentary depicts a world that is neither well-balanced nor fair. - indieWire
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| Posted Sep 25, 2017
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Hermia & Helena (2016) |
By positioning Shakespeare within a chatty tale of young adulthood - and giving it a feminist slant - Pieiro proves the vitality of the material without becoming subservient to it. - indieWire
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| Posted May 24, 2017
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The Wizard of Lies (2017) |
The Wizard of Lies isn't interested in gray areas. It wants you to see what the victims saw, and from a similarly pained perspective. - indieWire
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| Posted May 15, 2017
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017) |
Byrne is as solid as ever, and House of Cards favorite Reg E. Cathey stops by to provide additional gravitas, but the cast can't quite make up for the idea that Henrietta Lacks feels like a misplaced movie. - indieWire
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| Posted Apr 19, 2017
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Louis C.K.: 2017 (2017) |
If Louis CK 2017 is what we get in exchange for his work in so many other venues, than that's an excellent trade-off. There's more magic in that mic than we realize. - indieWire
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| Posted Apr 04, 2017
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The Disaster Artist (2017) |
The Disaster Artist largely works because it brings us closer to Tommy while reveling in the same ingredients that have turned him into an icon. - indieWire
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| Posted Mar 13, 2017
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Oklahoma City (2017) |
A blunt reminder of what has happened, and could happen again, when misinformation is spread to dangerous, angry, homegrown radicals. - indieWire
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| Posted Jan 25, 2017
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The Comedian (2016) |
Robert De Niro's eight-years-in-the-making passion project is a baffling mess loaded with outdated and unfunny jokes. - indieWire
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| Posted Nov 14, 2016
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Blair Witch (2016) |
Compared to the ill-fated "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 -- the first follow-up which was rushed to market for financial reasons -- this new iteration still comes across as downright inspiring. - indieWire
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| Posted Jul 25, 2016
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Batman: The Killing Joke (2016) |
Batman: The Killing Joke is borderline unsettling - and not in a good way. - indieWire
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| Posted Jul 25, 2016
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All the Way (2016) |
All the Way should be admired for going the distance, and Cranston rewarded for holding it all together. - indieWire
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| Posted May 20, 2016
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Confirmation (2016) |
What's most admirable about the film is the person who's been pushing for its creation the longest. Kerry Washington brings a beautifully reserved presence to Hill without stripping her of any bravery. - indieWire
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| Posted Apr 18, 2016
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A Very Murray Christmas (2015) |
A Very Murray Christmas is ultimately just that: an honest attempt to be merry and an even more direct explanation of what it's like to be Murray. - indieWire
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| Posted Nov 18, 2015
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Ferrell Takes The Field (2015) |
When treated as light, easy entertainment, Ferrell Takes the Field goes down just fine. - indieWire
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| Posted Sep 16, 2015
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Bessie (2015) |
Despite its complicated central figure, Rees' film feels all too typical in the end. The small moments are there for anyone who wants to find them, but they're not enough to make "Bessie" as great as the woman herself. - indieWire
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| Posted Jun 04, 2015
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Nightingale (2014) |
"Nightingale" is overshot to appear more cinematic and underwritten to avoid pomposity, and that's okay. Both decisions are just that: choices to serve the character. Peter would be pleased with how his little film turned out. - indieWire
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| Posted Jun 03, 2015
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The Good Son: The Life of Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini (2013) |
The singular focus is not a fatal flaw. Not at all, really. It's merely a question haunting The Good Son even when its concentration steers the viewer away from it. - indieWire
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| Posted Jun 30, 2014
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