David Wiegand
David Wiegand's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at the following Tomatometer-approved publication(s):
San Francisco Chronicle
Hearst Newspapers
Movies reviews only
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Top of the Lake is Jane Campion and her cast at the top of their game. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 16, 2021
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The Special Relationship (2010) |
If you don't care about credibility, The Special Relationship is entertaining, thanks in large part to the performances. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Sep 09, 2020
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The Sunset Limited (2011) |
Jackson may have the slightly more difficult job... but he more than meets that challenge. His is that TV rarity, a tour de force performance, rippling with energy, nuance, humor and passion. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Aug 06, 2020
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The Girl (2012) |
The director of Psycho and Vertigo has been gone for years, which should make it "safe" for someone to impersonate him. But that's all we get from Jones, an impersonation, and not a very good one, either. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Aug 04, 2020
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Cinema Verite (2011) |
Even without the original source material, Cinema Verite offers provocative insight into how far we've become lost in the reality-TV wilderness in the past 40 years. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 03, 2020
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Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012) |
Kaufman's film, despite some flaws, captures the intensity of their story and pulls us in with the irresistible force of a great, doomed love story. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted May 29, 2020
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Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria (2005) |
Many may think they know the facts of what happened at Compton's but "Screaming Queens" adds telling detail of what led up to the riots as provided by some of the participants themselves. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted May 20, 2020
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My Boy Jack (2007) |
Here [Radcliffe] is given a bit more to work with, and he simply soars. He is the heart of the film, even when he's not onscreen. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 25, 2020
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Prayers for Bobby (2009) |
There may be some flaws in "Prayers for Bobby," but that doesn't mean it won't kick you in the emotional gut. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Oct 03, 2019
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Jump In! (2007) |
For all its predictability, it's efficiently and often energetically directed by Paul Hoen, working from a script by Doreen Spicer, Regina Hicks and Karin Gist. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Sep 17, 2019
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High School Musical 2 (2007) |
There are more than a few high notes in the sequel, but there are also some flat notes as well. But, again, no matter: Kids will gobble it up like last year's Halloween candy anyway. They could do a lot worse. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Sep 10, 2019
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Knock Knock, It's Tig Notaro (2015) |
It's impossible to say which parts of "Knock Knock" are funnier: the actual shows, or the repartee between Notaro and Dore on the road. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Aug 01, 2019
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David Cross: Making America Great Again (2016) |
Cross has a very definite political agenda, which is hardly unique among contemporary comics, but even the choir may be uncomfortable with his preaching. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 09, 2019
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Amy Schumer: The Leather Special (2017) |
Amy Schumer takes no prisoners in "The Leather Special," an hour of hilarious, raunchy comedy... - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 09, 2019
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Grey Gardens (2009) |
Whether you know the Maysleses' film or not, you'll be astounded at the performances of Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore as Big and Little Edie. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 25, 2018
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Jackie Robinson... does a workmanlike job telling the story of a pioneer who later struggled to find his place in the evolving discussion of race in America. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 02, 2018
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Too Big to Fail (2011) |
Director Curtis Hanson paces the whole thing like a thriller, as if the fate of the entire world were at stake. By the end, even if we don't entirely understand the complexity of the threat, we're convinced that's exactly how serious the crisis was. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 25, 2018
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I Feel Pretty (2018) |
Schumer is the movie, shamelessly comic... but also willing to take us straight into the character's pain. I Feel Pretty may go down as her signature picture. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 18, 2018
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Harry Styles at the BBC (2017) |
The show isn't as satisfying as seeing Styles perform live, and Grimshaw may not add much to the party, but it is, after all, Harry Styles -- and that makes the hour deserving of being called a special. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 16, 2018
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Elvis Presley: The Searcher (2018) |
Elvis Presley: The Searcher convincingly finds what Elvis may have been looking for. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 13, 2018
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Paterno (2018) |
The script is weak and the direction is weaker, as Levinson tries to walk a fine line on the issue of Paterno's involvement for the sake of the tacked-on finale. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 03, 2018
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The Child in Time (2017) |
Children get lost -- we're used to that fact as the foundation of dramatic literature - but The Child in Time is about the child who can get "lost" as we grow into adulthood. That loss is also profound. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 26, 2018
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Love, Simon (2018) |
The element that keeps "Love, Simon" from fully realizing its potential is that it feels like something you'd see on TV. And not on TV in 2018 - TV you'd see in the 1980s. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 13, 2018
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If we buy into the concept that great comedy's flip side is sadness, and we should, Atkinson brings that key element of his past comedic work to the role of Maigret. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 27, 2018
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Maigret's Dead Man (2016) |
Screenwriter Stewart Harcourt makes his point, telling us something about Maigret and his wife. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 27, 2018
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Maigret Sets a Trap (2016) |
Just knowing the identity of the killer turns out to be only part of the story. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 27, 2018
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Maigret in Montmartre (2017) |
If we buy into the concept that great comedy's flip side is sadness, and we should, Atkinson brings that key element of his past comedic work to the role of Maigret. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Feb 27, 2018
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Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) |
There's really little point in investing more thought in this movie than the filmmakers, is there? - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jan 24, 2018
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Psych: The Movie (2017) |
In truth, the movie isn't quite up there with some of the more memorable episodes from the show, but whether you're a veteran pineapple-head or a newcomer to the silliness, Psych: The Movie is welcome comic relief. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Dec 28, 2017
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The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee (2017) |
Fortunately, though they may not be titanic, there are real journalists still fighting the good fight in the business, in TV, social and digital media, and in newspapers. All of them to one extent or another embody the legacy of Ben Bradlee. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Nov 27, 2017
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Beach Rats (2017) |
It's not the feel-good movie of the year, but it's a powerfully rendered reminder that coming of age can be harrowing, and hurtful to others, even in our purportedly more open-minded country. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Sep 07, 2017
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Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (2017) |
Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy will melt the heart of the most hardened cynic. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 24, 2017
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Disney's Descendants 2 (2017) |
Descendants 2 will not disappoint, and that means fans as well as Disney's number crunchers. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 18, 2017
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Tour De Pharmacy (2017) |
Tour de Pharmacy is a tour de farce of bad taste, unsophisticated humor, brief nudity and absolutely no redeeming values at all except that it's damn funny and oh, so badly needed right about now. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jul 07, 2017
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T.J. Miller: Meticulously Ridiculous (2017) |
[It] veers wildly from being very funny, to sounding like a stoner's meandering journey through topics only he finds funny, to stuff you'd expect to hear from a 12-year-old. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 15, 2017
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Becoming Cary Grant (2016) |
The documentary adds to the mountain of information about Grant and brings us somewhat closer to understanding who he really was. But it's likely aspects of both Archie Leach and Cary Grant will remain an enigma forever. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jun 05, 2017
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The Wizard of Lies (2017) |
Levinson does a solid job for the most part. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted May 19, 2017
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Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive (2017) |
He is in command every minute he's onstage, exhibiting flawless comic timing in a routine that is liberally peppered with four-letter words, but big on both humor and, yes, heart. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted May 15, 2017
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Batman & Bill (2017) |
The film is beautifully directed by Don Argott and produced by Sheena Joyce. The one thing that's missing is commentary from Kane's side of the story. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted May 04, 2017
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017) |
Henrietta Lacks achieved a kind of immortality after her death. But Skloot's book and, now, this gripping film adaptation will ensure that the world knows who she was. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 25, 2017
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Louis C.K.: 2017 (2017) |
Louis C.K. toggles between grouchy and apologetic, his two most oft-used standup comedy gears. He does this to such perfection that even the few moments when the content is weak or a tad forced, he still has his audience on the floor. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Apr 01, 2017
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Robert Klein Still Can't Stop His Leg (2016) |
Fine can't be faulted for loving his subject. His filmmaking reflects that love. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 29, 2017
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To Walk Invisible: The Bronte Sisters (2016) |
The film is graced by lovely performances from the main cast in particular. The work by the actresses in the lead roles is so good, you can easily forget that they don't look at all as though they could be related. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 23, 2017
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My Love Affair With the Brain: The Life & Science of Dr. Marian Diamond (2016) |
Diamond really has a love affair with the human brain, and through this joy-filled film, it's highly contagious. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Mar 22, 2017
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Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016) |
The film is surprisingly revealing, given the fact that its two subjects, in both similar and individual ways, are playing for the audience. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jan 05, 2017
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Paterson (2016) |
Jarmusch has created a small miracle of a film, one that is both intellectually dazzling and emotionally provocative. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jan 05, 2017
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By Sidney Lumet (2015) |
The film is fascinating and important as it is, and Buirski made the right decision in focusing largely on the Anker interviews with Lumet. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Jan 03, 2017
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Every Brilliant Thing (2016) |
Play and performance are spot on, but they are also more than they seem to be. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Dec 21, 2016
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Barry (2016) |
Terrell's performance elevates the film...He is convincing in conveying Obama's serious demeanor and suggesting the eliding cadence of Obama's manner of speech. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Dec 13, 2016
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Lion (2016) |
Because of Patel's electrifying and deeply nuanced performance, Lion ultimately delivers the emotional punch it has promised all along. - San Francisco Chronicle
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| Posted Dec 07, 2016
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