Michael Calleri
Tomatometer-approved critic
I have been reviewing movies in metropolitan Buffalo for three decades. I have written for weeklies as well as my current daily newspaper, the Niagara Gazette. I have been with the daily Niagara Gazette for almost six years. For ten years, I was the movie critic on the CBS television affiliate in Buffalo. I also currently appear on the radio doing a weekly review segment. I am a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association. When not watching movies, I collect, study and write about art glass paperweights.
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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80 for Brady (2023) |
“80 For Brady” is a sweetly engaging comedy of the kind that we don’t see much of lately. It succeeds as entertainment because of the prodigious talents of Tomlin, Fonda, Moreno, and Field. They take the story and run with it. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Feb 12, 2023
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Infinity Pool (2023) |
A psychological madness grips James. He starts appreciating the other strange goings-on. The cloning is only the tip of the iceberg and a fascinating part of the film, but unfortunately, it’s where writer-director Cronenberg stops being innovative.
- Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Feb 03, 2023
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Maybe I Do (2023) |
When you’ve got superstars like Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Richard Gere, and William H. Macy involved, you relish the jaundiced looks and little asides that only the best in the acting game know how to deliver to the camera. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jan 28, 2023
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A Man Called Otto (2022) |
“A Man Called Otto” lays down a familiar pattern for its storytelling and action. The movie clicks because Tom Hanks delivers a performance that is always in the moment. You sense there’s a more pleasant past Otto could recapture, if he’s willing. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jan 23, 2023
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White Noise (2022) |
The book made Don DeLillo a publishing superstar. The film never quite captures the epic feel of the story and it certainly doesn’t generate any electrifying white heat. It’s not a bad effort, but it is a misguided one. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jan 23, 2023
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The Trouble With Harry (1955) |
The film plays out with utterly charming merriment, which is assisted every step of the way by the acting of the sparkling cast. The characters may be naive, but they are adorably beguiling, and the tale bounces to a satisfying conclusion. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jan 08, 2023
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) |
Writer-director Rian Johnson has delivered a pleasing potpourri that’s peppered with wordplay and is blended with some strong characters who rescue the film from its lesser elements. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jan 08, 2023
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Babylon (2022) |
The story that wraps around Jack, Manny, Nellie, and Elinor runs 188-minutes and I never felt its length. The movie breathes. It’s bravura filmmaking with imagination, depth, and spectacular production values. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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Empire of Light (2022) |
“Empire Of Light” captures the magic of moviegoing and the dream world of watching films in a local theater perfectly. A superb Olivia Colman plays a middle-aged woman, who enjoys the camaraderie found at her job as an assistant manager of the cinema. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) |
Beautifully written and superbly directed by Martin McDonagh with a keen understanding of the ways some people need conversation and attention and others don’t want it, the movie develops moods and insights that are both curious and sly. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Dec 23, 2022
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The Fabelmans (2022) |
Spielberg captures the wonder and awe of movies as seen through the eyes of young Sammy. Not only is the boy smitten with the moviegoing experience, he is fascinated by the techniques required to create the art form. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Dec 11, 2022
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Bones and All (2022) |
Regarding Maren and Lee, there’s a unique romantic connection between the two cannibals, and Guadagnino’s film, which is well-written by David Kajganich from Camille DeAngelis’s young adult novel, becomes an expressive ode to heartache, hope, and hunger. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Dec 02, 2022
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The Menu (2022) |
“The Menu” is part psychological thriller and part horror movie. There will be blood. There are moments that are wickedly funny. After watching the unique, fast-paced, and savory film, you may never eat S’mores again. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Nov 25, 2022
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) |
This retelling of Carlo Collodi’s novel about a wooden puppet who comes to life and dreams of becoming a real boy looks outstanding. The movie’s animation artistry is superb. It’s one of my favorite movies of the year.
- Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Nov 24, 2022
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My Policeman (2022) |
What Styles does, and why he’s so good in the part, is to play Tom’s deep emotional conflicts honestly. He rightly plays his character’s hesitancy strongly. The acting by the entire cast is outstanding. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Nov 11, 2022
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Tár (2022) |
“Tar” is an uncompromising cinematic microscope examining creativity and the refusal to compromise. Cate Blanchett plays Lydia with a fierce, laser-like dedication to her character’s myriad desires and demons. A best actress Oscar nomination is assured. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Nov 11, 2022
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Amsterdam (2022) |
Scenes drag on. Characters seem to be in different movies. The film looks terrific because of Judy Becker’s superior production values, but good grief, where are we headed? - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Oct 24, 2022
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Blonde (2022) |
Director Andrew Dominik mixes color and black and white and creates scenes that are more visually and thematic imaginative than is traditional. The movie has a rhythm that grabs you and never lets go. The story flows with conviction. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Oct 14, 2022
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Bros (2022) |
What’s especially laudable is that director Nicholas Stoller and his co-screenwriter Billy Eichner, who stars as podcaster and future LGBTQ+ museum director Lieber, didn’t flinch at making him as caustic and bombastic a curmudgeon as possible. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Oct 06, 2022
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Don't Worry Darling (2022) |
“Don’t Worry Darling” is a well-made motion picture with outstanding production values and a spectacular lead performance by Florence Pugh at its core. It also proves that filmmaker Olivia Wilde can direct an action sequence with the best of them. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Oct 01, 2022
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Blow Out (1981) |
A sound effects man working on low-budget features thinks he has accidentally recorded a political assassination. He becomes obsessed with what he hears. Insisting on uncovering the truth, he seeks the help of a possible eyewitness to the supposed crime. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Sep 21, 2022
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Blow-Up (1966) |
Italian New Wave director Michelangelo Antonioni was helping alter the European cinematic landscape with his bold features. One of Antonioni’s classics is the great “Blow-Up,” which is from 1966 and is one of my all-time favorite movies. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Sep 21, 2022
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See How They Run (2022) |
One of the treasures of “See How They Run” are the bits of dialogue that are spoken as careful asides so that they impart a lot of worthwhile, albeit subtle, information to the audience. These are mostly British characters who are delightfully theatrical. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Sep 21, 2022
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Breaking (2022) |
The acting in “Breaking” is sublime with Boyega leading the power we see on the screen. Director Corbin takes the tight screenplay and expertly frames the words that are spoken. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Aug 26, 2022
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Mack & Rita (2022) |
You not only get Diane Keaton in all her quirky glory, but you also get a fabulous wardrobe to dazzle any budding costume designer living in your house. This is a comedy, after all, and the pratfalls come tumbling out from every corner of the screen.
- Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Aug 22, 2022
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Bullet Train (2022) |
“Bullet Train” has a story to tell, but director David Leitch, a former stuntman for Pitt, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Matt Damon, tells it in slapdash fashion. Much of the material is played for laughs, but little of it is actually humorous. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Aug 12, 2022
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Vengeance (2022) |
The story is wrapped in the framework of a fast-paced thriller with rich, darkly comic undertones. The film is a gift of refreshing cinematic pleasure in a woebegone season of mostly remakes and retreads. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Aug 05, 2022
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Nope (2022) |
“Nope” is an exuberant tribute to what would happen if all those “what ifs” about visitors from another planet actually happened right in the middle of the place where motion picture dreams are created. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jul 29, 2022
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From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) |
The story is about the Gecko brothers, Clooney as Seth and Tarantino as Richie, two exceedingly dangerous bank robbers who are on a maniacal crime spree. The ultra-violent movie is pitch-perfect in its stylistic mayhem. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jul 24, 2022
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The Gray Man (2022) |
As part of the weak story, there’s a flash drive involved, which contains a treasure trove of top secret information that shouldn’t get in the wrong hands. Yes, that old canard. Too much is done for laughs. Mark Greaney doesn’t write comic novels. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jul 24, 2022
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Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) |
Lesley Manville creates such a lovely, relatable, and heartfelt character that the audience readily believes in her and her quest. Her determination is infectious. Her energy is boundless. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jul 19, 2022
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Jerry & Marge Go Large (2022) |
Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening are wonderful as Jerry and Marge. Both create delightful characters who can’t believe their luck. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jul 02, 2022
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The Book Keepers (2022) |
Phil Wall, an accomplished documentary filmmaker, chronicles the passionate advocacy of his father. The resulting movie is a beautifully intimate portrait of loss and never-ending love. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jul 02, 2022
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Father of the Bride (2022) |
“Father Of The Bride” never catches wedding fever. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jul 02, 2022
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Elvis (2022) |
Butler understands his character’s struggle and the demons that would later consume Presley. His public persona is that of a charming fellow. Butler nails it. He also walks like Elvis in a way that is eerie. The movie never feels unrealistic. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jun 25, 2022
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Jurassic World Dominion (2022) |
“Jurassic World: Dominion” roars into movie theaters with creative exhaustion nipping at its rapacious dinosaur jaws. The only sense of awe is associated with the aw-shucks disappointment of a missed opportunity. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jun 18, 2022
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Crimes of the Future (2022) |
The haunting story proceeds in relatively straightforward and uncompromising fashion. The freakish idea of what we’re seeing is unsettling. Chilling and daring, the practice of creating art has become more personal than most would imagine. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jun 11, 2022
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Rosemary's Baby (1968) |
The movie is a masterpiece of editing (by Sam O’Steen and Bob Wyman) and the acting is flawlessly delivered by a brilliant, tour-de-force cast. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jun 03, 2022
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Miracle in Milan (1951) |
The character-driven tale flows forward with charm and energy and quite interesting special effects. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jun 03, 2022
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Top Gun: Maverick (2022) |
“Top Gun: Maverick” is a better movie than its predecessor. The jet-propelled flying thrills and crisp special effects are infinitely superior. This is high-gloss “Hollywood” entertainment. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Jun 03, 2022
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Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) |
Is this really the best the creative team could do? Recycle the plot of a classic Hollywood musical comedy from 1952? Send the younger members of the extended Crawley family to the French Riviera for obvious cross-cultural jokes? I’m embarrassed for them. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted May 25, 2022
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Petite Maman (2021) |
The film is a delicate cinematic poem that beautifully glides from nostalgia to something genuine and insightful. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted May 25, 2022
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) |
There is an army of promotional appearances from other Marvel characters. Ultimately, a story is told that is relatively uninteresting and assuredly repetitive. It is also excessively loud and remarkably bland visually. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted May 25, 2022
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How They Got Over (2021) |
A parade of extraordinary African-American musicians, including the magical singer and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, takes the audience on a groundbreaking exploration of how gospel music shifted the psyche of American teenagers. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted May 09, 2022
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The Duke (2020) |
Jim Broadbent delivers a performance that is exactly how we want to see a quirky chap behave. His comic timing is flawless. Helen Mirren has less to do, but she does it brilliantly. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted May 09, 2022
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Anaïs in Love (2021) |
The movie is written and directed by Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet her first feature film. She knows how to make kooky seem relatable. The storytelling is straightforward. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Apr 29, 2022
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Firebird (2021) |
The compelling, flawlessly acted film showcases confident direction by Rebane. This is his first feature. The movie tells its story with beautiful cinematography by Mait Maekivi. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Apr 29, 2022
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The Northman (2022) |
"The Northman" follows the breadth of savagery in savage lands. There is no escaping the pall of terror it reveals. Eggers is a master at blending psychology and cinema. He plays mind games with his most assuredly cowering audience - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Apr 23, 2022
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Ambulance (2022) |
The film is a fragmented morality fable about brothers that runs out of thematic gas long before the credits roll. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Apr 15, 2022
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Morbius (2022) |
An attempt to toss in some comedy fails miserably. The evil doings and essential fight come across as labored and expected for the genre. - Niagara Gazette
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| Posted Apr 09, 2022
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