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3/4
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The Lost King
(2022)
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Rob Thomas
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“The Lost King” brings a light but firm touch to a story that’s too good not to dig into.
Posted Mar 30, 2023
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3/4
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
(2023)
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Rob Thomas
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Goldstein and Daley have a background in comedy and they neither condescend to the source material nor treat it too preciously. The result is a good time whether you’re a Level 20 diehard player or a Level 1 newbie.
Posted Mar 30, 2023
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3/4
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Boston Strangler
(2023)
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Rob Thomas
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Matt Ruskin’s “Boston Strangler” can be seen as an update, and something of a rebuke, to the 1968 movie “The Boston Strangler.”
Posted Mar 18, 2023
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2/4
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Moving On
(2022)
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Rob Thomas
|
“Moving On” seems to be a science experiment to determine just how little movie you need to put around two beloved stars like Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and still have something watchable.
Posted Mar 18, 2023
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3.5/4
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The Quiet Girl
(2022)
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Rob Thomas
|
With wonderfully restrained performances and an eye for natural beauty, “The Quiet Girl” becomes an uplifting movie about the effects that compassion can have, especially on a young person still open to the world.
Posted Mar 10, 2023
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3.5/4
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2023 Oscar Nominated Shorts - Animation
(2023)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Do NOT bring your kids. Or if you do, be prepared to take a 25-minute break in the lobby or risk a very awkward conversation in the car on the drive home.
Posted Mar 02, 2023
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3.5/4
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2023 Oscar Nominated Shorts - Live Action
(2023)
|
Rob Thomas
|
It’s a very strong collection of five films from Denmark, Ireland, Italy, France and Norway.
Posted Mar 02, 2023
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3/4
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Creed III
(2023)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Starring (and now directed by) Jordan, this is a stirring, conventionally entertaining boxing film that stands on its own two feet.
Posted Mar 02, 2023
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2.5/4
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My Happy Ending
(2023)
|
Rob Thomas
|
When it connects, particularly with a magnetic lead performance by Andie MacDowell, the film is moving and thoughtful and, believe it or not, funny.
Posted Feb 24, 2023
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3.5/4
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Emily
(2022)
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Rob Thomas
|
O’Connor has taken the period piece, a venerable genre known for its reserve, and made it feel unpredictable and urgent.
Posted Feb 23, 2023
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2.5/4
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Pacifiction
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
It works better not as a political parable but as a woozy mood piece, like a Graham Greene novel that someone spilled their banana daiquiri on, making most of the words blurred and unreadable.
Posted Feb 21, 2023
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4/4
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
(2000)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Director Ang Lee has fashioned a high-flying, hard-kicking, backflipping extravaganza that somehow never neglects the complex, human side of its combatants.
Posted Feb 17, 2023
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3.5/4
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Saint Omer
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
When Nina Simone’s cover of Janis Joplin’s “Little Girl Blue” appears at the end of the film, it expresses a sadness in these women is almost overwhelming — a sadness they share.
Posted Feb 17, 2023
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3.5/4
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No Bears
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
The only happy ending here is that Panahi, against the odds, has made another film, and hopefully will be able to keep making them.
Posted Feb 10, 2023
|
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2.5/4
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The Amazing Maurice
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
There are also some scary scenes that might not play well with younger audiences. But older kids who think they’ve outgrown their Little Golden Books should have a good time, if not an “amazing” one.
Posted Feb 03, 2023
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3/4
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Leonor Will Never Die
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
The real hero of “Leonor Will Never Die” is an elderly woman who finds hope and salvation in the creative process — even if her creative process involves shootouts, fistfights and a scene where a bad guy gets a nail hammered into his eyeball.
Posted Feb 02, 2023
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4/4
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Aftersun
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
It’s not just a wrenching family drama but a fascinating meditation on memory, the poignant dance between past and present, and the experience of looking back on childhood with the perspective of an adult, seeing things we didn’t notice before.
Posted Feb 01, 2023
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3/4
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Riotsville, USA
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Pettengill’s film feels less like a historical documentary and more like a personal video essay, wry and angry, aimed at the military-industrial complex.
Posted Jan 27, 2023
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4/4
|
Women Talking
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
“Women Talking” is one of the best films of the year and cements Polley’s status as one of the most interesting filmmakers working today.
Posted Jan 27, 2023
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2/4
|
The Son
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
While “The Father” took us inside the troubled mind of its main character, “The Son” keeps its title character at a curious distance, offering little insight into his inner torment.
Posted Jan 20, 2023
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3/4
|
Broker
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
It’s as if Kore-eda is daring the audience not to empathize with characters doing something so obviously immoral. And the strange thing is, most of the time we do.
Posted Jan 20, 2023
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3/4
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
“The Last Wish” consistently delivers good jokes for young and old, dazzling visuals, and an earnest message about living the life you’ve got.
Posted Jan 20, 2023
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3/4
|
The Pale Blue Eye
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
“The Pale Blue Eye,” based on a novel by Louis Bayard, is an atmospheric and deliberate whodunit that doesn’t depend too heavily on perhaps the greatest mystery writer of all time in a supporting role.
Posted Jan 06, 2023
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3.5/4
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Corsage
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
The film goes beyond a simple feel-good #GirlPower message, showing the steep cost and heavy damage of seeking such emancipation.
Posted Jan 06, 2023
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1.5/4
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The Whale
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” is a film that tries to build sympathy and understanding for its dangerously obese main character. Maybe a good place to start would be to not call your film “The Whale”?
Posted Dec 21, 2022
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2.5/4
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Empire of Light
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
While I enjoyed watching it, especially for the wonderful performances, Mendes should have probably picked one movie to make rather than two.
Posted Dec 16, 2022
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3/4
|
The Inspection
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
It’s a strange sort of triumph, and may leave viewers feeling conflicted. But what’s not in doubt is what this victory means for Ellis (and by extension Bratton) in this intimate and deeply felt film.
Posted Dec 09, 2022
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2/4
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White Noise
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Noam Baumbach’s “White Noise” reminds me of Barry Levinson’s “Toys” or Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing,” movies in which a filmmaker who has had success staying in his lane suddenly swerves and jumps the median into oncoming traffic.
Posted Dec 09, 2022
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3/4
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
These exquisite handmade characters feel fragile, easily broken, and the imperfections are part of their charm, part of their nature.
Posted Dec 08, 2022
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3.5/4
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
It’s one of the best comedies of the year masquerading as one of the best mysteries of the year, with knife-sharp dialogue, heightened performances, and an interlocking series of twisty puzzles at its center.
Posted Dec 02, 2022
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3/4
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Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams
(2020)
|
Rob Thomas
|
“Salvatore" is a loving and insightful film about the life and career of the celebrated Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo, who revolutionized the shoe inside and out.
Posted Dec 02, 2022
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3/4
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The Plains
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Have you ever been stuck in traffic and thought, “This would make a great movie!” Me neither. Yet somehow Australian filmmaker David Easteal has made one of the more unusual and arresting experimental films of the year
Posted Nov 18, 2022
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3.5/4
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She Said
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Sometimes all you need for great drama is two actors and a table between them.
Posted Nov 18, 2022
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3.5/4
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Rimini
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
“Rimini” is a grim, occasionally funny examination of Richie, with a cringingly committed performance by Thomas.
Posted Nov 11, 2022
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2.5/4
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My Father's Dragon
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
It’s a bit of a letdown that “Dragon” is so squarely aimed at the littles, although its bright animation and simple story might be immensely appealing to them, and certainly lovely enough to look at for older viewers to sit through.
Posted Nov 11, 2022
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2/4
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Please Baby Please
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
For a film about taking a walk on the wild side, the movie feels surprisingly restrained, committed to hitting the same note over and over.
Posted Nov 04, 2022
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3/4
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Good Night Oppy
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
“Oppy” is an engaging movie for all ages, from those interested in astronomy to those who just want to see an inspiring partnership between human and machine.
Posted Nov 04, 2022
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3/4
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The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
This affectionate documentary is focused more on Tucker today, reclaiming her power and looking forward to a different, brighter future than she ever expected to have.
Posted Nov 04, 2022
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2.5/4
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Triangle of Sadness
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
For a film that hilariously skewers the excesses of the ultra-rich, “Triangle” also feels like too much — too long, too obvious, too gross.
Posted Oct 28, 2022
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3.5/4
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Decision to Leave
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Park puts his own distinctive spin on the story, with dense, fragmented storytelling and distinct visual flourishes. And lurking under those reflective surfaces may be the most sincere love story he’s ever told.
Posted Oct 27, 2022
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3/4
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Call Jane
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
“Call Jane” in general is a sobering reminder of how far we’ve slid backward, how much work needs to be done, and how needed people like these are.
Posted Oct 27, 2022
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3/4
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My Policeman
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
While Styles is overshadowed by much better performances around him, he acquits himself as an actor just fine.
Posted Oct 21, 2022
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3/4
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Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle
(2021)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Arthur Hariri’s “Onoda” could have made the soldier a ridiculous figure. But the power of “Onoda” is that it instead makes him a tragic one, a man whose faith in the cause was so absolute that he went to bizarre lengths to keep the fiction alive.
Posted Oct 20, 2022
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3/4
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Stars at Noon
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
“Stars at Noon” isn’t a major Denis film, and it feels like she’s diluted her subversive tendencies to make a more mainstream film. But enough of her essence remains to make it worth a trip.
Posted Oct 14, 2022
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3/4
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Rosaline
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
While I won’t say that parting is such sweet sorrow, I was a little bummed when it was over.
Posted Oct 14, 2022
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3/4
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Bad Axe
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
One of the more enduring qualities of “Bad Axe” is that it feels uncertain and unfinished — much like the town, and the country, it depicts.
Posted Oct 13, 2022
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3/4
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Pretty Problems
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
It’s a pleasure to hang out with these people for 90 minutes, even if most of them are terrible people who are destroying the planet.
Posted Oct 07, 2022
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3/4
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Hockeyland
(2021)
|
Rob Thomas
|
I won’t spoil who wins and loses. But by the end of “Hockeyland,” you’ll be rooting for all of them.
Posted Oct 04, 2022
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2.5/4
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The Greatest Beer Run Ever
(2022)
|
Rob Thomas
|
Just as “Green Book” took a simplistic but heartfelt look at race relations in America, “Beer Run” is a sometimes effective, sometimes misguided attempt to wrestle with the Vietnam War.
Posted Sep 30, 2022
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2/4
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The Good House
(2021)
|
Rob Thomas
|
The film around Weaver doesn’t live up to her performance, with cookie-cutter characters and melodramatic TV-movie-of-the-week plot twists.
Posted Sep 29, 2022
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