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5/5
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The Decalogue
(1989)
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Matt Prigge
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It's the compassion that towers over "The Dekalog," even moreso than its insane ambition.
Posted May 01, 2021
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Iliza: Confirmed Kills
(2016)
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Jennifer Logue
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This time around, the 33-year-old star is more than funny voices and side-splitting humor. Schlesinger aims to use her platform as a means of driving meaningful conversations with her audience, too.
Posted Jul 18, 2019
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Judah Friedlander: America is the Greatest Country in the United States
(2017)
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Pat King
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The special is truly a thing to behold. At some moments, it's like watching a skilled trapeze artist as Friedlander receives gasps from his audience but then quickly wins them back.
Posted Jul 12, 2019
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2/5
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Robin Hood
(2018)
|
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
It's like the bland leading the bland. It's a movie that steals 116 minutes of your life and offers very little in return.
Posted Nov 26, 2018
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3/5
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Rampage
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Rampage is borderline out of control, but it constantly throws up a gag or a set-piece to get lost in. Something that's easy to do with Dwayne Johnson leading the way in a softer but still just as captivating fashion.
Posted Apr 13, 2018
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Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media
(2018)
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Pat King
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The early footage, including young Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s rise to prominence, shows how important this coverage was to news networks in the infancy of television news.
Posted Apr 02, 2018
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3.5/5
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Ready Player One
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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In 100 years, when film scholars are looking back at the career of Steven Spielberg... Ready Player One will be used as the primary piece of evidence to showcase the best and worst of the director.
Posted Mar 29, 2018
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Pacific Rim Uprising
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Thanks to a scene-stealing Charlie Day, and a gung-ho John Boyega, Pacific Rim: Uprising is a fun dose of entertaining escapism, nothing more.
Posted Mar 20, 2018
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4.5/5
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Love, Simon
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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It is immediately apparent that "Love, Simon" is long overdue.
Posted Mar 15, 2018
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3.5/5
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Tomb Raider
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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... "Tomb Raider" is splendid popcorn fodder that stays true to its source material. Which is much more than practically every other video game adaptation can say.
Posted Mar 14, 2018
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Where Is Kyra?
(2017)
|
Gary M. Kramer
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Pfeiffer's remarkable, gutsy performance makes her character's despondency palpable just through the weariness of her expressions and body language.
Posted Mar 09, 2018
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4/5
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The Leisure Seeker
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Not too much happens for most of The Leisure Seeker. But it is one of those films where you don't mind its tranquility and leisurely pace. Watching Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren being so smitten and in love with each other is just so delightful.
Posted Mar 08, 2018
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4.5/5
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The Death of Stalin
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Michael Palin, Jeffrey Tambor and Jason Isaacs create a formidable and selfless comedic quintet, while Iannucci's unyielding script and direction constantly stirs, twists and builds without ever overwhelming.
Posted Mar 08, 2018
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2.5/5
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A Wrinkle in Time
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Condensing all of L'Engle's novel into the film proves to be much, too, as the need to establish the various planets, worlds and rules with an abundance of exposition dilutes any of the nuance or impact desired.
Posted Mar 08, 2018
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It's Such a Beautiful Day
(2012)
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Matt Prigge
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It's devastating stuff - no less than a stick figure "Tree of Life" - and it confirms that Hertzfeldt has become "mature" without sacrificing any of his considerable gifts.
Posted Mar 06, 2018
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3/5
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Red Sparrow
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Both Lawrences confront Red Sparrow's content in such a forthright, challenging but still cinematic fashion that they deserve kudos. It's just a shame then that they, ultimately, don't do more with it.
Posted Mar 01, 2018
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3/5
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Every Day
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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I'm not the intended audience or even generation for "Every Day." But if it still managed to make a bitter, jaded adult like me weep, then just imagine the impact that it could have on younger viewers.
Posted Feb 22, 2018
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4.5/5
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Annihilation
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Annihilation won't be for everyone. But those of you that get caught up its majesty and are left haunted, challenged, moved and beguiled by its sumptuous concoction of horror and sci-fi will quickly return to it again and again.
Posted Feb 21, 2018
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3/5
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Game Night
(2018)
|
Gregory Wakeman
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A lively and exciting enough romp to watch unfold, even if it is completely frivolous.
Posted Feb 21, 2018
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3/5
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My Brother the Devil
(2012)
|
Steve Erickson
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"My Brother the Devil" offers something simultaneously, paradoxically rehashed and fresh.
Posted Feb 21, 2018
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Yossi
(2012)
|
Steve Erickson
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The film ends on a moving, achingly ambiguous note, with Yossi getting more emotionally mature but not yet completely out of the woods.
Posted Feb 21, 2018
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3/5
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Early Man
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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... there's just something innately charming about its stop-motion that stops you from ever feeling too disappointed.
Posted Feb 15, 2018
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1.5/5
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The 15:17 to Paris
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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It's a movie experiment that fails badly...
Posted Feb 08, 2018
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3.5/5
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Peter Rabbit
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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It is nothing more than a good time for all the family. Which, considering that's all it clearly wants to be, means it pleasantly delivers.
Posted Feb 07, 2018
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4/5
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Black Panther
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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It feels rich, expansive, and is clearly teeming with umpteen further stories, while it is also distinctive, authentic, and has a vitality that you can't help but become invested in.
Posted Feb 07, 2018
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3.5/5
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On Body and Soul
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Ultimately, On Body And Soul is too aloof and tentative with its message to really resonate, but it is still nevertheless an increasingly compelling and idiosyncratic love story that gets better with each passing minute.
Posted Feb 01, 2018
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4/5
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A Fantastic Woman
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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It's the ultimate proof of why we need to see more transgender actresses telling transgender stories, as Vega adds a beauty, poetry, and brutal realism that immediately forges a bond between the character, her story, and the audience.
Posted Feb 01, 2018
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3.5/5
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Maze Runner: The Death Cure
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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While The Maze Runner franchise has never threatened to go down in cinematic history, it will at least be remembered for giving the increasingly impressive director Wes Ball and compelling star Dylan O'Brien the opportunity to show off their skills.
Posted Jan 19, 2018
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2/5
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12 Strong
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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It's not that it's hard to follow, or overly complicated, it's just that it's structure and plotting are so repetitive that you never feel the build or the stakes as the film progresses.
Posted Jan 18, 2018
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4/5
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Den of Thieves
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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... is ultimately an eye-opening, hugely enjoyable, and worthy addition to the crime heist genre.
Posted Jan 18, 2018
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3/5
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The Commuter
(2018)
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Gregory Wakeman
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... [an] enjoyable enough, action film, which, because of the presence of Liam Neeson doing Liam Neeson things, still works.
Posted Jan 11, 2018
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5/5
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Paddington 2
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Literally, everything about "Paddington 2" is pitch perfect.
Posted Jan 11, 2018
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Father Figures
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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"Father Figures" completely wastes its comedic cast, especially since it doesn't produce even one hearty laugh.
Posted Dec 29, 2017
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2.5/5
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Downsizing
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Ultimately, it all feels like a wasted opportunity, as we've seen much better from Payne, Damon, Wiig, Waltz, and Sudeikis.
Posted Dec 21, 2017
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3.5/5
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The Greatest Showman
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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... still provides more than enough moments of pomp, joy, and poignancy...
Posted Dec 20, 2017
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4/5
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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While familiar, this is a Star Wars film that isn't overly beholden to its past, playing with the tropes, themes, and characters of its predecessors in a way that is both unsettling but necessary.
Posted Dec 12, 2017
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2.5/5
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Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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It is all just a little too safe. Nevertheless Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle still delivers the requisite fun and laughs to be deemed worthwhile.
Posted Dec 09, 2017
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3.5/5
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Phantom Thread
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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"Phantom Thread" won't go down as Day-Lewis' crowning acting achievement, but it showcases just one of numerous other sides to his extraordinary talent...
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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4/5
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I, Tonya
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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There's a surprising depth to "I, Tonya," too, as the sheer resilience of Harding stirs.
Posted Dec 08, 2017
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5/5
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The Post
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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There's a discipline to Streep and Hanks' performances and Spielberg's direction that allows Liz Hannah and Josh Singer's script to really land and sing.
Posted Dec 07, 2017
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The Shape of Water
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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It builds rather than stagnates, and the sadness of its characters and the film's visuals mesh wonderfully with the heroism and uplifting spirit of the plot.
Posted Nov 30, 2017
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The Disaster Artist
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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Behind the camera is really where Franco flourishes, as there's a pace to "The Disaster Artist" that makes up it for its occasionally uneven and clunky structure.
Posted Nov 30, 2017
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Wonder Wheel
(2017)
|
Gregory Wakeman
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"Wonder Wheel" doesn't quite reach those heights, but it is always exceptionally watchable.
Posted Nov 30, 2017
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5/5
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Call Me by Your Name
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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.. it isn't just one of the best films of 2017, but it is also what cinema is really all about, too.
Posted Nov 22, 2017
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3/5
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The Man Who Invented Christmas
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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... "The Man Who Invented Christmas" deserves a hearty pat on the back for somehow managing to bring the tale to life in an original way.
Posted Nov 22, 2017
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3.5/5
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Coco
(2017)
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Gregory Wakeman
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"Coco" is the perfect reminder of why Pixar needs to continue to make original films, too, as it creates a vivid, colorful, and truly imaginative world based off the Mexican holiday of Dia de Muertos, otherwise known as the Day Of The Dead.
Posted Nov 22, 2017
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Sollers Point
(2017)
|
Gary M. Kramer
|
Sollers Point crackles as Keith tries in earnest to improve his life... Lombardi is magnetic and hypnotic as Keith.
Posted Nov 17, 2017
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4.5/5
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Mudbound
(2017)
|
Gregory Wakeman
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Unlike many other adaptations, Mudbound uses the detail, mood, and even the predictability of the novel to its advantage.
Posted Nov 16, 2017
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3.5/5
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Wonder
(2017)
|
Gregory Wakeman
|
All the while, though, Wonder's heart, sentiment, and uncynicism makes it hopeful, upbeat, and impossible not to love.
Posted Nov 16, 2017
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4/5
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Justice League
(2017)
|
Gregory Wakeman
|
Justice League doesn't break the formula, but it has the cast, spectacle, and characters to be elevated abiding by it.
Posted Nov 15, 2017
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