|
4.5/5
|
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Each of these characters finds a surprising connection to others, derailing plans and sending each person on an unexpected journey. The way Johnson orchestrates all of this is remarkable because it's both coherent and compelling.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
Victoria & Abdul
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The story is a bit thin, and some elements are difficult to believe, but it's thoroughly engaging.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
Good Time
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
It never feels terribly organic, but it is consistently entertaining, even as it gets increasingly violent. And the driving theme of brotherly love gives the film an unexpected emotional soul.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Between the artful direction and incisive script, there's plenty of wit and romance and never a whiff of sentimentality. And while it never feels particularly deep, the movie is packed with points of resonance that linger in the mind afterwards.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
Mudbound
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Director-cowriter Dee Rees gives this 1940s drama such an epic scale that it might have played out better as a TV miniseries, with more time to flesh out the characters and complex situations. But the themes are so vivid that it still gets under the skin.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
This is a powerful depiction of how society fears outsiders who bring big ideas that can change the world.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
Shot
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
This may be a gimmicky exploration of gun violence, which sometimes feels like a preachy public service advisory, but its story unfolds with raw power.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Without offering simplistic answers, the film echoes on both personal and much larger societal levels. But it's the simple story of a family forced to confront the sins of the father that carries the biggest kick.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
The Wilde Wedding
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Even if it never quite deals with the bigger issues it raises, the sassy dialogue, twisty plot and full-on performances are so lively that the audience is kept on its toes, at least until it becomes obvious where it's heading.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
5/5
|
Patti Cake$
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The offbeat characters are ridiculously loveable, the music infectious and the plot strong enough to have us on our feet cheering at the end.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
5/5
|
God's Own Country
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
This is just a strikingly well-observed story about two lost people who find each other in an unexpected place.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Suburbicon
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
This is a bracing exploration of the light and dark sides of American culture, cleverly delivering a searing message with wit and intelligence.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Wonder
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
It approaches its story and characters in a way that feels bracingly true to life. It's also a rare movie that's infused with strong emotions right from the start, but never dips into any kind of sentimentality.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Stronger
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
This is a gritty, honest drama that never dips into sentimentality. It's also a strikingly involving story about a young man who is forced to confront things about himself far beyond his injuries. And that makes it genuinely inspirational.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
2.5/5
|
The Limehouse Golem
(2016)
|
Rich Cline
|
A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to rise above the murky atmosphere it weaves. And the plot itself is as dense as the low-lying London fog.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
2.5/5
|
Only the Brave
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its heroic machismo at every turn.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
The Disaster Artist
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The fiercely clever casting alone makes it worth the price of admission, but this is also the kind of movie that makes us fall in in love with cinema all over again. And it'll make you less afraid to admit your guilty pleasures.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
2.5/5
|
Shot Caller
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
By emphasising the characters' thuggishness over anything more nuanced, filmmaker Ric Roman Waugh seems to betray the fact that he thinks brutality is inherently entertaining.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Brigsby Bear
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Every scene is packed with witty touches that are both funny and meaningful. And the story's message is powerful without ever being pushy.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Battle of the Sexes
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
This film is much more than a skilful re-enactment. It's a witty and insightful exploration of the kind of person who chases sporting success and global fame, even when the odds are stacked against them.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Man Who Invented Christmas
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave cynical audiences annoyed. But for those who leave their bah-humbug attitudes at home, it's a wonderfully entertaining take on a classic.
Posted Dec 18, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
Ferdinand
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
While the silly, pointless mayhem will keep children giggling, it's the story's big heart that makes it worth seeing.
Posted Dec 17, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
Daddy's Home 2
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story that's funny but never particularly clever. It's an enjoyable bit of escapist entertainment, mixing some sharp gags in between the more obvious jokes.
Posted Dec 17, 2017
|
|
4.5/5
|
Paddington 2
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
It's also refreshingly designed with a timeless style that's quirky and inventive rather than gimmicky-cool, undercutting the sentimentality with good-hearted sarcasm while making the important point that we need to take care of each other.
Posted Nov 10, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
A Bad Moms Christmas
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The film's raucous humour is just rude enough to seem transgressive, even if it isn't.
Posted Nov 10, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
Murder on the Orient Express
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The stand-out in the ensemble is Pfeiffer, whose blowsy American has the most intriguing trajectory
Posted Nov 10, 2017
|
|
2/5
|
The Snowman
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The mystery develops in directions that aren't remotely interesting, leaving the entire movie feeling flat. At least it's beautifully photographed in stunning Norwegian scenery.
Posted Oct 27, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
Thor: Ragnarok
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The most riotously enjoyable Marvel movie yet.
Posted Oct 27, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Breathe
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Characters burst with personality, and the events unfold with some unexpected complications that make the movie strikingly edgy.
Posted Oct 27, 2017
|
|
4.5/5
|
Call Me by Your Name
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
What sets this movie apart is the way it creates characters who feel like they have vivid, full lives even when they're not on-screen. So as they collide and connect, everything feels organic and full of possibilities.
Posted Oct 27, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
mother!
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
... it's genuinely harrowing.
Posted Oct 13, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
... would almost be unbelievable if they didn't really happen.
Posted Oct 13, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
... it's a striking portrait of a creative family...
Posted Oct 13, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
The Party
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Impeccably played by a great cast...
Posted Oct 13, 2017
|
|
2/5
|
On the Road
(2016)
|
Rich Cline
|
In trying to make a movie to appeal to wider audiences, Winterbottom is likely to alienate everyone.
Posted Oct 06, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Blade Runner 2049
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
As the plot twists and turns, the settings and gadgets create a retro vision of the future that's almost unnervingly recognisable as where we live right now.
Posted Oct 06, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The film is fast and silly, piling witty dialogue into nutty action set-pieces to keep the audience smiling. Most audience members won't care that Vaughn has diminished the brand
Posted Sep 29, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Goodbye Christopher Robin
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The film refuses to merely relax and enjoy the sunny cheerfulness of the Winnie the Pooh stories. And that's the point: they were written to inject a smile into a hurting post-war society.
Posted Sep 29, 2017
|
|
4.5/5
|
Detroit
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
... the film leaves us shaken with its reminder that we can't just drift along hoping peace and equality happens by itself. Without stepping in to change the system, this will happen again and again.
Posted Sep 01, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
Wind River
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
It's a gorgeously shot film with especially well-developed characters who bring intensity and emotion to every scene.
Posted Aug 31, 2017
|
|
2/5
|
The Vault
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
It's a clever idea, but the script isn't nearly as smart as it's trying to be, falling back on feeble attempts to generate suspense by throwing every cliche imaginable at the screen.
Posted Aug 31, 2017
|
|
2/5
|
Goon: Last of the Enforcers
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
Sadly, this sequel kind of misses the point of what made the first movie such a favourite: it opts to focus on corny gross-out gags rather than humour that's firmly rooted in the characters and story.
Posted Aug 31, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
American Made
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
It's a lively, gripping romp. But it could have been a lot more than that.
Posted Aug 25, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
The Hitman's Bodyguard
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
It really doesn't matter that this movie is utterly ridiculous, because the central pairing of Ryan Reynolds with Samuel L. Jackson is so entertaining that we never want it to end.
Posted Aug 18, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
Final Portrait
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
But the characters are so vivid that it's thoroughly engaging, and it's written and directed by Stanley Tucci with a terrific attention to detail.
Posted Aug 18, 2017
|
|
4/5
|
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The film is beautifully assembled with gorgeous footage from around the globe, vividly offering imagery to back up the scientific facts, accompanied by Gore's narration, which carefully outlines the issue without blinding us with detail.
Posted Aug 18, 2017
|
|
3/5
|
Tom of Finland
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
The film is gorgeously shot, with rich production design that plays with deep colours and bright sunshine.
Posted Aug 17, 2017
|
|
3.5/5
|
A Ghost Story
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
So while[A Ghost Story] feels rather gimmicky and slow, at least its fiendishly original touches get our minds churning.
Posted Aug 11, 2017
|
|
2/5
|
Atomic Blonde
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
With these kinds of colourful characters and plenty of tangled intrigue, the film should be a lot of fun. But director David Leitch and writer Kurt Johnstad play it in a way that feels oddly simplistic.
Posted Aug 11, 2017
|
|
2/5
|
The Emoji Movie
(2017)
|
Rich Cline
|
There's no reason why this animated comedy adventure needed to be this pointless.
Posted Aug 04, 2017
|
