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B-
|
2023 Oscar Nominated Shorts - Animation
(2023)
|
Al Alexander
|
They seldom fail to make compelling viewing.
Posted Apr 25, 2023
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A-
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2023 Oscar Nominated Shorts - Documentary
(2023)
|
Al Alexander
|
They seldom fail to make compelling viewing.
Posted Apr 25, 2023
|
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B
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2023 Oscar Nominated Shorts - Live Action
(2023)
|
Al Alexander
|
They seldom fail to make compelling viewing.
Posted Apr 25, 2023
|
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A
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Air
(2023)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
From the opening tip, “Air” scores and scores often ...
Posted Apr 07, 2023
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C
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Shotgun Wedding
(2023)
|
Al Alexander
|
Instead of tossing the bouquet, Jennifer Lopez unloads semi-automatic weapons on a band of brazen pirates who dare to crash her umpteenth matrimonial flick. It’s as dumb as it sounds. Perhaps, even dumber.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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B+
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Broker
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Continuing his reflections on what defines a family, writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda delivers another minimasterpiece in which love and criminality meld into a brazen attempt to steal your heart.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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B-
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A Man Called Otto
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Tom Hanks gets in touch with his inner Larry David as the curmudgeonly sexegenarian at the heart of Marc Forster’s lukewarm English-language remake of Hannes Holm’s Oscar-nominated “A Man Called Ova.”
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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B+
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Corsage
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Krieps confidently evokes Kreutzer’s feminist point of view with aplomb and a sly bit of humor.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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A-
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Women Talking
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Polley dexterously presents what could have become a stagey airing of grievances into an affecting chronicle of emancipation.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
|
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C-
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The Whale
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
There’s much ado about Brendan Fraser’s king-sized portrayal of a doomed 600-pound Idahoan college professor, but the stagey, often ridiculous movie he’s wedged into, alas, is thin as a rail.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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B+
|
Living
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
“Living” deftly challenges us to ask ourselves how dead we may be inside. And more importantly, what we plan to do about it.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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B+
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Cocaine Bear
(2023)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
It’s basically a killer-shark movie, but on land, and with a "demented" black bear instead of a great white. The movie is not for the squeamish (I lost track of all the disembodied limbs), but, as Yogi would say, it’s better than your average bear.
Posted Feb 24, 2023
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C+
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Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
(2023)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
Majors is all might and menace.
Posted Feb 17, 2023
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B-
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Magic Mike's Last Dance
(2023)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
... “his artistry makes me feel ecstasy..." need I say more?
Posted Feb 10, 2023
|
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B
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Plane
(2023)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
If you don’t take "Plane” too seriously, it’s a hoot, with Butler bringing it in for a smooth landing.
Posted Jan 19, 2023
|
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B
|
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
(2022)
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Dana Barbuto
|
You'll want to download the entire Houston discography, and, well, dance with somebody.
Posted Jan 06, 2023
|
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C
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Bones and All
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Russell is powerless to attach meaning to a human-eat-human existence in a world that somewhat ironically frowns on cannibalism. Palatable, it’s not.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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C-
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Disenchanted
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Be prepared to be sorely disappointed by this straight-to-Disney+ sequel in which instead of popping out of a manhole, Giselle - Amy Adams’ cartoon character come to life - is swept into a sewer of bad writing and overly busy direction.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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B+
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The Inspection
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
At times, it plays like a recruiting campaign, but mostly, it’s a deeply moving treatise on what determination and perseverance can gain you, especially when you’re so down and defeated you have nothing left to lose.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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B+
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The Wonder
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Lelio (“Disobedience,” “Gloria”) continues his reverence for strong women through Pugh’s haunting portrayal of Lib, a stoic lady who does not suffer fools.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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B-
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Something from Tiffany's
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
What keeps you sticking around, besides the glossy cinematography by Brice Fortner, are the central performances by Deutch and Sampson. They are great together; and the film, based on Melissa Hill’s novel, is just enticing enough to hold your gaze.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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C
|
Emancipation
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
If this were an obstacle course, Smith would win hands down. But as an attempt to affectingly depict the horrors of slavery, it falters.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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|
C
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All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
The result is a documentary telling two stories at once and adding up to almost nothing.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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|
B-
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Nanny
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Jusu ultimately stumbles by awkwardly shifting midstream into a thrill-free horror story, complete with waterlogged nightmares and visits by the Mami Wata. Sorry, not buying it. The only thing truly fearsome is Diop’s incredible talent.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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A-
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My Father's Dragon
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
The little ones will likely miss the underlying themes of environmentalism, subjugation and stereotyping, but they’ll savor up the colorful visuals and consistently adorable animals who want only one thing - to live.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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|
A-
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Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
In straying far from Carlo Collodi’s 1883 novel, Guillermo del Toro has cobbled a much darker, more relevant boy of pine.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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B
|
The Menu
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Mylod believes satire is a dish best served cold. But not when it’s this icy. It requires a modicum of warmth. And without it, “The Menu” struggles to pass the taste test. Still, try it, you might like it. But don’t forget the Alka Seltzer.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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B-
|
She Said
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Mulligan and Kazan triumph with remarkable, finely nuanced performances that perfectly capture the life - I use that term loosely - of reporters committed to seeking the truth at a time when my trade is unfairly being labeled “fake news.”
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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C
|
The Fabelmans
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
It helps that the picture is photographed by Spielberg regular, Janusz Kaminski, and scored by another old pal, John Williams. But too much of “The Fabelmans” feels stale, over-thought and undercooked.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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B-
|
Babylon
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
At times, you wonder if it should have been called “Babble On.” It certainly does that. And although not a deadly sin, beware the urge to repent.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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B
|
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
It’s not much of a mystery. But sure is fun getting to where you know you’re going, thanks to a handful of clever twists and an abundance of sharp-witted dialogue poking fun at the loathsomeness of the sycophants among the upper one percent.
Posted Dec 28, 2022
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B+
|
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
(2022)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
Director Joel Crawford goes for a darker vibe than the first film, as he and screenwriters Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow send the sword-wielding Spanish cat (voiced by Antonio Banderas) into a do-or-die duel with his own mortality.
Posted Dec 22, 2022
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|
C+
|
Avatar: The Way of Water
(2022)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
With the same villain, plot and themes, the new “Avatar” follows the same recipe as the old “Avatar.” Just add water.
Posted Dec 16, 2022
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|
B
|
Empire of Light
(2022)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
It’s mawkish and predictable, but in all the best ways, especially for lovers of cinema.
Posted Dec 14, 2022
|
|
B
|
Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
It’s a must for Armstrong fans, and for those new to Satchmo, a great introduction to a jazz icon.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
B
|
Call Jane
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Initially, the film’s heavy air of humor seems flippant, until you realize it’s an essential element in making such a controversial topic so imminently watchable.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
B
|
Wendell & Wild
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
The draw is Selick’s jaw-dropping animation, which is literally out of this world in taking a deep dive into a realm filled with ghouls and zombies selfishly feeding off the living.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
C
|
Raymond & Ray
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
The problem lies in what’s being shoveled, and it ain’t dirt.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
C-
|
My Policeman
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Director Michael Grandage does little to interrupt the monotony in failing to make a point beyond how stifling it was to be gay in mid-century England.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
B-
|
The Good Nurse
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Consider Chastain and Redmayne invaluable in rendering this leaky bedpan a guilty pleasure.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
B
|
The Return of Tanya Tucker: Featuring Brandi Carlile
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
When the two icons join voices, it’s the sound of angels.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Radcliff performs like a surgeon, venturing into the imbecilic in challenging us to endure his fat, Amish paradise.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
B
|
Good Night Oppy
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
Is it possible to both love and grieve an inanimate object? When it’s the twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, it’s an emphatic yes!
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
B
|
Causeway
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
The two actors strip away the artifice to summon haunting portrayals of emotional paralysis that can only be healed by their shared experience of survivor’s guilt.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
A
|
The Banshees of Inisherin
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
The ultimate body count is minimal. Unusual for a McDonagh flick, but each death, be it man or beast, is profound and affecting.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
A-
|
Young Plato
(2021)
|
Al Alexander
|
I’m no doctor, but allow me to prescribe “Young Plato” as a potential cure for what ails our increasingly fractured society.
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
B+
|
Decision to Leave
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
A neo-noir love story so dizzying you’d swear you’re experiencing “Vertigo.”
Posted Nov 15, 2022
|
|
A-
|
Till
(2022)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
Get ready to ugly cry ... 'Till' is a gut punch ... Deadwyler nails it every time.
Posted Oct 27, 2022
|
|
A-
|
Tár
(2022)
|
Dana Barbuto
|
This is Blanchett’s tour-de-force through and through. At one point, Lydia says, “You must stand before the public and God and obliterate yourself.” Mission accomplished.
Posted Oct 21, 2022
|
|
B-
|
God's Creatures
(2022)
|
Al Alexander
|
The filmmakers struggle to inject drama into a movie too laid back for its own good. But the atmospherics are outstanding.
Posted Sep 30, 2022
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