|
|
Come Away
(2020)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Two origin stories in one holds promise on the page, and it's entertaining seeing all of the Peter/Alice myths explained. But while the magic simmers, it never comes to full boil.
Posted Nov 25, 2020
|
|
6/10
|
My Spy
(2020)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Director Peter Segal makes sure things hum along smoothly, if predictably. He's aided in no small part by young Coleman, previously seen in Big Little Lies, who portrays just the right mix of adorable and annoying.
Posted Mar 19, 2020
|
|
5/10
|
Greed
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
We knew from the title that we'd be confronting one of the deadly sins; we just didn't know we'd still be doing penance as the credits rolled.
Posted Mar 13, 2020
|
|
6/10
|
Downhill
(2020)
|
Julie Crawford
|
The anticipated pairing of Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell results in fewer laughs than expected thanks to a script that never dares to go off-piste.
Posted Feb 15, 2020
|
|
7/10
|
The Gentlemen
(2020)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Ritchie toys with the British class system and our North American preoccupation with it, but mostly The Gentlemen is just good, raunchy fun.
Posted Jan 24, 2020
|
|
5/10
|
Dolittle
(2020)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Lamentably, all the acting cred in the world can't save a film weighed down by a rudderless script and intermittently flat visuals.
Posted Jan 17, 2020
|
|
10/10
|
1917
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Mendes doesn't hit us over the head with politicking but rather lets us form our own opinion as we journey along with the men.
Posted Jan 10, 2020
|
|
7/10
|
Just Mercy
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Bolstered by strong performances throughout, the film enters as a strong voice in the ongoing conversation about race and bigotry in the U.S. justice system.
Posted Jan 03, 2020
|
|
6/10
|
The Song of Names
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
The script, based on the novel by classical music critic Norman Lebrecht, fails to fully redeem a film that, while pleasing and well-executed, can't connect to its audience in the first hour.
Posted Dec 27, 2019
|
|
7/10
|
Little Women
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
It caters only to those familiar with Alcott's work while alienating potential new devotees. But for that former group Gerwig's film is wonderful; the performances, careful attention to detail and slightly modernized characters make it so.
Posted Dec 20, 2019
|
|
5/10
|
Frozen II
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Anna ends up singing "hello darkness, I'm ready to succumb" and "this grief has a gravity, it pulls me down." Like much of the rest of the film, it's a bummer.
Posted Nov 26, 2019
|
|
6/10
|
The Good Liar
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen, Dame and Sir, respectively, elevate whatever cinematic endeavor they're a part of. But even these Brit heavyweights can't plug the holes in the ultimately leaky boat that is The Good Liar.
Posted Nov 21, 2019
|
|
6/10
|
Last Christmas
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Feel free to indulge those too-sweet holiday cravings; just remember to brush afterward.
Posted Nov 08, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
An insightful film that quietly challenges our own prejudices and reminds us that it's a long way down from that moral high ground.
Posted Nov 05, 2019
|
|
9/10
|
Parasite
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
A standing ovation to cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong, who also lensed the visually impressive Snowpiercer, for setting the perfect tone.
Posted Oct 25, 2019
|
|
5/10
|
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
It's a nice change to have a Disney offering that isn't a frame-by-frame live action remake of an animated film but when you have a cast this committed, it behooves you to give them something to do.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Pain and Glory
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Pain and Glory is Almodóvar's best work in years, because it sings its message rather than shouts it.
Posted Oct 11, 2019
|
|
7/10
|
Joker
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
The role itself, fails to connect, feeling more like pomp and posturing than a real-world study of mental illness. But that's how it's meant to be. This is a comic book, after all: the real world should only seep in so far.
Posted Oct 10, 2019
|
|
|
The Death of Dick Long
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Despite the complex characters and standout performances, if the twist doesn't put you off, then the uneven pacing will.
Posted Sep 27, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
The Peanut Butter Falcon
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
The Peanut Butter Falcon is a tender and simple drama about finding your strength, with a deceptively nuanced performance by LaBeouf, who continues to be one of the most compelling actors working today.
Posted Aug 23, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Light of My Life
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Affleck and Pniowsky find a genuine, easy rapport onscreen.
Posted Aug 16, 2019
|
|
6/10
|
Vita & Virginia
(2018)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Alas, we don't quite believe it.
Posted Jul 12, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Spider-Man: Far From Home
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Holland continues to be a top-notch web-slinger, bringing nuance to a role that's evolved only slightly over the years.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
|
|
Late Night
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
It's a film about feminism, inclusivity, mentorship, reinvention. Such consideration is given to peripheral characters that we lament the restrictive time frame of a feature film.
Posted Jun 20, 2019
|
|
7/10
|
Always Be My Maybe
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Much of the angst and romance revolves around food: pretentious, minimalist meals; hearty, evocative food... Wong and Park get the recipe just right.
Posted Jun 07, 2019
|
|
5/10
|
The Secret Life of Pets 2
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Insert the obligatory you-can't-teach-an-old-dog-new-tricks reference here, and even at 83 minutes, the three mini movies that are The Secret Life of Pets 2 struggle to keep the laughs going.
Posted Jun 07, 2019
|
|
9/10
|
All Is True
(2018)
|
Julie Crawford
|
A beautiful, melancholy film about the last three years of Shakespeare's own story.
Posted May 25, 2019
|
|
|
The White Crow
(2018)
|
Julie Crawford
|
The White Crow captures the rigors, sweat and rewards of a life lived in pursuit of art but the human connection is absent.
Posted May 14, 2019
|
|
4/10
|
Long Shot
(2019)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Long shots lose a lot more often than they pay out, and Levine's film is no exception.
Posted May 03, 2019
|
|
7/10
|
Teen Spirit
(2018)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Fanning does all her own singing and convincingly plays a young woman on her way to superstardom, if only it doesn't consume her first.
Posted Apr 27, 2019
|
|
|
The Grizzlies
(2018)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Who doesn't love a rousing underdog sports drama? Better yet, one based on a true story. And how about one in which team practice takes place in between seal hunts?
Posted Apr 23, 2019
|
|
6/10
|
The Face of Love
(2013)
|
Julie Crawford
|
The absence of a thorough backstory will either leave you feeling as though the film is a throwback to less convoluted storytelling, or a soap opera, depending on your taste. With the electric Bening and Harris at the helm, it hardly matters...
Posted Apr 18, 2019
|
|
5/10
|
October Gale
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
A portrait of grief quickly evolves into a cabin-in-the-woods thriller in October Gale, which shows just how strong - and silly - lone women can be.
Posted Apr 18, 2019
|
|
7/10
|
Cake
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Aniston's performance is the essential ingredient that makes the film worth watching even as other elements prove half-baked.
Posted Apr 18, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
(2013)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Francis Lawrence nicely balances stunts and spectacle with the growth of Katniss, who goes from teenaged girl to young woman with a wider worldview.
Posted Apr 18, 2019
|
|
5/10
|
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
(2015)
|
Julie Crawford
|
If last year's hit The Maze Runner was the first child in the family - ambitious, concise - bridge film Maze Runner: Scorch Trials is very much the middle sibling in that it is changeable, desperate to please and generally all over the map.
Posted Apr 18, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Tomorrowland
(2015)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Those who complain that the movie's message of conservation and push for innovation is less-than-subtle need reminding that Tomorrowland is a children's film, after all.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
7/10
|
Ant-Man
(2015)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Despite the suit and the Lilliputian size, Rudd manages to be his likeable self, which compensates when the action lags.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
4/10
|
Ride Along
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object you get Ride Along, the seldomfunny buddy movie starring Kevin Hart and Ice Cube.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Philomena
(2013)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Ultimately, Philomena is a film about faith, family and and forgiveness, making it perfect holiday viewing.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Force majeure
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Acting is uniformly great, the players conveying as much of their struggles using body language as with words, while Ostlund's white-out scenery is both majestic and alienating.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Inside Out
(2015)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Inside Out should be required viewing for the parents of pre-teens, just as those embarrassing "What's Happening To Me?" books are must-reads for growing minds and bodies.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
6/10
|
The Other Woman
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Cameron Diaz may have top billing but Leslie Mann is the real star of The Other Woman, a sisterhood revenge pic sure to be a big hit with women everywhere.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
6/10
|
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
...ultimately Part One will go down as the film you sat through while you waited for the more exciting main event, the conclusion, due out this time next year.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Lucy
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
I know what you're thinking, but this is no Limitless (Bradley Cooper). As the cells multiply and Lucy taps into more and more of her brain, it's new thrills-new skills with each passing hour.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Backcountry
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Lascivious Irishmen, poor communication, lonely park rangers and bears: armed with these few devices MacDonald gamely shows us how a romantic camping trip gone wrong is no walk in the woods.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
8/10
|
Anomalisa
(2015)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Fun, no. Compelling, yes. Anomalisa is filled with more longing and palpable loneliness than many other live action films registered this year.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
4/10
|
Paranoia
(2013)
|
Julie Crawford
|
There's no character to root for, no heart, and all else feels like window dressing.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
6/10
|
Muppets Most Wanted
(2014)
|
Julie Crawford
|
Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the gang are as sweet as ever, but as far as the human actors go, cutesy has been replaced by snarky in Disney's newest Muppets film, Muppets Most Wanted.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
|
7/10
|
Now You See Me 2
(2016)
|
Julie Crawford
|
The story hardly matters; as the lazy title suggests, we're just here to have a good time, and director Jon M. Chu knows how to make two hours of your life disappear.
Posted Apr 17, 2019
|
>
