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2/4
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Downhill
(2020)
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Jeff York
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Remaking foreign films is tricky, especially trying to Americanize one as subtle and insinuating as Force Majeure. A noble effort was made here, although the endeavor was far too much of an uphill battle.
Posted Feb 14, 2020
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3/4
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Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
(2020)
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Jeff York
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Perhaps the greatest sign of female empowerment is that they can now fight, curse, maim, and kill as well as the boys do onscreen. I'm not sure what that says about our society, but it sure makes for some nasty fun at the Cineplex.
Posted Feb 07, 2020
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3/4
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The Gentlemen
(2020)
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Jeff York
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The movie is chock full of low-life's, robberies, murders, and double-crosses. It's a lot of fun and a welcome return for Ritchie.
Posted Jan 24, 2020
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2/4
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Underwater
(2020)
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Jeff York
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There are moments when the characters here manage to escape the water momentarily, take off their diving helmets, and breathe. If only the film was willing to breathe more as well.
Posted Jan 15, 2020
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4/4
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire
(2019)
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Jeff York
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What makes it so special is not just their affair, but the way art plays such a part in it. The two women share a bond that is physical, certainly, but their connection over the aesthetics of artistic expression becomes the truer core of their bond.
Posted Jan 13, 2020
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3/4
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Little Women
(2019)
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Jeff York
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Filmmaker Greta Gerwig...directs the old chestnut with breezy, contemporary energy, shaking up the structure, the casting, and giving it a modern feminist feel.
Posted Dec 26, 2019
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4/4
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1917
(2019)
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Jeff York
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1917 stresses the idea that war is hell. To put such a heavy responsibility on two young soldiers...is utterly horrifying. Of course, it's also thrilling, and therefore gives moviegoers one hell of a film experience at the cineplex.
Posted Dec 20, 2019
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2.5/4
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Richard Jewell
(2019)
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Jeff York
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It's dramatic, well-acted, and moving, yet there are strains of the worst instincts of the director in parts that keep it from being one of his very best.
Posted Dec 14, 2019
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3/4
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Uncut Gems
(2019)
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Jeff York
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It may confound and even anger some viewers, but the Safdie brothers know what they're doing. They want their gripping story to put us between a rock and a hard place and make us squirm, just like their protagonist.
Posted Dec 13, 2019
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4/4
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Knives Out
(2019)
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Jeff York
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Filmmaker Rian Johnson knows Agatha Christie's oeuvre so well that he's able to honor it and screw with it too, ripping apart its pieces, moving them around, and making the hoary conventions of the procedural genre feel almost completely fresh and vital.
Posted Nov 28, 2019
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4/4
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Marriage Story
(2019)
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Jeff York
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Ultimately, Baumbach doesn't fix the blame of the marriage failure here, but rather, he showcases the characters fixing their lives as they're forced to adapt to it.
Posted Nov 16, 2019
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4/4
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Ford v Ferrari
(2019)
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Jeff York
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The film contains some of the best action scenes on film this year...yet what stands out are the characters and how they respond to all the literal twists and turns in the plot.
Posted Nov 16, 2019
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3/4
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The Irishman
(2019)
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Jeff York
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It's an affecting meditation on old age and regret, a film with more melancholy than Scorsese's usual dark wit.
Posted Nov 08, 2019
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4/4
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Parasite
(2019)
|
Jeff York
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Bong Joon Ho has not only delivered one of 2019's very best movies, but the symbolism he's woven throughout the picture is some of the finest placed on film in years.
Posted Nov 07, 2019
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2.5/4
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Harriet
(2019)
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Jeff York
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Tubman's story is a fascinating one, but those tasked with telling it here ended up treating her narrative with far too much reverence. They've also squeezed too many chapters of her biography into its 125-minute running time.
Posted Oct 31, 2019
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3.5/4
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Dolemite Is My Name
(2019)
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Jeff York
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(The film) is a period piece that has a lot to say about our modern times. It's a rallying cry to fight the power, reinvent yourself to be happy, and realize it takes a village to move mountains.
Posted Oct 23, 2019
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Don't Let Go
(2019)
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Jeff York
|
Ultimately, [Jacob Aaron] Estes has made an earnest, compelling, and well-acted film that may be too ambitious for its good. There is much to applaud here, but also far too much that will make you scratch your head as well.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Good Boys
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
With talented kids throughout the cast of Good Boys, it's a shame that the film doesn't try harder.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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After the Wedding
(2019)
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Jeff York
|
It's more melodrama than drama, plagued by a few too many twists, yet it remains a moving story about love, loss, adoption, and now, female empowerment.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
(2019)
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Jeff York
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By couching all of the original shorts in the over-arching small-town kids' story, this adaptation short-shrifts the shorts. There's not enough of them here, and that makes them feel sketchy.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
[Tarantino] loves show biz and Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood is a bittersweet tribute to the fantasies, as well as the fragilities, of those who play in it.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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The Lion King
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
Yet, despite the familiarity, most of it still plays because it's a damn good story.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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|
Toy Story 4
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
As if being one of the greatest trilogies in film history wasn't enough for the Toy Story franchise, along comes a fourth feature that's just as fun, witty, and incredibly moving as the first three.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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|
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Spider-Man: Far From Home
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
[T]his one is a genuine winner and never wears out its welcome, even if we've all seen far too many superhero movies this past decade.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Men in Black: International
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
[T]his new adventure misses the chance to be edgier and stand out from the pack.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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|
|
The Farewell
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
And ultimately, even though this wonderfully character-driven comedy is about death, every second of it is filled with glorious, laudable life.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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|
Dark Phoenix
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
Dark Phoenix nonetheless remains an intriguing and affecting film, particularly in its curt commentary on power and parenting.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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|
|
Aladdin
(2019)
|
Jeff York
|
The film is breathless, while never taking a breath, and when everything is big, brassy, and bold, even a manic genie has trouble standing out.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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|
|
John Wick: Chapter 3 -- Parabellum
(2019)
|
Jeff York
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[T]he John Wick series continues to show the entertainment world how to do action well - in camera, breathlessly executed, and clever as hell.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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|
Teen Spirit
(2018)
|
Jeff York
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Through it all, [Max] Minghella believes in Violet, as does [Elle] Fanning. They both give her character their all, keeping a tight focus on her ups and downs along her journey.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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The Haunting of Sharon Tate
(2019)
|
Jeff York
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[Daniel] Farrands has created a small miracle in the true crime genre, a horror tale that is eminently more moving than terrifying.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Climax
(2018)
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Jeff York
|
At the end of it all, this twisted horror tale is a fascinating demonstration of moviemaking prowess, but beyond that, the message seems either too obvious or even frivolous.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Dumbo
(2019)
|
Jeff York
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This take on an intimate story is so jumbo that it makes it feel a little dumb.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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The Aftermath
(2019)
|
Jeff York
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[T]his film focuses on a parent who's lost a child and their attempt to overcome the trauma and rejoin society as a functioning human being. That may not be all that sexy, but it makes for a very moving two hours at the Cineplex.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Us
(2019)
|
Jeff York
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Most acclaim must go to [Jordan] Peele though as he once again has created a horror film that manages to be scary, hilarious, as well as socially relevant.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Captain Marvel
(2019)
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Jeff York
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Danvers' fish-out-of-water story that occurs when she lands back on earth is where this movie starts to hit its stride.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Greta
(2018)
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Jeff York
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[Y]et as is, the film is not memorable or meaningful.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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Everybody Knows
(2018)
|
Jeff York
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Its thrills are intense, yet subtle, refraining from bombast, but still delivering a good wallop.
Posted Oct 21, 2019
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3/4
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Zombieland: Double Tap
(2019)
|
Jeff York
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While it doesn't do much that the first one didn't, this follow-up is a rollicking riff with enough laughs and character to stand as a hearty, albeit tardy, sequel.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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Mary Queen of Scots
(2018)
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Jeff York
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Unfortunately, too much time is spent on luridness which gives this historical drama a feeling more akin to the naughty Showtime series The Tudors.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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Cold War
(2018)
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Jeff York
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Its love story is both epic and intimate, personal and political, and one that will haunt you a very long time.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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If Beale Street Could Talk
(2018)
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Jeff York
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If Beale Street Could Talk is an extraordinary film with so much to say about our past and our future and a society that still hasn't learn its lessons all that well.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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Ralph Breaks the Internet
(2018)
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Jeff York
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Ralph Breaks the Internet skewers its many online targets with a lot of wicked wit.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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Green Book
(2018)
|
Jeff York
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There are too many cringe-worthy moments... where Tommy becomes Shirley's 'white savior.'
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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Widows
(2018)
|
Jeff York
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[T]his genre piece is much more than most of its pulpy brethren showing up in movie theaters and it's refreshing to see such vivid characters, as well as such stinging commentary on racism and sexism on display in a thriller.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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The Front Runner
(2018)
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Jeff York
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[Jason] Reitman is one of cinema's cleverest filmmakers, but here his blending of humor and sentimentality approaches the maudlin.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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A Private War
(2018)
|
Jeff York
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It's one of the year's best roles, performances, and it's contained in a film that undoubtedly matters. Now, more than ever.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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The Girl in the Spider's Web
(2018)
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Jeff York
|
Instead, the new tale... has too many plot holes and coincidences to be called an assured rebooting of the property and character.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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The Hate U Give
(2018)
|
Jeff York
|
Ultimately, The Hate U Give is an incredibly powerful character study, a crackling thriller, and even a shrewd editorial on the impact of violence in America.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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Suspiria
(2018)
|
Jeff York
|
Yet, despite the fantastical, nightmare images, this remake ultimately seems to be more of an exercise in filmmaking than storytelling.
Posted Oct 18, 2019
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