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7/10
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Munich: The Edge of War
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Speculative yet suspenseful, revisionist historical thriller.
Posted Jan 30, 2022
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7/10
|
A Hero
(2021)
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Susan Granger
|
Asghar Farhadi's subtly suspenseful drama thriller.
Posted Jan 22, 2022
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|
6/10
|
The Tender Bar
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Gentle, nostalgic coming-of-age story - with Ben Affleck scoring a SAG nomination as Best Supporting Actor.
Posted Jan 18, 2022
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8/10
|
The Tragedy of Macbeth
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Inspired, audacious interpretation of one of Shakespeare's most compelling plays.
Posted Jan 18, 2022
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|
5/10
|
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Blandly familiar comedic adventure - now streaming - focusing on teenagers on a spooky farm in Summerville, Oklahoma.
Posted Jan 11, 2022
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|
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Cyrano
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
An engrossing adaptation of a classic tale, enhanced by music.
Posted Jan 10, 2022
|
|
|
C'mon C'mon
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Sensitive, stylistic, soft-spoken family melodrama, encompassing the inherent joys and overwhelming responsibilities of caring for a child.
Posted Jan 10, 2022
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5/10
|
The King's Man
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Absurdly frenzied prequel with a convoluted script that's tonally inconsistent and, therefore, confusing.
Posted Jan 04, 2022
|
|
9/10
|
Spider-Man: No Way Home
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Action-packed, nostalgic hit, jump-starting theater-going despite the Omicron variant.
Posted Jan 03, 2022
|
|
9/10
|
West Side Story
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Visually stunning adaptation - worth a trip to see it on the big screen.
Posted Dec 20, 2021
|
|
7/10
|
The Lost Daughter
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Maggie Gyllenhaal's directing debut is subversive yet compassionate.
Posted Dec 13, 2021
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8/10
|
Belfast
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Kenneth Branagh's bittersweet, elegiac, cinematic memoir opts for romanticism over realism
Posted Dec 13, 2021
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5/10
|
Don't Look Up
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Despite the star-studded cast this frantic satire is fragmented and ham-fisted. Perhaps they were hoping for another 'Dr. Strangelove' or 'Wag the Dog.' No such luck!
Posted Dec 13, 2021
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8/10
|
Being the Ricardos
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Nicole Kidman captures not only Lucy's exuberant physicality but also the tonal essence of her determination. It's minor Sorkin but Aaron Sorkin is cagey, droll and voraciously smart.
Posted Dec 13, 2021
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7/10
|
Language Lessons
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Inventive, poignant two-character story - using technology to interact.
Posted Dec 06, 2021
|
|
5/10
|
House of Gucci
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
A flamboyant, extravagant melodrama, the sluggish script overflowing with awkward dialogue and extraneous characters. Lady Gaga's best line ' "Father, Son and the House of Gucci' - was improvised.
Posted Dec 06, 2021
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|
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Mass
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
A subtly poignant psychological drama that evokes a genuine catharsis.
Posted Nov 29, 2021
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|
8/10
|
Lamb
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
This intriguing, enigmatic, contemporary folkloric tale from Norse mythology is high on my list of Best International Films of 2021.
Posted Nov 29, 2021
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7/10
|
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Unevenly directed yet sincerely sympathetic. Jessica Chastain is irresistible as the camp icon.
Posted Nov 29, 2021
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7/10
|
King Richard
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Sentimental and inspirational, as Will Smith delivers a persuasive performance as stubborn, outspoken Richard Williams, father of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Posted Nov 29, 2021
|
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8/10
|
The Power of the Dog
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Jane Campion's ethereally suspenseful, unpredictable, revisionist Western features ominously glowering Best Actor contender Benedict Cumberbatch, along with slyly edgy Kodi Smit-McPhee - plus Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons.
Posted Nov 22, 2021
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|
3/10
|
Red Notice
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Tepid and tedious - it's a total waste of time and talent.
Posted Nov 15, 2021
|
|
7/10
|
Passing
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Reminiscent of Elia Kazan's 'Pinky' (1949), starring Jeanne Crain as a light-skinned Black woman , Rebecca Hall's debut feature - cleverly timed to build on conversation about color, cruelty, privilege and secrets - is perceptive, if slow-paced.
Posted Nov 15, 2021
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6/10
|
Eternals
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Exciting, yet exhausting introduction to a new set of Marvel superheroes with an emphasis on eclectic diversity and familial inclusion.
Posted Nov 08, 2021
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7/10
|
Spencer
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Pablo Larrain's psychological horror fantasy may catapult Kristen Stewart onto the Oscar dais.
Posted Nov 08, 2021
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|
8/10
|
The French Dispatch
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Astonishing, elegiac, absurdly fanciful anthology, filled with piquant caricatures, meticulously crafted by Wes Anderson as an inventive, whimsical tribute to several generations of mannered storytellers who enriched the American literary landscape.
Posted Nov 01, 2021
|
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6/10
|
Best Sellers
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Poignant, cross-generational literary comedy.
Posted Oct 28, 2021
|
|
6/10
|
The Many Saints of Newark
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Remember what Tony Soprano said to his psychiatrist? 'I feel like I came in at the end. The best is over.
Posted Oct 28, 2021
|
|
7/10
|
Dune
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Sumptuous, spectacular with an enormity of sounds and magnificent visual effects.
Posted Oct 25, 2021
|
|
3/10
|
Halloween Kills
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Working from an incoherent, dumbed-down, over-populated script, David Gordon Green continues his trilogy, set to conclude next year with HALLOWEEN ENDS.
Posted Oct 18, 2021
|
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6/10
|
The Last Duel
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
This medieval drama puts a clear perspective on the indisputable fact that - for most of recorded history - women were routinely subjugated, regarded as chattel.
Posted Oct 18, 2021
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8/10
|
No Time to Die
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Craig clearly demonstrates his dramatic chops in this emotional, highly enjoyable conclusion.
Posted Oct 11, 2021
|
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2/10
|
Lady of the Manor
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Tedious, contemptuous paranormal fantasy that the directors call 'a fart-warming comedy.'
Posted Oct 11, 2021
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|
7/10
|
Old Henry
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Gratifying, surprising redemption fable, set in the Old West.
Posted Oct 05, 2021
|
|
8/10
|
In Balanchine's Classroom
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Aimed specifically at balletomanes, Connie Hochman's documentary is exquisite and energetic, filled with never-before-seen archival footage.
Posted Oct 04, 2021
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6/10
|
Diana: The Musical
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Snarky, splashy, superficial musical interpretation of the Diana/Charles/Camilla scandal.
Posted Oct 04, 2021
|
|
5/10
|
Dear Evan Hansen
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Manipulatively superficial and maudlin, citing the Suicide Prevention Hotline after the end credits.
Posted Sep 27, 2021
|
|
7/10
|
Cry Macho
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Clint Eastwood's redemptive, coming-of-age drama is charming and compassionate.
Posted Sep 22, 2021
|
|
3/10
|
When I'm a Moth
(2019)
|
Susan Granger
|
The concept's self-conscious pretentiousness is as off-putting as it is tedious.
Posted Sep 16, 2021
|
|
7/10
|
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Melville Norville delves into Bourdain's suicide in this absorbing, perceptive, empathetic documentary.
Posted Sep 15, 2021
|
|
10/10
|
Come From Away
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
We honor what was lost - but we also commemorate what we found.
Posted Sep 13, 2021
|
|
7/10
|
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Despite the sketchy scripting, the vehicular chase through San Francisco is the best since 'Bullitt' (1968).
Posted Sep 13, 2021
|
|
6/10
|
The Water Man
(2020)
|
Susan Granger
|
Subtle, sensitive, supernatural family-friendly fantasy/adventure.
Posted Sep 01, 2021
|
|
4/10
|
Don't Breathe 2
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
You can't turn a repulsive, reprehensible villain into an action anti-hero - the brutal, hyper-violent redemption simply doesn't work.
Posted Aug 23, 2021
|
|
5/10
|
Reminiscence
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
It's difficult to make movie magic with a clunky, cliche-filled, confusing script and plodding, melodramatic pacing.
Posted Aug 23, 2021
|
|
8/10
|
CODA
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Charming crowd-pleaser.
Posted Aug 19, 2021
|
|
7/10
|
Pig
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Subtle, sorrowful and savory.
Posted Aug 16, 2021
|
|
3/10
|
Till Death
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Tensely twisted, yet tawdry thriller - with plot contrivances that are beyond absurd.
Posted Aug 13, 2021
|
|
4/10
|
Annette
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
Incoherent and ephemeral, it's tedious, pretentious poppycock.
Posted Aug 13, 2021
|
|
3/10
|
The Suicide Squad
(2021)
|
Susan Granger
|
With little exposition and no character development, there's no emotional resonance, making it more of a grotesque, R-rated comic-book-turned-video game than a movie.
Posted Aug 09, 2021
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