Movie Mom

Movie Mom is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Nell Minow
Rating Title/Year Author
B+ The Photograph (2020) Nell Minow A luscious valentine of a movie, the kind of romantic drama audiences keep complaining they don't make any more. EDIT
Posted Feb 14, 2020
B - Olympic Dreams (2019) Nell Minow "Olympic Dreams" is a slight but sweet story set inside a big, colorful, dramatic world. EDIT
Posted Feb 13, 2020
B- Downhill (2020) Nell Minow Yes, middle-aged people sometimes wonder where their youth has gone and long to be seen as new and desirable. That point has been made much better many, many times. EDIT
Posted Feb 13, 2020
B Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) Nell Minow Perhaps not as fun as it wants to be, but the movie has high spirits and a refreshing perspective that goes a bit deeper than just grrrl power. EDIT
Posted Feb 6, 2020
C- The Rhythm Section (2020) Nell Minow Played by a series of bad wigs with Blake Lively in a supporting role. EDIT
Posted Jan 30, 2020
B The Last Full Measure (2020) Nell Minow A diligent, well-intentioned, if overheated story. EDIT
Posted Jan 23, 2020
B- Dolittle (2020) Nell Minow Watchable despite Downey's strange whispery accent due to the sumptuous and imaginative production design and the stellar voice talent for the CGI animal characters. EDIT
Posted Jan 16, 2020
B- Bad Boys for Life (2020) Nell Minow It's dumb, and the action/comedy mix is not entirely successful given the carelessness about collateral damage and the outright carnage. EDIT
Posted Jan 16, 2020
B+ Just Mercy (2019) Nell Minow After his electrifying appearance in "Black Panther," here Jordan is a lawyer whose only superpowers are his integrity and his constant courtesy. EDIT
Posted Jan 9, 2020
C- Like a Boss (2020) Nell Minow Three brilliant, funny women and a promising premise sink under the weight of frantic antics and an exhausting stream of raunchy references instead of jokes. EDIT
Posted Jan 9, 2020
A- Little Women (2019) Nell Minow Gerwig not only loves and understands the book, she knows we are only beginning to catch up to Alcott's vision of what is possible for young women and for all of us. EDIT
Posted Dec 24, 2019
B+ Spies in Disguise (2019) Nell Minow "Spies in Disguise" is a stylish spy caper with heart and humor, an endearing friendship, and an equally endearing affection for Team Weird. EDIT
Posted Dec 24, 2019
C Cats (2019) Nell Minow The whole thing is so badly misbegotten that it keeps its most entertaining elements out of sight. EDIT
Posted Dec 19, 2019
B+ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Nell Minow Those who liked the last two films will not like this one as much. Those who were disappointed by those will like this one better. EDIT
Posted Dec 18, 2019
B- Richard Jewell (2019) Nell Minow This could have been a heartwarming story, but Eastwood's cranky "get off my lawn" perspective cannot resist overdoing it as though he was talking to an empty chair. EDIT
Posted Dec 12, 2019
B + Dark Waters (2019) Nell Minow Ruffalo and Haynes have stripped away a significant proportion of what makes their work distinctive in what looks like a mistaken opinion that style is not serious. EDIT
Posted Dec 5, 2019
B+ The Aeronauts (2019) Nell Minow When they are in the air, it is gorgeous, exciting, and great fun. EDIT
Posted Dec 5, 2019
B+ The Two Popes (2019) Nell Minow It is a pleasure and a privilege to be able to eavesdrop on this conversation, and inspiring, too. EDIT
Posted Nov 26, 2019
B+ Knives Out (2019) Nell Minow It is deliciously nasty, seasoned with some political jibes, a ton of fun and anything but cozy. EDIT
Posted Nov 26, 2019
B + 21 Bridges (2019) Nell Minow There is nothing new about the story, but it is capably told and the cast, especially Boseman and Stephan James make it more than watchable. EDIT
Posted Nov 21, 2019
A- A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) Nell Minow Anyone who watches it will be moved - and is almost guaranteed to be a kinder, happier, more open-hearted person by the end of the film. EDIT
Posted Nov 21, 2019
B+ Midway (2019) Nell Minow Skrein makes Best the quintessential American hero, cool under pressure, confident, a bit of a cowboy. EDIT
Posted Nov 7, 2019
C Playing With Fire (2019) Nell Minow I would not have thought it possible for one short film to have so many poop jokes and so many opportunities for the leading character to take his shirt off. EDIT
Posted Nov 7, 2019
B+ Harriet (2019) Nell Minow Erivo is incandescent in the role, one of the great performances of the year in a story that is as vital as history as it is timely. EDIT
Posted Oct 31, 2019
B+ Motherless Brooklyn (2019) Nell Minow The story itself is like a jazz performance, improvisation based in deep understanding and skill. EDIT
Posted Oct 31, 2019
B Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) Nell Minow There are some thrill-ride moments. But if you go, you might wish someone came back from the future to tell you to rent the first one again instead. EDIT
Posted Oct 31, 2019
B+ Jojo Rabbit (2019) Nell Minow JoJo Rabbit" does portray the Nazis in a heightened, satiric, silly manner, but this is not an insensitive or superficial film. By the end it packs a wallop. EDIT
Posted Oct 24, 2019
B+ The Current War (2017) Nell Minow Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon avoids the too-often stuffy quality of prestige historical dramas with refreshingly dynamic camerawork and editing. EDIT
Posted Oct 24, 2019
B+ Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) Nell Minow It's a story about family, resilience, courage, and staying limber -- with a great scene over the credits featuring a not-too-surprising guest star. EDIT
Posted Oct 17, 2019
A- The Laundromat (2019) Nell Minow Soderbergh knows how to entice us into paying attention, and entertain us until we are willing to think. EDIT
Posted Oct 10, 2019
C Lucy in the Sky (2019) Nell Minow "Lucy in the Sky" says it's inspired by a true story, and while it draws some of its details from what really happened, there is very little inspiration evident on screen. EDIT
Posted Oct 3, 2019
C Joker (2019) Nell Minow "Joker" tries hard to be dark, disturbing, and meaningful. It is dark, but it is sour, superficial and gross. EDIT
Posted Oct 3, 2019
B+ Judy (2019) Nell Minow Zellweger's total immersion in the performance, as with Garland, it so vital and impossible to look away from that it transcends the limits of the material she outshines. EDIT
Posted Sep 27, 2019
B Abominable (2019) Nell Minow Some lovely visuals and appealing characters. EDIT
Posted Sep 27, 2019
B+ Downton Abbey (2019) Nell Minow It feels like a fairy tale to escape to in this lush version, where we can all imagine ourselves dressing for dinner and receiving a visit from the royal family. EDIT
Posted Sep 19, 2019
B+ Ad Astra (2019) Nell Minow Gray is better with the settings than the characters and better with the characters than the storyline. And Brad Pitt's acting is better than every other part of the film. EDIT
Posted Sep 19, 2019
C The Goldfinch (2019) Nell Minow It is a mess, and not in an interesting way. EDIT
Posted Sep 12, 2019
B+ Hustlers (2019) Nell Minow The focus here is on the characters and their relationships, doing their best to take care of their families, both the ones by birth and the ones by choice. EDIT
Posted Sep 12, 2019
B+ Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles (2019) Nell Minow It reminds us of why "Fiddler" is so enduring simply through the characters, story, and music that will still be touching audiences in another 50 years. EDIT
Posted Sep 9, 2019
B+ Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019) Nell Minow Seeing how Brittany opens up as she learns to judge other people and herself less harshly is what makes this movie one of the summer's sweetest surprises. EDIT
Posted Aug 29, 2019
B- Angel Has Fallen (2019) Nell Minow Director Ric Roman Waugh's staging of the intense scenes of conflict and action is assured and exciting. EDIT
Posted Aug 22, 2019
C Good Boys (2019) Nell Minow Cannot overcome the unpleasantness of the cheap humor and the sinking feeling that the filmmaking experience itself merits a visit from Child Protective Services. EDIT
Posted Aug 15, 2019
A- Blinded by the Light (2019) Nell Minow As in "Bend it Like Beckham," Chadha's gift for kinetic storytelling reflects the turbulent emotion of the young protagonists. EDIT
Posted Aug 15, 2019
B- Where'd You Go, Bernadette (2019) Nell Minow This is disappointingly one-dimensional work from one of the world's most talented and versatile directors, with all the depth of Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me." EDIT
Posted Aug 15, 2019
B Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) Nell Minow A buoyant sense of fun and a heroine whose greatest act of courage may be the way she accepts herself and those around her. EDIT
Posted Aug 8, 2019
A- Amazing Grace (2018) Nell Minow 87 minutes of pure joy/ EDIT
Posted Aug 4, 2019
B+ Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) Nell Minow A big-time buddy cop action comedy full of one-liners, chases, crashes, explosions, punches, kicks, improbable stunts, impossible stunts, end credits extras. EDIT
Posted Aug 1, 2019
B Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood (2019) Nell Minow Quentin Tarantino is a brilliant filmmaker who does not have anything to say. EDIT
Posted Jul 25, 2019
A- The Farewell (2019) Nell Minow This film is sharply written and beautifully performed. It is a perfect example of the adage that the more specific a story is, the more universal it is. EDIT
Posted Jul 18, 2019
B- Stuber (2019) Nell Minow These team-ups are always based on a superego/id mash-up, and Nanjiani's trademark understated delivery plays off well with Bautista's brawn. EDIT
Posted Jul 11, 2019