Drama
Film Review – Sympathy for the Devil
If there is one thing Nicolas Cage cannot be accused of, it’s taking a role for granted. Whether it’s a big budget blockbuster or a straight to video indie, Cage cannot operate at any level other than 200%. That’s what makes him so compelling – he takes…
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Film Review – Happiness for Beginners
Here now is a rom-com that is so feathery light that it risks floating away. Happiness for Beginners (2023) is about as breezy and formulaic that it could have very well been a satire. You know all the tropes – a guy and girl have a Meet…
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Film Review – Bird Box: Barcelona
Bird Box (2018) was a sci-fi/horror film that contained shades of The Happening (2008) and The Mist (2007). Based on the novel by Josh Malerman, the premise involved an invasion by an unseen force (Aliens? Demons?) that causes anyone who looks at them to turn suicidal. It incorporated themes of faith…
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Film Review – Run Rabbit Run
Run Rabbit Run (2023) touches on many of the fears that come with being a parent. There’s the constant worry over whether you are raising your child well enough, that they are cared for and fed, that they are being raised in a safe environment, and…
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Film Review – Cracked
The Thai horror film Cracked (2022) creates effective creepiness with limited resources. Utilizing a small cast and a few locations, director Surapong Ploensang (who co-writes with Orunusa Donsawai and Pun Homchuen) evokes mood with relative ease. While the overall narrative is thin in terms of story and character, the craftsmanship on display…
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Film Review – The Mother
Given her history as a dancer, as well as her willingness to take on physically demanding roles – from Hustlers (2019) to the slapstick of Shotgun Wedding (2022) – it’s surprising that Jennifer Lopez hasn’t done more action films. She clearly has the physicality to do it. In The Mother (2023), she runs,…
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Film Review – Carmen
Director/choreographer Benjamin Millepied’s Carmen (2022) is not so much an adaptation of the famous novel/opera, but a complete re-imagining that uses the source material as a groundwork. The result is an intoxicating and vibrant sensory experience. Some viewers may be turned off by its poeticism (some might describe…
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Film Review – R.M.N.
The title of R.M.N. (2022) loosely translates to “Magnetic Resonance Imaging,” or “M.R.I.” This is a not-so-subtle clue from Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu over his intentions. Just as he did with his Palme D’or winning 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007), Mungiu takes a small, enclosed narrative and uses…
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