Author Archive
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 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
There is an air of finality all throughout Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023). Sure, when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is anything really over? I wouldn’t be surprised to see any one of these misfits show up again in some form or another down the road.…
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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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Film Review – Peter Pan & Wendy
Writer/director David Lowery is establishing himself as one of the premiere fantasy filmmakers. Whether his work is centered around family-oriented tales (such as Pete’s Dragon (2016)) or adult centered fables (The Green Knight (2021)/A Ghost Story (2017)), Lowery has the ability to craft fantastical elements with sincerity and intelligence. He takes…
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Film Review – To Catch a Killer
Have you ever listened to a band perform a cover to a song, and while they get all the notes right the feeling isn’t there? That’s the effect we get from the crime thriller To Catch a Killer (2023). It follows the familiar blueprint almost beat for…
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Film Review – Ghosted
Ghosted (2023) has the kind of glossy artificiality of an amusement park stage show. There are plenty of explosions, shoot outs, and death-defying stunts, but there’s never a moment we are not aware that everything is a simulation. There is no tension because we don’t believe…
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Film Review – Mafia Mamma
On paper, I can see why Toni Collette would be interested in a project like Mafia Mamma (2023). It allows her to flex her comedic chops, visit beautiful Italian locales, drink wine, eat good food, be a boss and kick some ass along the way. For an actor who…
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