A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Finally, I get it. From the moment Marlon Brando enters the frame, his raw, unfiltered masculinity is undeniable. There’s a loose, visceral energy in the way he moves, speaks, and simply is. His delivery is fluid, natural, even crude at times. He’s physical, animalistic, his ripped physique constantly on display…
Full Review
For Sama (2019)
A powerful companion piece to 20 Days in Mariupol, both harrowing first-person accounts of war, both featuring Russian-driven brutality, and both centered on the courage of frontline journalists. But For Sama is more personal, more intimate. Waad Al-Kateab captures her life in Aleppo with remarkable bravery. The footage she assembled…
Full Review
Seaspiracy (2021)
An eye-opening expose, blowing the lid off of an industry in true Michael Moore fashion. Makes me rethink the wonder and glory of the world’s oceans as shown in David Attenborough’s documentaries. Maddening and painful, but everyone should see this. I can’t imagine anyone walking away from this unchanged, especially…
Full Review
Sketch (2024)
Great concept, the story of children’s drawings of monsters coming to life finally gets told. But it needed a star actor to anchor this thing. Tony Hale’s exasperation and overwhelm grows old quickly, and the kids painfully struggle through their dialogue. But it still works. One of the best horribly…
Full Review
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
Nice to see the passion, precision, and reverence that go into Jiro’s craft, but there’s not much to this story that’s particularly dramatic or engaging. Interesting to see so much reverence for a character like Jiro. A similar character here in the US would be ripped to shreds by critics,…
Full Review
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
One of literature’s great standards, lovingly brought to life by sophomore director Joe Wright. A thoughtful exploration of character and circumstance. Everyone feels real, and the coming-of-age arcs and the slow-burning romantic tension between Elizabeth and Darcy unfold with grace. It’s not just a drama of love and social intrigue,…
Full Review
Apocalypto (2006)
Apocalypto is an ambitious project. Visually stunning, intense, and steeped in mystery. Mel Gibson has made another historical epic. The ending is great, with its haunting implication that a much bigger story, one we already know, is about to begin. While not as polished or dramatic as Braveheart, it’s every…
Full Review
Don’t Worry Darling (2022)
Right from the start, it gives off strong Stepford Wives and Truman Show vibes. Everything retro, everything too perfect. Then come the echoes of The Matrix, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Clockwork Orange, The Game, and Get Out. Florence Pugh is fantastic. She carries the film with an emotional,…
Full Review
Elio (2025)
Pixar’s answer to Carl Sagan. The set-up is good, and there are moments that are almost poignant, but it veers too hard to silly and cute to really have the impact I was looking for. A couple of laughs.
Full Review
20 Days in Mariupol (2023)
Horrific, harrowing, nearly unwatchable. Life and death, captured in real time. The graphic horror exceeds even what Hollywood can conjure up in war films like Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge. So many gut-wrenching private moments shared, willingly, in the hope that eyes in safer, distant lands might bring help.…
Full Review
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024)
A touching, beautifully nerdy love letter to a kid who made a difference. The immersive dive into the game world might seem corny to some, but it works. The graphics are striking, and the attention to character expression clearly took effort. But at the risk of sounding insensitive… Did Mats…
Full Review
A Real Pain (2024)
An interesting character study, though I’m not sure the story offers enough arc. Who really grows from this experience? Do either of them genuinely change by the end? Michael Cera brings his trademark nervous energy to the role, as expected. Kieran Culkin is especially strong. His performance feels raw and…
Full Review
The Taste of Things (2023)
A truly beautiful film. It begins at a slow simmer, 19th-century food porn, meticulously crafted. But as the dishes come together with patience and care, so too do the characters and their quiet, heartfelt stories. It’s a simple narrative, yes, but like the gourmet meals lovingly prepared on screen, there’s…
Full Review
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Nice effects, really nice effects, but I nearly didn’t make it past the opening credits. Would much prefer to ease into all of that visual craziness. Combine that kind of start with the dizzying timelines, universes, characters, and it’s hard to latch onto anything emotionally. Once things settle down, genuine…
Full Review
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
The delicate portrayal of a young girl’s transformation into a geisha against the backdrop of beautiful, historical Japan. Ziyi Zhang is striking, and even with her limited English, she draws the camera in. Gong Li delivers a powerful performance as the antagonist, both beautiful and captivating in her villainy. Suzuka…
Full Review
Conclave (2024)
Who knew this process could be so political? In my naivety, I always assumed the election of a pope was peaceful, orderly, and drama-free. Instead, what we get is a fascinating study of power, ambition, and human nature. Built on a foundation of well-drawn, distinctly interesting characters with competing motivations,…
Full Review
Mr. Nobody (2009)
At first, I thought it was a story about a man, the life he lived, and the connections he made along the way. Then I thought it was an epic statement about mankind and our place in the universe. Then I thought it was several parallel stories about the same…
Full Review
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
Expected it to be dumb and aimless, but it was actually kind of entertaining. Jack Black’s outrageous personality and full buy-in to the ridiculousness really sell the movie. Momoa’s little belly is on brand for the character, but I’m wondering if it’s a consequence of his notorious distaste for working…
Full Review
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)
Touching. Certainly makes you stop and appreciate life a little bit more. That’s powerful. Lots of great footage, and the editing is especially impressive. Crafting a coherent, emotionally resonant, and well-paced story without relying on a third-party narrator is no easy task. The frequent time jumps felt a little gratuitous,…
Full Review
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)
Tim Burton is right at home here, delivering his signature blend of quirky macabre, high school theater-style effects, and retro claymation. He’s always had a playful relationship with goth aesthetics and a light-hearted take on death, and this film is no exception. But my beef with Burton is that he…
Full Review
Perfect Days (2023)
A contemplative exploration of the tragic beauty of life. Vintage Wenders. Like the guy’s life, the film moves at a gentle, deliberate pace, though it feels a bit slow at times. If the message is simply to appreciate every day above ground, I’m not sure we needed to watch a…
Full Review
Idiocracy (2006)
Simpleton humor and dialogue, not much more sophisticated than Judge’s TV cartoons. But the message is prescient and socially aware. This is kind of what’s happening. Will society decline? Luke Wilson is always an interesting presence, but he’s not great here. Not sure goofy comedy is his thing.
Full Review
Alien: Romulus (2024)
Story doesn’t offer much in the way of originality, we’ve seen it many times before. That said, the film shines in its aesthetic. The retro sets and cinematography are clear highlights, paying loyal homage to the look and feel of the original Alien films from the ’80s. The ensemble cast…
Full Review
Erin Brockovich (2000)
A feel-good story about a regular person rising above. Easy Oscar material. Robert, at 33, is hot. What a presence she has. Worth every penny of that record-setting contract.
Full Review
Anora (2024)
Definitely an unconventional Best Picture. Strong acting all around, for sure, but shouldn’t a Best Picture tell a larger story? Anora is about a young woman making a series of bad choices, and while she has moments of independence, integrity, and spunk along the way, she ultimately ends up worse…
Full Review
Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken (2023)
Decent story with nice animation, but the over-exaggerated expressions, fast talking, and simplistic humor don’t make much of an impression. Fonda is an interesting voiceover choice.
Full Review
Memoirs of Snail (2024)
Nicely told, but it lacks a bit of wit and edge. I wanted it to be just a little smarter—leaning on more than caricatures and on-the-nose comedy. That said, the “testicle” line got me. The animation is impressive, somehow both cute and grotesque. But from a dramatic standpoint, I’m not…
Full Review
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
The story bends over backward to the point of near-incomprehensibility, but if that’s the price for all these fun cameos, I’ll take it. And there are certainly plenty—some from deep in the past, a few showing their age, but still a blast to see. It does make me wonder who…
Full Review
Transformers One (2024)
As a fan of the series that entertained me throughout my childhood, it’s hard to be objective on this one. On the one hand, I feel like this is what Transformers fan really wanted and deserved, not the Michael Bay atrocities. On the other, I wonder how much of my…
Full Review
Moana 2 (2024)
Great animation, but the story lacks punch because the stakes just aren’t very high. Moana wants to meet other explorers? On top of that, Maui’s song piece isn’t very good, and Heihei isn’t as funny.
Full Review
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
I appreciate the motivated backstory for Furiosa, but her story as an adult feels a bit thin. The movie leans heavily on quirkiness, action, and style, often at the expense of deeper storytelling. Great action sequences with what looks like some great stunts, though I can’t tell which ones are…
Full Review
The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019)
Story and comedy are a even better than the first. Pretty good movies to have come from a dumb game.
Full Review
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Would have been a good third movie in the franchise. Beverly Hills Cop III should never have existed, a subtle joke that’s made in the dialogue of this film. There are moments that capture the spunk, charm, and vibe of the original ’80s classics. You can see Eddie Murphy authentically…
Full Review
Am I Racist? (2024)
The message here is clear: racist and anti-racist stances have become such powerful virtue signals that racism has turned into a for-profit industry. It’s a thought-provoking idea and certainly worth considering. However, the topic isn’t explored from as many angles as What Is a Woman?, leaving the story feeling a…
Full Review
The Man from Earth (2007)
Interesting concept, one I’ve always wondered about myself. Some of the ideas are genuinely thought-provoking, especially the second half’s exploration of the history of religion. I wonder if that was the real motivation behind the script. The movie has a strong Twilight Zone vibe, and in fact, a similar concept…
Full Review
Gary (2024)
Tragic story about a guy who was exhausted and taken advantage of and tormented by life in so many ways. But the way that it’s made is not all that engaging, with repetitive block-letter title cards, vignetted aerial fly-bys, and still photos artificially refocused over and over again doing a…
Full Review
The Holdovers (2023)
Payne once again proves his mastery in storytelling, delivering a film that’s authentically nostalgic, melancholy, and wistful. The narrative is perfectly balanced with just the right amount of quirkiness, awkwardness, sharp dialogue, and moments of genuine humanity. From the first frame to last, Payne approaches Wes Anderson levels of nostalgia…
Full ReviewMr. Baseball, Bob Uecker (2014)
Inconsistent lighting between interviews, and I wish we heard more from his family, but a pretty good bio. Was Berenger the best person to narrate this?
Full Review
Night at the Museum (2006)
Dated, almost feels a bit 90’s because of the formulaic situations and dialogue and on-the-nose humor. Gervais and Williams are pretty much cameos, shame we couldn’t see them carry this a bit more.
Full Review
Inside Out 2 (2024)
Same characters, style, and humor from the first film, so it works. But the story isn’t quite fresh, so knocks it down a bit. I enjoy the new emotions, though they seem somewhat unnecessary as they don’t seem all that important to the story.
Full Review
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
A wonderful installment from Toho. They’ve abandoned the guy in a suit, embraced CGI, added a real story with real character arcs and real acting, and it works. I thought Godzilla (2014) was pretty good, but this one may be the best Godzilla movie yet. Action is great, we’ve never…
Full Review
The Venture Bros.: Radiant Is the Blood of the Baboon Heart (2023)
Seems to be made for fans of the series, but I have never seen nor even heard of Venture Bros., so I’ve got no idea what’s going on. I had a hard time deciphering who each character was, how they related to each other, what they want, or what happening…
Full Review
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Cage is the star of the film, and he’s simultaneously making fun of the crazy phenomenon he has become. The script they are writing is this movie. It’s all very meta and reminiscent of Being John Malkovitch in so many ways. Cage is entertaining. How much of this is biographical,…
Full Review
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)
Cinematic and dramatic and personal and well-researched and meta. So interesting and beautiful to watch. Despite the tremors, Fox has still got it. He’s charming, funny, smart, and through the tremors, he still teases us with that winning smile. The wit, clever expressions, and insights imply a playful but deep…
Full Review
It Ain’t Over (2022)
A wonderful biography and love letter to a really good guy. Just sorry it couldn’t be completed before his passing. Quality interviews from a great selection of family and friends and players. I’m impressed at how knowledgeable and passionate his granddaughter was. Swisher is a clown. Touching send-offs during the…
Full Review
South Park: Joining the Panderverse (2023)
Amazing how they keep cranking these funny, amazingly topical episodes. It’s really smart at first, but the same jokes and social criticisms over and over start to get old. How did Kennedy become such a target?
Full Review
Facing Nolan (2022)
A nice love letter to Nolan, though it’s sweetly just as much about his wife Ruth. Seeing and hearing the love from his family makes the Hall of Fame speech at the end more touching. Great interviews. Shame Ventura couldn’t man up for this one. But interspersing the interviews and…
Full Review
Road House (2024)
A loose remake of the original, and there’s nothing good here. Unimpressive story, casting, acting, characters, dialogue. This is just popcorn violence, though the fights are well-shot. I like Gyllenhaal, and he’s got some impressive muscles, but with a goofy grin and awkward hesitation before delivering each line of dialogue,…
Full Review
Dune: Part Two (2024)
I know it’s an old story, coming from Herbert’s 1965 novel, but I can’t help but see the parallels to other films with same story. I’m thinking of the search for “the One” in “The Matrix” and the outsider falling in love with a local and passing all the tests…
Full Review
Poor Things (2023)
A philosophical and erotic dark comedy based in some sort of steampunk alternate reality, definitely something different. It’s got much of the same whimsy as Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (especially the scene where Jim Carrey plays a baby version of himself), skies like impressionist paintings similar…
Full Review
Thirteen Lives (2022)
Good companion piece to The Rescue. This one’s basically the same, only with a bit of Hollywood polish. Beautifully shot. The cave scenes were surely hard to shoot and so claustrophobic that they’re hard to watch. Viggo and Colin, both playing low-key simpletons, do a nice job with the accents…
Full Review
Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985)
Not good. The formula barely worked for the first film, now it’s totally done. Guttenberg is still painfully unfunny. In retrospect, it’s hard to believe Bobcat made a career of this schtick.
Full Review
Police Academy (1984)
I guess it’s an original storyline, but the comedy is very lowbrow, even for the 80’s. Steve Guttenberg is painfully unfunny and uncharming.
Full Review
Migration (2023)
Animation is nice, but there’s nothing particularly funny or touching or clever about this one.
Full Review
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
The beautiful Miyazaki animation and Hisaishi score that we’ve come to know and love, but this one was totally weird. Many moments during the story when I had no idea what was going on.
Full Review
Leave the World Behind (2023)
A slow, creepy, suspenseful build that feels like a Shyamalan or Peele production. But the reveal is excruciatingly slow, and despite the promise early on, the payoff is not there in the end. Great cast. Roberts exudes tension and discomfort beautifully. How has Ethan Hawke never been pressured to fix…
Full Review
The Occupation of the American Mind (2016)
The film is neatly set up by the steady and surprisingly articulate voice of Roger Waters, but it does not fairly explore complicated history and motivations from both sides. The one-sided arguments are manipulative and dangerous, and overlaying everything with a eerie, droning score in a minor key makes me…
Full Review
Napoleon (2023)
It’s really hard to care about Napoleon or anything he does when he has no redeeming qualities. He’s selfish, egotistical, and pursues unhealthy relationships with broken people. A main character you don’t want to root for is going to be the biggest flaw of any film. Phoenix has turned in…
Full Review
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
Decent. Most impressive is the animation. Blows me away how they achieve this semi-realistic but totally animated effect. Chan and Ice Cube’s voices are the most distinctive and enjoyable. Everyone else’s voice performances are ordinary.
Full Review
The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
A romantic tale told in flashback, capturing the hearts of America the same way The Notebook would a generation later. Streep and Eastwood do have an undeniable chemistry. Streep pulls off a remarkably sexual performance, perhaps the only time I’ve ever seen her take on a role like this. Her…
Full Review
Close (2022)
Is this story about two young boys who are simply good friends? Is there an implication of early homosexuality? Is the line between those things blurred? Or is that exactly the message, that the line is often blurred? This to me is the most interesting question of the film. It’s…
Full Review
Carl’s Date (2023)
Cute and faithful to the Up story, but I would have liked to get a hint of how the date played out.
Full Review
Elemental (2023)
It’s not getting great ratings, but I thought it was a quality Pixar release. Surprisingly good, with funny moments and a few sweet, tearjerking scenes. The fire family is clearly based on a real-life, ethnic backstory. It’s not too on-the nose and successfully makes the film a little more personal.…
Full Review
Home (2015)
Touching and fun, with some pretty good comedy. Beautifully animated, with interesting color changes signifying emotions. The dialogue written for the Boovs is amazing, really creative and fun. Parsons is fantastic with it. Interesting that Tip doesn’t seem to miss, mention, or even have a father.
Full Review
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)
Madhavan seems like an interesting guy. He goes by one name, he seems to be a big star in India, and he wrote, directed, and starred in this film. He’s done some work to look like the real Nambi, so props for that. But why are rockets so important to…
Full Review
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Same formula as the other Mission Impossible films, and it’s a formula that doesn’t excite me. Hunt is a rogue government agent who is smarter and more noble and more daring than both the good guys and the bad guys. How different is this from the Bourne or Bond franchises?…
Full Review
Oppenheimer (2023)
A chilling biography of a man and a pivotal point in human history. Murphy is fantastic in the lead role, capturing Oppenheimer’s bright but sad eyes, slight frame, and doing a particularly wonderful job with his exquisite voice, delivering an authentic, gravelly American accent without any trace of his native…
Full Review
Creed III (2023)
I think they did as good as they could with a formula that’s so tired at this point. Jordan is a good actor, and yes his physicality is impressive. Majors has a scary, wonderful mix of innocent charm and ferocity. They did a great job with the simultaneous slow reveal…
Full Review
Flee (2021)
Highly praised, and the historical background is tragic, but the personal story didn’t grab me, and I found it awfully boring. The animation and subtle score were nice and barely enough to keep me engaged.
Full Review
The Whale (2022)
Heavy (pun intended). Watching someone die is never fun. Fraser’s first proper dramatic performance. Always found him very annoying, but he conveys some real heart through that fat suit. Sink plays a good bitch. She has a fiery, articulate cuteness like Britt Robertson. Morton’s pretty good as a trashy American…
Full Review
The Father (2020)
Cleverly structured movie, with editing and visual tricks that recreate Anthony’s confusion and delusion for the viewer. Not as disjointed and manipulative as Chris Nolan’s Memento, but definitely a step in that direction. Is there a movie that captures the excruciating and heart-wrenching experience of dementia more effectively? The one…
Full Review
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Delightful little story. I could imagine this playing out perfectly on the stage with a couple of quality actors. The story is driven by the dialogue, and oh how wonderfully playful and natural it is. This is some really good writing, worthy of Best Screenplay awards. Beautifully shot. Everything takes…
Full Review
Farha (2021)
In a horrifying, depressing, but beautifully simple way, Sallam shines a light on a bit of history that many may not be familiar with. As the first movie I can think of that makes the Jews the bad guys, it’s definitely making me rethink things a bit. This story is…
Full Review
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
Probably the most horrifying war movie I’ve seen, with vivid grit and graphic brutality that eclipses even Saving Private Ryan and 1917. In this one, we have an interestingly sympathetic German perspective, but in the end, we get the familiar statement about the senselessness and futility and tragedy of war.…
Full Review
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
A light-hearted, faithful story with lots of homages to the franchise. Good characters, fun voices, and great music, with lots of familiar themes thoughtfully reworked to fit scenes. Pratt does this stuff with ease, though maybe he wasn’t given enough free reign here. He’s not hilarious. Anya Taylor-Joy gives Peach…
Full Review
Werewolf by Night (2022)
Wonder, weirdness, and dark whimsy of Tim Burton with the realism and structure of Marvel. A wonderful play on the genre, with old school horror music and title cards and expressionist lighting and blood spatters. And the wonderful color twist at the end. A cute little story! Great casting and…
Full Review
Glass Onion (2022)
Blanc is in the tradition of Holmes and Poirot and Colombo. I wonder who’s the smartest? Watching these, we try to keep up with Blanc, right? We want to see if we’re as smart as he is. But there’s no way to do this if things are hidden from us…
Full Review
Tina (2021)
Nicely paced with great footage, dramatized just enough with a gentle score. She seems like a great woman.
Full Review
LA 92 (2017)
Definitely a lot of footage I haven’t seen. I knew the violence and destruction were bad, but I didn’t know this bad. And some cross-cutting at the end that ominously implies that things haven’t changed and likely won’t change anytime soon. Definitely one of many scars on the face of…
Full Review
Green Lantern (2011)
Silly story, characters, dialogue, and visuals. Iron Man had come out 3 years earlier, why couldn’t this movie take some cues? Effects are dated and overdramatized with cool colors and cool camera movements and cool sounds. We were supposed to be done with that in the 90’s. Reynolds and Lively…
Full Review
Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Recently crowned best movie ever by Sight & Sound magazine, so I had to give it a shot. Admittedly, there is something voyeuristically interesting about this. The long takes combined with dioramic, flat, Wes Anderson camera angles in rooms and hallways are strangely captivating. But the novelty wears off. Watching…
Full Review
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
Surprisingly delicate and sweet and sad. Foster seems like an interesting, articulate, humble, spiritual guy. His narration is well-paced and natural. His voice and accent are very zen, and I think that does a lot to make the film very gentle and warm and contemplative. I can’t imagine a guy…
Full Review
The Rescue (2021)
Claustrophobic and gripping, with incredible suspense and tension throughout. Gentle scoring really works well to sustain the mood. Helpful, beautiful graphics are combined with great explanations by the cave divers. You really do admire these rescuers in the end. Despite their admitted social anxieties and insecurities, they’re intelligent and well-spoken…
Full Review
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
A long wait for this one. Was it worth the wait? Almost. Overall, another technical masterpiece from Cameron. There’s no disputing that the beautiful world he has created and the visual effects used to bring it to life show a creativity and technical competency that makes him one of the…
Full Review
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)
A cute and pleasant film. I really enjoy how they avoid Marcel’s whole origin story and completely gloss over the fact that Marcel is a sentient, anthropomorphic shell. Biggest issue is that not a lot happens, and it starts to get a little boring after the novelty wears off. Slate…
Full Review
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
This year’s WTF art movie. But what kind of movie is it supposed to be? Funny? Cool? Interesting? Complicated? Philosophical? Quirky? Inspirational? Romantic? Touching? When it tries to be all at once, it succeeds at nothing. And if every 7 minutes we have another climax with a time-distorted, magical confluence…
Full Review
In Bruges (2008)
Things feel a little weird in the beginning, with loosely edited dialogue and light comedy that doesn’t really work. But as the story deepened and the characters developed and the beauty of Bruges slowly revealed itself, it all grew on me. By the end, we have a cleanly told, symbolism-filled…
Full Review
Confess, Fletch (2022)
Hamm channels Chevy in expression, habit, and quick wit, but he’s not Chevy. I’m just not convinced Hamm is all that funny. Some of his dialogue feels a bit scripted and forced, and a smart-ass who is not that funny starts to get annoying. Izzo looks like a mix of…
Full Review
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (1993)
What a remarkable connection to history she is. Great to have been able to get these interviews with her, even if this project was conceived by Leni herself. Fiery and pretty sharp for 90. I really appreciated Leni’s very frank and matter-of-fact answers. What I like most is how they…
Full Review
On Deadly Ground (1994)
A festering pile of shit, from story to editing to acting to casting. Seagal is a C-list action star and a D-list actor. Shame seeing respectable actors like Caine and Thornton wasted. Hard to take McGinley seriously. The PSA and associated press footage tacked onto the end is laughable. And…
Full Review
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)
The guy is passionate about movies. I wonder how many of today’s directors have this kind of passion for and familiarity with the classics. Should have been required viewing in film school. I like how personal it is, and I love Scorsese’s unique, fast-talking narration. But a camera fixated on…
Full Review
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020)
This is not a biography, but it certainly gives us a lot more insight into the man than we’ve ever gotten before. A true personal statement, and since he’s one of the few experienced enough in this subject, he’s earned the right to make one. Beautiful footage from the documentaries…
Full Review
Coda (2021)
A beautiful film, with magic coming from the sweet and cleanly told story, the heartfelt and authentic characters, and perfect casting. The drama of having a voice in a deaf family is real and marvelously explored in this one. Similar drama plays out in Mr. Holland’s Opus (though perhaps in…
Full Review
Soul (2020)
Interesting exploration of complicated ideas and a real thinker for spiritual adults, but it might be a little too cerebral for kids. The genius of Pixar is that their stories are not about enemies. Instead, the antagonist is always life and its emotional complexities. The hero must find a way…
Full Review
The Batman (2022)
They set out to make something even darker and moodier than the Nolan’s Batman, and they succeeded. The contemplative pace something different for a superhero movie. I like it overall, but it starts to wear a bit in a movie this long. After The Lighthouse and this one, Pattison is…
Full Review
Encanto (2021)
Engaging story full of magic, wonderful animation, and good comedy. It’s clear that Disney has assimilated Pixar without major consequence, as this one feels like an independent Pixar release.
Full Review
Nope (2022)
Beautiful photography, effects are impressive, and Peele is really great at creating tension and suspense for a few moments at a time, but all these little moments don’t support a very good story. Carnivorous alien spaceships? Why are they here and what do they want? Where is the media or…
Full Review
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Nice to get all the old stars back, I guess, but the story and dialogue is awfully goofy. A spell that has the power to destroy the universe is interrupted by Peter Parker being annoying? And now his motivation is to make all the bad people from the old movies…
Full ReviewAbout Me
I'm a photographer, web developer, travel enthusiast, and movie buff living in Alexandria, Virginia, USA.In the summer of 1993, I started writing reviews for every movie I saw and haven't looked back. I'm up to 2,362 reviews now. This makes me cool or a complete dork, depending on your perspective.
Some of these reviews contain spoilers, so if that bothers you, don't read!
Recent Comments