Yet another of 2018’s most acclaimed films comes from Lebanon. Capernaum, which translates as Chaos, chronicles difficult conditions for people living in Lebanon, especially refugees. Few of the performers are professionals; most are novices on screen for the first time, […]
Continue reading »Category: Recent Releases
Free Solo (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
The winner of 2018’s Best Documentary Feature Oscar is an odd glimpse at the man who free-climbed the 3000-foot high El Capitan mountain wall in Yosemite National Park on June 3, 2017, in just under four hours. It is an […]
Continue reading »Never Look Away (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Another of 2018’s most acclaimed films comes from Germany. It is a fictionalized examination of the life of painter Gerhard Richter, although I have no idea how closely it follows or recreates Richter’s life. Like Cold War, this is also […]
Continue reading »Cold War (2018) ☆ ☆ 1/2
One of 2018’s most acclaimed films comes from Poland. It is a love story somewhat disguised as a social commentary set during the turbulent post-World War II era as Europe struggled with all sorts of conflicting passions. Pavel Pawlikowski’s film, […]
Continue reading »Cold Pursuit (2019) ☆ ☆
It’s nice when cheesy action movies realize their inherent cheesiness and have a little fun with the audience. To be sure, much of this parental retaliation movie is played straight, enough to be affecting at the right moments. But a […]
Continue reading »Aquaman (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
Although I never venture into the ocean (or lakes, rivers, ponds or anywhere else that might hide sharks or other threats) I do admit a curiosity and wonder at the beauty and mystery of the deeps. After all, three quarters […]
Continue reading »Stan and Ollie (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
One of the sweetest films I’ve seen in a long time, Stan and Ollie captures the essence of the deep friendship which made the cinematic exploits of Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) so memorable and touching. […]
Continue reading »The Favourite (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
My mother-in-law saw this movie and never realized that it is a comedy. Such are its serious subject matter, viperish tone, mean-spirited hijinks and deadly consequences, that it defies traditional categorization. It is a fascinating, darkly humorous, absolutely troubling glimpse […]
Continue reading »On the Basis of Sex (2018) ☆ ☆ ☆
Ruth Bader Ginsburg has emerged as an unlikely cultural icon, and this movie is intended to depict the origins of her progressive appeal. But it is also designed to contribute to her legacy, and this close alignment makes me a […]
Continue reading »Mary Poppins Returns (2018) ☆ ☆ 1/2
Is it wise to revisit or update a genuine cinematic classic? Hollywood certainly thinks so, because the studios keep remaking old classics and are now creating sequels decades after the originals. Now the Disney company has made a belated sequel […]
Continue reading »