I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Guardians adventure, but I certainly enjoyed aspects of it — and the same is true for its sequel. By and large it is a dopey mess that cannot be taken seriously, and that […]
Continue reading »Category: Recent Releases
Norman (2017) ☆ ☆
Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere) is presented as a “fixer,” someone in New York City who can make connections and get things done. He’s a small time political operator who makes a connection with an Israeli politician (Lior Ashkenazi) that elevates […]
Continue reading »The Circle (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆
Strictly speaking, The Circle is science fiction, positing a near future when one technology company (seemingly a mixture of Apple, Google and Facebook, in my view) sets itself up as a global power. The Circle (the corporation) is surprisingly aided by […]
Continue reading »Going in Style (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆
I remember not liking the 1979 original old-guy caper film (with George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg), but I rather enjoyed this new version (with Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin). It is a breezy comedy — with […]
Continue reading »Phoenix Forgotten (2017) ☆ ☆
One of the most famous UFO sightings in American history occurred on March 13, 1997, when thousands of people saw mysterious lights in the skies above Phoenix, Arizona, which seemed to move in formation (and yet, apart). The “Phoenix Lights” […]
Continue reading »Gifted (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Good writing avoids cliché and provides characters with intelligent, interesting things to say. It can lift the mundane to the profound, and the routine to the special. Tom Flynn’s script for Gifted is largely exceptional, avoiding obvious benchmarks in favor of […]
Continue reading »Logan (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Regular readers of these reviews will know that I am not a big fan of superhero movies, especially when these “heroes” are pitted against one another for no good reason. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good movie […]
Continue reading »Life (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆
I’ve been looking forward to this movie since I first saw the preview months ago. It’s like John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), set on the International Space Station, with the terror of the first Alien (1979) thrown in for good measure. For […]
Continue reading »The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017) ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Another historical piece is The Zookeeper’s Wife, a drama set in Poland during the era of Nazi occupation in World War II. Like A United Kingdom, it follows a strong-willed woman through personal and social adversity; unlike that film, it does so […]
Continue reading »A United Kingdom (2017) ☆ ☆ 1/2
When a movie attempts to recreate recent human history it has two responsibilities — to portray its scenario with historical accuracy and to entertain while doing so. A couple of years ago Selma was lauded by many (including myself) as compelling […]
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