Dara of Jasenovac does tend to fall on the bleaker side (there are no elements of Life is Beautiful or Jacob the Liar here), but that bleakness helps the film earn its brighter moments and illustrates hope survives even in the face of immense tragedy. All of the suffering that is endured pays off in a very emotional ending that really makes you feel like things might just work out for Dara. She never loses hope or determination to keep what remained of her family together. Dara of Jasenovac is a gut-wrenching story that, while difficult to watch, was imperative to tell.
Read moreTenet (2020) ***
Tenent is a wildly ambitious film that never quite takes off in the ways The Prestige, Inception and Interstellar do in that by suppressing the emotions of the lead, we’re held at arm’s length (more so than in his other films) and that connection to the story is lost a bit. That doesn’t undermine the quality of the filmmaking or the performances but it does bring it down to a more mental exercise than a full film. Perhaps multiple viewings will alleviate this feeling, but even if it doesn’t, Tenent is more than worth the effort and is a pleasure to try and figure out.
Read moreArtemis Fowl (2020) **
But Disney will not get their sweet, sweet box office and video rental monies from Artemis Fowl. It’s possible that they realized it would have bombed in the theater or possibly that they just wanted it out as widely as possible. It was a smart move, considering this film is a total misfire from moment one.
Read moreToy Story 4 (2019) ***1/2
What it all comes down to is that Toy Story 4 delivers. It wraps up a 24-year-old story neatly and beautifully, with the unlikely possibility of more adventures down the line. Unlikely because there is significant closure concerning Woody, Bo and the gang, so we probably won’t ever see these beloved characters again
Read moreGreen Book (2018) *1/2
Green Book is essentially a film that celebrates how one white guy met his only black friend, who, according to the Shirley family, never considered Tony more than a chauffeur and that he was only friendly with Tony because he was paying him to be his driver and bodyguard. There is no subtilty in the film at all, everything is out in the open and spelled out for the audience to keep people focused on the emotions they are telling you to feel instead of thinking about the film and realizing that it’s garbage.
Read moreAladdin (2019) **
That is the primary problem with Aladdin: it is wholly unoriginal and utterly useless as a film. That may seem harsh, but when a remake is essentially a shot-by-shot remake of a much better film, that’s what it is, like Gus Van Sant’s Psycho. There is very little here to distinguish it from the animated original which makes one wonder why they don’t just re-release the animated films instead of making these at great expense? Of course, the answer is that they make money and lots of it.
Read moreIncredibles 2 (2018) ****
It’s rare that a sequel can equal or surpass the original film, but Bird and his cast and crew deliver the goods with Incredibles 2. It was certainly worth the wait, though it should be noted that Bird did not spend 14 years developing the story or waiting for technology. He directed Ratatouille, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland, each taking at least a year or two to make. He also didn’t want to do something that was not up to the standards set by the first film. He could have dashed off a sequel years ago, and it probably would have been pretty good, but this feels like 14 years of care has gone into it to make sure it’s as good as it possibly can be, and if it takes another 14 years for us to get Incredibles 3, as long as it’s as good as Incredibles 2, it too will be worth the wait.
Read moreDespicable Me 3 (2017) ***
Despicable Me 3 is, by far, the weakest entry in the series. The best parts of the film deal with real-world issues like parenting and adjustment to new situations and the blandest parts are the copies of the previous films. Hopefully the repetitive story elements (and songs) will be ironed out and moved past if they go for a fourth and if not, we’ll just get the same cookie-cutter plot with new aspects of Gru’s family life layered on top of it and it’ll probably be funny and occasionally touching, just like this one.
Read moreWonder Woman (2017) ***1/2
Wonder Woman stands as an excellent example of what a superhero movie can be and should prove that woman can be the lead in a superhero movie and people will still go to see it (in droves, as evidenced by the box office receipts). Though I’m sure studios will look on this as an exception and not a new rule, the hope is they will begin to see what is possible (though they’ll probably make some lame excuse like “Let’s see if the sequel does the same numbers, then we’ll think about more like it.”). Whatever the outcome, Wonder Woman has finally made it to the big screen and it is glorious.
Read moreGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) ***1/2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a well put together, fun ride of a movie. It accomplishes all of what it seems to set out to do and then some by skirting conventions of sequels and letting the characters grow as people. It’s exciting to consider what Vol. 3 will be like in the light of these changes, but we won’t have to wait the three years it will take for that to hit theaters. As it’s promised in at the end, the Guardians of the Galaxy will return, in Avengers: Infinity War due out in May 2018.
Read moreUnforgettable (2017) **
Unforgettable genuinely isn’t worth the time or effort needed to sit through it. The only clever thing about it is the title, and that was unintentional. Best bet is that it will only live on in name only on the IMdB pages of its cast and crew and people will look at it and say “Rosario Dawson was in a movie in 2017?”.
Read morePower Rangers (2017) ***
Power Rangers isn’t some magnum opus nor is it astounding, but it is entertaining and that makes up for a lot of problems, but they’ve done something right if they can take an active Power Rangers hater like myself and make me like what they’ve done. If they can keep up the focus on character and the lighter moments, along with avoiding a too-grave attitude, the sequels should do well. It’s a decent movie that will entertain you as well as your kids.
Read moreThe Space Between Us (2017) **
Dumping it here, in the winter doldrums where the only movies worth watching are the ones held over or re-released for awards season is right where The Space Between Us belongs, relegated as a schedule filler instead of something the studio believed in.
Read moreHidden Figures (2016) ***1/2
So, Hidden Figures isn’t a perfect movie and has a lot working against it, with a fairly standard script and lackluster directorial treatment, yet it shines brightly anyway thanks to exemplary performances and a story that just refuses to be buried in mediocre treatment. The fact that the film can stand up to, and overcome, the restrictions placed upon it by the white people who created it only intensifies the impact of the amazing women it is about.
Read moreRogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) ***1/2
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story goes a long way to showing the plight of the rebellion, as well as its desperation and infighting, that we never got to see before. This is a rebellion that hasn’t yet started a war with the Empire, which is the rebellion we are used to. The chances they take, or are forced to take because of a headstrong young woman who just wants to save her father and then to see his plan through, are harrowing and made real by Weitz, Gilroy and Edwards. We feel the struggle and the pain of these characters, understand their drive and their sacrifices and are with them to the bitter end. If this is where the stand-alone expanded film universe of Star Wars is headed, I’m all in (as I likely would have been no matter what). Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is everything that could have been hoped for and more, adding depth and more meaning to the original films and giving a wide berth for what is to come.
Read moreCollateral Beauty (2016) *1/2
Collateral Beauty is a film that at once is trying to teach a message while simultaneously working very hard to undermine itself. Coming from a bad script that feels like it was spitballed out from an interesting concept into a contrived, uninspiring mess, likely by numerous uncredited individuals and going to production with a lackluster director who managed to attract A-list talent and ended up being a wide miss. Is this because the trailer set up a false expectancy? Partly, but mostly because none of this was handled well from the start. The finished product exists, and that is about the most positive thing I can say about it.
Read moreNocturnal Animals (2016) ***1/2
The film is emotionally raw, terrifying at times and completely engrossing, but never comfortable. It’s a challenging film, not only because of its three stories but because of how intense those stories are. Ford also doesn’t go for any laughs, so don’t expect any of this heavy emotion to be dispelled by a quick joke (there is at least one party scene where there’s a little humor, but it’s brief). Nocturnal Animals is a very original film, quite different from anything you’re used to seeing, and that is a very good thing in this age of recycled plots and cookie-cutter formulas that make you feel like you’ve seen a movie before despite it being new. It won’t make you feel good, but at least you’ll know you’re doing better than Susan.
Read moreJackie (2016) ****
Jackie is like nothing I’ve ever seen, wholly unique in its perspective and approach to a topic that has never really been touched upon before. We’ve seen all manner of films and television specials about JFK’s assassination, as well as Lincoln, but really never anything that discusses the people left in the wake of the tragedies, particularly the spouses (Jackie mentions Mary Todd Lincoln’s fate to Bobby in the Lincoln Bedroom in a particularly heartrending scene). Jackie is filled with unique directorial choices, surprising editing, a masterful and sparse score by Mica Levi, and a central performance that is nothing more than remarkable. Jackie stands as one of the best films of the year.
Read moreMoana (2016) ***1/2
Aided by excellent visuals, a great script, winning songs, and a remarkable cast, Moana is an incredibly entertaining picture, sure to please everyone in the audience. It’s a testament to the ever-evolving creativity at Disney and helps to add one more different face in the Princess line-up, a change that started with Jasmine in Aladdin and has continued through Pocahontas, Mulan and Tiana, showing that you don’t have to be white with a European background to achieve monumental success and stay true to yourself. Moana is a fantastic picture, sure to become a jewel on the already crowded crown of Disney.
Read moreFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) ***1/2
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them brings back the wonder and joy of the wizarding world that was necessarily lost as the Harry Potter series got darker. It’s hard to be amazed by magic when there’s a man actively trying to kill a child. This film resets that and though the characters don’t know what kind of evil awaits their world, we in the audience do, and that makes this all the more fun and pleasant.
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