Recent Reviews
These are our latest reviews of movies at theaters, at the art house, or at festivals.
Wonder Woman 1984
***1/22020, Patty Jenkins
It’s a movie that pretty much has it all. Heart. Humor. Action.
Elevated by a strong emotional core, Wonder Woman 1984 takes the mythology of Diana Prince and flies to new heights.
Promising Young Woman
***1/22020, Emerald Fennell
At the core of this Promising Young Woman’s DNA is black comedy.
It’d be nice if more revenge flicks had the smarts of Promising Young Woman.
Maybe now’s not the right time for a global disaster movie.
Wild Mountain Thyme feels like a badly needed Christmas hug.
Back in 1987, John Patrick Shanley made quite a splash as the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck. What followed has been an interesting ride through the theatrical and cinematic arts. A mere three years after Moonstruck, anticipation was sky high for Shanley’s directorial debut, Joe Versus the Volcano, which opened with a thud but has quietly gained a greater appreciation over the years.
Half Brothers
***2020, Luke Greenfield
The movie manages to rather deftly maintain a tone-morphing trick from start to finish.
Half Brothers packs enough heart and food for thought to make the road trip comedy’s occasional potholes a little less jarring.
The Last Vermeer
***1/22020, Dan Friedkin
Even 75 years after its conclusion, World War II is still fertile ground for fresh cautionary tales.
The Last Vermeer has the kind of twists and nuances only history can provide.
Sound of Metal
**1/22020, Darius Marber
Watching Sound of Metal is a frustrating experience. Part of it is by design.
Sound of Metal features a strong idea, but its storytelling sensibilities are muffled.
Let Him Go
**1/22020, Thomas Bezucha
It’s something along the lines of Louis L’Amour meets Blumhouse.
As with most split personality movies, Let Him Go doesn’t quite work.
Liam Neeson almost manages to make an honest movie out of Honest Thief.
Julie Taymor turns Gloria Steinem’s life story into a moving work of art.
Kajillionaire
*1/22020, Miranda July
The quirkiness of the Dyne family never develops into something of purpose.
Whatever it is — a comedy, a satire or a drama — Kajillionaire quickly goes bankrupt.
Antebellum
**2020, Gerard Bush, and Christopher Renz
The problem is, the characters, their backstories, their current stories — they don’t add up.
Antebellum is noble in its intentions, but clumsy in its execution.
Tenet
****2020, Christopher Nolan
Tenet is truly the perfect movie to jumpstart the reopening of movie theatres around the world.
Typical of Christopher Nolan’s best, Tenet offers more than can be absorbed in a single viewing.
Fatima
***1/22020, Marco Pontecorvo
It’s a thought-provoking experience that tactfully pokes at the events from a number of angles.
On the surface, Fatima is based on an actual event, the Miracle of the Sun. But the impact of the movie runs much deeper as it examines faith, hope and so many human frailties.
The New Mutants
**1/2Josh Boone
The journey doesn’t end with an overwhelming desire to see this band of characters again.
The New Mutants takes the superhero genre into some new territory, but the journey isn’t as terrifying or inspiring as it should be.