2filmcritics3 days ago3 minThe Forty-Year-Old Version ★★★1/2 Radha’s journey to self-knowledge—it starts with the white guy’s “black-size butt”—is the story of the film.
2filmcriticsApr 214 minJudas and the Black Messiah ★★★The film resonates loudly with what is happening now at the hands of the police to black and brown men - and some poor white people.
2filmcriticsApr 14 minThe Father ★★★★As Anthony, the 84-year-old protagonist, Anthony Hopkins is at his King Lear best, and as his daughter Anne, Olivia Colman is just as good.
2filmcriticsMar 254 minPromising Young Woman ★★★1/2Cassie (short for Cassandra) is a magnificent machine of vengeance, played to steely perfection by award-winning actress Carey Mulligan.
2filmcriticsMar 193 minNews of the World ★★1/2News of the World” has all the trappings of the on-the-road adventure genre, with hints of the Western and the buddy film.
2filmcriticsMar 73 minNomadland ★★★This is by any standard a peculiar film, combining as it does the fictional with the real, and featuring a self-contained protagonist.
2filmcriticsFeb 284 minMinari ★★★1/2“Minari” also interrogates the idea of faith: his faith in himself and science, her faith in Christianity (even in exorcism).
2filmcriticsFeb 223 minAnother Round (“Druk”) ★★★1/2The complexity of “Another Round” and its rejection of the preachy demonization of excessive drinking make it interesting and entertaining.
2filmcriticsFeb 35 minThe White Tiger ★★★1/2The story of Balram and his “masters” is complex, fascinating, and chilling, a populist tale of caste and class, resonating systemic racism.
2filmcriticsJan 264 min2 Film Critics: Top 10 Films for 2020In spite of being deprived of theaters, it was a good year for film.
2filmcriticsJan 224 minOne Night in Miami ★★1/2...woefully little celebration takes place, an unlikely scenario given the Champ’s need for applause and the monumentality of his win.
2filmcriticsJan 63 minMa Rainey’s Black Bottom ★★★White racism is the backdrop against which all actions—including some not predictable—occur. That’s the tragedy.
2filmcriticsDec 22, 20204 minMangrove ★★★1/2The Mangrove 9, including reluctant Frank, go on trial at the venerable and Dickensian Old Bailey—lots of white wigs and disgraceful conduct
2filmcriticsDec 10, 20204 minMank ★★★1/2 It's the story of one man’s struggle to preserve his identity—as a person and as a writer—in a world committed to stripping him of it.
2filmcriticsNov 22, 20203 minThe True Adventures of Wolfboy ★★★Paul, about to celebrate his 13th birthday, questions his self-worth; only his reason is unusual - he's covered with hair, like a dog.
2filmcriticsNov 8, 20204 minThe Vast of Night ★★1/2 McCormick and Horowitz can’t save this film, but they are entertaining and credible in their disparate roles.
2filmcriticsOct 24, 20205 minMartin Eden ★★★1/2 It's standard film-making—a familiar tale, told chronologically—with some significant departures from the norm, esp. the change in setting.
2filmcriticsOct 1, 20204 min"The Wild Goose Lake" ★★★This Chinese thriller is film noir meets modern action movies: double-crossers, rain and fog, high-speed chases, unlikely escapes.
2filmcriticsSep 25, 20203 minCuties (“Mignonnes”) ★★★Some see the final dance scenes—performed by 11-year-old girls—as exploitative, others as verging on child pornography. Decide for yourself.
2filmcriticsSep 11, 20203 minI’m Thinking of Ending Things ★★★1/2Kaufman's faux horror film explores existential angst. Buckley and Plemons are superb.
