2filmcriticsFeb 11, 20203 minUncut Gems ★★While Adam Sandler's acting is admirable, "Uncut Gems" is an irritating mess: not only an unlikeable character, but an unlikeable film.
2filmcriticsFeb 6, 20204 minLes Miserables ★★★1/2 “Battle of Algiers” meets “Lord of the Flies.” Exciting, scary, tragic, riveting. Won Cannes Jury Prize; nominee Best International Feature
2filmcriticsJan 19, 20204 minBombshell ★★1/2 The 3 women in “Bombshell” should get an ensemble cast award—if the Oscars had one.The director, writer & editors should go back to school.
2filmcriticsJan 16, 20204 min1917 ★★★Mendes’ white-knuckle tale of 2 British soldiers on a perilous one-day mission through enemy territory in the war-ravaged French countryside
2filmcriticsJan 9, 20204 minKnives Out ★★★A worthy murder mystery/detective procedural, complete with the twists and turns we expect—and don’t. Agatha Christie meets "Clue."
2filmcriticsJan 5, 20204 minLittle Women ★★★1/2 “Little Women” is surprisingly contemporary in its focus on women, as least as told by Greta Gerwig in her 2019 adaptation of Alcott's book.
2filmcriticsDec 20, 20194 minMarriage Story ★★★It deserves kudos it’s received for the strong acting of Driver and Johansson. What surrounds the couple, however,is close to pure kitsch.
2filmcriticsDec 14, 20193 minQueen & Slim ★★★1/2 “Queen & Slim” is a fresh take on the buddy/road trip, and not solely because the protagonists are black.
2filmcriticsNov 20, 20193 min"Cold Brook" ★★1/2 “Cold Brook,” a buddy caper set in upstate New York, is a small, small-town, feel-good film, done well.
2filmcriticsNov 9, 20193 minJojo Rabbit ★★★1/2 “Jojo Rabbit” situates comedy in Nazism & succeeds. It’s a heart-warming drama with a moral center & a genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud film.
2filmcriticsNov 5, 20193 minParasite ★★★★As an exploration of class disparity, "Parasite" succeeds where “Joker” tries and fails, and where “Downton Abbey” doesn’t even try.
2filmcriticsNov 1, 20193 minJoker ★★★1/2 At the center of “Joker” is an exquisite portrait of Arthur Fleck; Joaquin Phoenix, superbly mixes boyish naiveté with simmering rage.
2filmcriticsOct 25, 20193 minAd Astra ★★1/2 The father/son theme doesn’t play out well & the film is no "Gravity," but “Ad Astra” offers plenty of action and strong acting by Pitt.
2filmcriticsOct 16, 20193 minPain and Glory (Dolor y Gloria) ★★★“Pain and Glory” is a deeply personal reflection on an illustrious career and late-life crises. And yet, one could wish for more boldness.
2filmcriticsOct 10, 20192 minFirst Love (Hatsukoi) ★★1/2First Love” is prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike's latest ode to non-stop action, creative weaponry and over-the-top violence.
2filmcriticsOct 8, 20194 minDownton Abbey ★★★Fans of the television series (2010-2015) won’t be disappointed. It's all here: a superb cast, that large manor house, dozens of characters.
2filmcriticsOct 1, 20193 minMonos ★★★1/2 “Apocalypse Now” meets “Lord of the Flies" is one way to describe this distinctive, unnerving film from Brazilian director Alejandro Landes.
2filmcriticsSep 23, 20194 minThe Goldfinch ★★★Pulitzer Prize-winning book " The Goldfinch" bombs at the movie box office. Why?
2filmcriticsSep 16, 20192 minLate Night ★★1/2“Late Night” is a predictable melodrama. Presented as a comedy, it’s not funny enough. And yet, it's saved by Emma Thompson's performance.
2filmcriticsSep 8, 20193 minGood Boys ★★★Innocence Not Quite Lost. Foul-mouthed 12-year old boys. That’s how “Good Boys” has been marketed, and not without reason.
