The Girl on the Train
Forgive me if I call this one Gone Girl on the Train. But comparisons will be made, and understandably so, between The Girl on the Train and 2014’s Gone Girl.…
Denial
I hate to get political in a review, but it’s hard to watch Denial and not think about what’s happening in the current election cycle. A guy with an inflated…
A Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove)
This adaptation of Fredrik Backman's bestselling novel is one of my favorite films of the year. Written and directed by Hannes Holm, it's 'a Swedish curmudgeon finds his humanity' story…
The Magnificent Seven
A remake of a remake has a lot to live up to. The original was the Japanese film Seven Samurai, shot in 1954, considered one of director Akira Kurosawa's masterpieces…
Queen of Katwe
Queen of Katwe is a feel-good movie, typical of what we’ve come to expect from a Disney sports drama based on a true story. The “drama” is a bit limited…
Bridget Jones’s Baby
Welcome back, Bridget. As sequels go, this movie is entertaining enough to satisfy most fans of the franchise that chronicles the life of an insecure single woman in London trying…
Snowden
Unless you never watch the news or have been hiding under a rock for several years, you've probably heard of Edward Snowden. A gripping documentary called Citizen Four was made…
The Light Between Oceans
Some people (particularly those who hate melodrama) may scoff at the manipulative nature of The Light Between Oceans, with its sweeping score and dramatic pans of crashing waves and remote…
Mainstream Chick’s Quick Takes on Two Indies: A Tale of Love and Darkness; Morris from America
A Tale of Love and Darkness is obviously a passion project for Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman. She not only stars in the film, which is primarily in Hebrew with English…
Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur revisited is the best movie for the faith-based crowd since Gods of Egypt, and I say that with tongue firmly in cheek. Both are really weak. Like the 1959…
Into the Forest
What would happen if the electricity and all the things it powers were to disappear? No Internet. No radio. No cell phones! No way of knowing what caused it and…
Mainstream Chick’s Quick Takes: Pete’s Dragon; Florence Foster Jenkins; Hell or High Water
Good news, mainstream movie fans: There really is something for just about everyone at the Box Office this weekend. First, however, I must confess that I missed the screening of…
Suicide Squad
I’m a pretty big fan of superhero movies. I even liked Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. So I went into Suicide Squad with an open mind, despite the…
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Mainstream Chick’s Quick Takes: Jason Bourne; Bad Moms; Nerve
Jason Bourne – This was my least favorite of the Matt Damon Bourne movies. Granted, I can never remember the plot from installment to installment (much like Jason Bourne himself),…
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Mainstream Chick’s Quick Takes: The Secret Life of Pets; Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates; Life, Animated; Zero Days
The Secret Life of Pets is one of those movies that is probably critic-proof because the trailer is so darn cute and promising that kids (and many adults too) will…