Emilia Pérez
Emilia Pérez is a jumble of genres, yet somehow it works. Part crime drama, part musical, part arty, part mainstream, part weird. It's really hard to explain without messing up…
Black Box Diaries
I happened to watch Black Box Diaries on the same day that dozens of guilty verdicts came down in a high-profile drugging-and-rape trial in France. The victim, Gisele Pelicot, had…
Thelma
I’m late to the party on this nonagenarian action-comedy, but better late than never! June Squibb (Nebraska) is an absolute gem as Thelma Post, a feisty 93-year-old grandmother who falls…
The Falling Star (L’étoile filante)
This droll French comedy caper is from Abel & Gordon, the writing/directing/acting duo behind one of my favorite films from a few years back, Lost In Paris. It begins with…
The Instigators
You cast a couple of very bankable star leads and a strong contingent of other big name actors in cameos, and you start with a pretty good premise. And then,…
Wicked Little Letters
Wicked Little Letters is a wicked good film that lands firmly in the category of small indie gems that don't get enough marketing but are thoroughly entertaining. It features two…
To Catch a Killer
Shailene Woodley (Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars) stars in this Silence of the Lambs wannabe procedural thriller as Eleanor, a young beat cop who finds herself in the center…
John Wick: Chapter 4
"No one escapes the Table." Or so they say. But John Wick -- bless his warm, semi-retired assassin heart-- keeps trying. And those around him keep dying. Yes, the seemingly…
Review: Decision to Leave
This Korean romantic thriller from Park Chan-wook (Handmaiden, Snowpiercer) begins with the classic set-up. Weary detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il ) arrives at a crime scene. A man is dead. But…
Quickie Review: See How They Run
Loved Knives Out and can't wait for the sequel? See How They Run may help fill the time. It's sorta Knives Out light... a comical murder mystery featuring an A-list…
Review: All the Old Knives
I keep forgetting the name of this movie-- wanting to call it Knives Out, which it isn't. It's not as sharp, or entertaining. But it is engrossing. There are worse…
Quickie Review: Blacklight
Now where did I put that last review of a Liam Neeson action movie? I can probably just dust it off... At nearly 70 (!) Liam Neeson remains quite watchable.…
Review: West Side Story
If anyone can get away with doing a new film version of West Side Story-- without really changing the story or the era it's set in-- it's Steven Spielberg. Here,…
Quickie Review: American Night
This neo-noir crime flick set in the art world has a good cast, looks fabulous, and even has some decent music. But at just over two hours in length, it…
Review: Candyman
Candyman... Candyman... Candyman... Candyman... Say the name, or see the movie, and you’re in for a whole lot of bloodshed - and a hefty splattering of social commentary. The film…