The Promised Land (2023)
‘Promised Land’ yields a bountiful crop For an abject lesson in being careful what you wish for, Nikolaj Arcel’s “The Promised Land” is tough to beat. Among the contenders on this year’s coveted Oscar shortlist for films in another language, the movie cleverly transplants the American Western to 18th century Denmark, where a personification of […]
Origin (2023)
‘Origin’ casts caste as the root of all evil After stumbling with the disastrous “A Wrinkle in Time,” Ava DuVernay recovers nicely with her thought-provoking “Origin,” an ambitious adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s controversial dissertation, “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.” It sounds dry and academical, I know. But in reality, “Origin” is brimming with insight […]
The Teachers’ Lounge (2023)
‘Teachers’ Lounge’ Is an education in tyranny In “The Teachers’ Lounge,” fascism emerges alive and well in, of all places, a German elementary school. That’s where Teutonic writer-director Ilker Catak takes to task his nation’s troubling shift toward the far right by employing a class of sixth-graders and their novice teacher as a microcosm for […]
Ferrari (2023)
Souped-up ‘Ferrari’ remains stuck in first gear Director Michael Mann’s biopic, “Ferrari,” is much like the Dancing Horse’s recent endeavors in Formula 1: looks gorgeous, exhibits loads of potential but rarely capitalizes when it counts most. Blunders abound and fans of both the brand and its founder, Enzo Ferrari, can’t help wondering what the heck […]
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Eerie ‘Strangers’ is best kind of ghost story Who hasn’t fantasized about traveling back in time to engage in an adult conversation with our parents’ younger incarnations? I’m sure that’s particularly true for folks who’ve lost moms and dads at an early age, like Adam, the protagonist in Andrew Haigh’s shattering “All of Us Strangers.” […]
Oscar-Nominated Shorts 2024 (2024)
Oscar shorts refreshingly strive for brevity To the many who believe today’s movies are just too damn long, I offer you some infinitely briefer alternatives: the Oscar-Nominated Shorts. Here, you won’t find anything longer than 40 minutes, with most clocking in at around a half-hour. And some of them, namely Wes Anderson’s “The Wonderful World […]
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Devastating ‘Zone of Interest’ will haunt you The Höss household was the epitome of domestic bliss. Dad stood to land the job of his dreams, while Mom and the couple’s five children cherished their picturesque home and its expansive backyard garden and pool. Add to that a cache of jewels, toys and fine furs. What […]
The Color Purple (2023)
‘Color Purple’ remake can’t top original Fans of “The Color Purple” keep hoping that one of these millennia Hollywood will finally get Alice Walker’s celebrated tale of strong, persevering, uninhibited women right. Director Blitz Bazawule comes close with his adaptation of Marsha Norman’s 2005 musical version. But it suffers from the same timidity that hindered […]
Leo (2023)
‘Leo’ breaks loose, but doesn’t go far enough I’m not sure for whom the computer-animated “Leo” was made, your family or Adam Sandler’s. Either way, it’s nepotism out of control, with four Sandlers listed among the voice talent supporting a wildly uneven tale about a 74-year-old lizard pursuing his dying wish to flee his classroom […]
Eileen (2023)
‘Eileen’ not as gritty as it wants to be If you’re going to borrow heavily from “Carol” and “Bound,” two of queer cinema’s landmark offerings, and then co-opt a repressed 1960s Boston as your backdrop, you’d damn well better be good. That’s the monumental task director William Oldroyd undertakes in his sophomore effort, “Eileen.” He […]