Giant (2025)
Middling ‘Giant’ falls short of a knockout If the boxing biopic, “Giant,” lacks punch, it’s through no fault of Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Mesry, both knockouts in their portrayals of legendary trainer Brendan Ingle and feather-weight hall of famer Naseem “Naz” Hamed, aka “The Prince.” No, the onus rests with a flat, cliched script […]
Ask E. Jean (2025)
In ‘Ask E. Jean,’ Carroll gets the best of The Donald For more than two decades, journalist E. Jean Carroll thoughtfully, and often entertainingly, doled out advice to readers through her monthly Elle column “Ask E. Jean.” But that all ended the minute she summoned the courage in 2019 to confront the lasting guilt […]
Tuner (2025)
Flawed ‘Tuner’ has fun mixing etudes with attitude You don’t notice it immediately, but there’s something a bit off with “Tuner,” Oscar-winning director Daniel Roher’s feature-film debut about an apprentice piano technician lending his acute hearing skills to a criminal enterprise. It’s like an E sharp sounding too much like an F flat, an […]
The Wizard of the Kremlin
‘Wizard’ chronicles Putin’s rise to Russian dictator Condensing 22 years of Russian history into one 136-minute film is a big ask, and one that co-writer-director Olivier Assayas doesn’t quite pull off. But there’s still plenty to like about his adaptation of Giuliano da Empoli’s novel, “The Wizard of the Kremlin.” And much of that […]
Magic Hour (2025)
Sugary ‘Magic Hour’ far from to die for With the exasperating “Magic Hour,” the multi-hyphenate Katie Aselton continues her facile fascination with elements of fantasy and the supernatural. And she somewhat smartly heads off at the pass any criticism by making the picture so rife with potential spoilers that it’s nearly rendered review-proof. I […]
Remarkably Bright Creatures
Sally Field supplies most of ‘Creature’s’ comforts If you’re looking for octopi to occupy your time, you could do a lot worse than “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” After all, the Netflix feature features one of Sally Field’s finest performances, refuting the old showbiz adage of never acting opposite a critter, especially a sage cephalopod sporting […]
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
Delightful ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ returns to theaters This is a reprint of my review that ran in The Patriot Ledger in 2018. In Singapore, the term shiok represents a feeling of sheer happiness and pleasure. And I can’t think of a better description for “Crazy Rich Asians,” the funniest, most joyous movie of the […]
Blue Heron (2025)
Mental illness fractures a family in ‘Blue Heron’ Effusive praise is being heaped upon “Blue Heron,” Sophy Romvari’s semi-autobiographical tale of growing up with a mentally challenged brother. But I’ll be damned if I know why. It’s precariously slight in almost every phase, from its detached tone and haphazard structure to its vanilla cast. […]
Silent Friend (2025)
Riveting ‘Silent Friend’ captures nature’s eroticism Given all the sexual heat and imagery on display in Ildikó Enyedi’s sumptuous “Silent Friend,” you’d expect it to garner an NC-17 rating if it weren’t about, er, plants. Yes, plants! Replete with full-floral nudity and testees subjected to the kind of erotic experiments that might make Masters […]
Affection (2025)
It’s difficult to fully respond to ‘Affection’ Imagine waking up one morning, discovering you’re sharing a bed with a man claiming to be your husband in a house you don’t recognize in the middle of nowhere. You know your name is Sarah, but your spouse insists on calling you Ellie. And you’re certain you […]