Uproar (2024)
Uplifting ‘Uproar’ will have you cheering loudly Coming-of-age stories rarely scale the heights of “Uproar,” a bold and ambitious New Zealand import about an ostracized teen learning to embrace his Maori heritage and take a stand against racism the world over. The film, co-directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett is very much akin to […]
Remembering Gene Wilder (2024)
Wilder documentary is barely worth ‘Remembering’ For about 45 minutes, “Remembering Gene Wilder” is an absorbing chronicle of a comedic actor who was arguably one of the most iconic stars of the 1970s. From “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” to “Blazing Saddles” to “Young Frankenstein” to “Silver Streak,” Wilder apparently could do no wrong. […]
One Life (2024)
Stirring ‘One Day’ redefines ‘save the children’ I’m ashamed to admit that before seeing “One Life” I had not heard of Sir Nicholas Winton or the Brit hero’s remarkable effort to evacuate hundreds of Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in the lead-up to World War II. It’s a discovery I won’t soon forget. I wish I […]
Asleep in My Palm (2024)
‘Asleep’ grabs hold with a full-Nelson approach It would be easy to dismiss the scattershot “Asleep in My Palm” as a product of nepotism. But there’s more than a trace of talent showcased in Henry Nelson’s debut feature about a father and daughter living off the grid. Still, it’s doubtful that the dramedy would exist […]
Air Force One Down (2024)
Katerine McNamara in “Air Force One Down.” Idiotic ‘Down’ is just ‘plane’ awful In unleashing one of the dumbest movies in a while, director James Bamford’s “Air Force One Down” counters the current presidential field by introducing a young, virile POTUS (Ian Bohen) able almost single-handedly to quash an Astovian uprising. I say “almost” because […]
Float (2024)
Soggy ‘Float’ doesn’t offer much Bang for buck If you’re searching for the perfect Valentine’s Day movie, “Float” ain’t it. It’s actually not much of anything, beyond a pleasing showcase for Andrea Bang (“Luce”) as Waverly, an overtaxed med student seeking asylum from an impending residency and her cloying parents. She finds said refuge with […]
Robert Eggers (2015)
Eggers conjures a cult hit with ‘The Witch’ Great things have been happening to Robert Eggers since the New Hampshire native won the top directing prize at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival for his Puritan horror tale, “The Witch.” But it might not have ever happened if it weren’t for the folks at Plimoth Plantation, […]
Octavia Spencer/Tate Taylor
A little ‘Help’ from their friendships When they met 16 years ago as production assistants on Joel Schumacher’s “A Time to Kill,” Tate Taylor and Octavia Spencer had no idea they were sowing the seeds for a symbiotic friendship that would one day put both in the thick of the Oscar race. Still, it took a fortuitous contribution from a third member of […]
Tom McCarthy
Versatile McCarthy isn’t sinister, he just acts like it You might not recognize the name, but you’ll certainly recognize the face of Tom McCarthy, the much-sought-after character actor whose boyishly handsome face belies his often sinister roles.Name a crime, and there’s a good chance that one of McCarthy’s array of miscreants has committed it. Let’s […]
Paul Giamatti (2011)
Giamatti went from Pig Vomit to an awards darling Paul Giamatti has been landing movie and TV gigs for more than two decades, mostly in supporting roles. But it wasn’t until he played Pig Vomit, Howard Stern’s conniving, tantrum-prone boss in “Private Parts” (1997), that people started noticing the pudgy, far-from-handsome actor. A few years […]