About me
Confess, Fletch (2022)
Old dog Hamm good at playing ‘Fletch’ By Al Alexander After many failed starts, Gregory Mcdonald’s iconic creation, Fletch, ends a 33-year absence from the big screen in a big way, with Jon Hamm marvelously usurping Chevy Chase as the titular wisecracking investigative reporter in “Confess, Fletch.” Not only does Hamm obscure the memory of […]
The Good Boss (2022)
Bardem in charge in ‘Good Boss’ By Al Alexander If given the opportunity, would you enjoy serving a boss boldly contorting ethics in order to make you and all of your co-workers content? That’s the intriguing question at the heart of “The Good Boss,” a pitch-black, workplace comedy fueled by Javier Bardem’s seductively slimy portrayal […]
Girl Picture (2022)
‘Girl’ paints a searing portrait of teen girls in flux By Al Alexander There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about Alli Haapasalo’s adolescent coming-of-age dramedy, “Girl Picture,” but the honesty and frankness with which it confronts issues of sex, ambition and friendship are revolutionary. As are the three young actresses bringing the tale to life with such […]
Blonde (2022)
Monroe doctrine By Al Alexander In 2021, journalist Adam Serwer published a chronicle of the Trump administration titled “The Cruelty Is the Point.” The appellation might better suit writer-director Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde,” a vicious assault on movie legend Marilyn Monroe so unrepentant it could compel Bernie Taupin to add another verse to “Candle In the […]
Emily the Criminal (2022)
‘Emily the Criminal’ is a smart, suspenseful crime drama By Al Alexander Whoever said crime doesn’t pay never met Emily, the ticked-off millennial whose mounting debts and dead-end gig inspire her to fight corporate crooks by going gangster too. The “justice” system tends to frown on that sort of thing, but in “Emily the Criminal,” her righteousness is off the charts, so […]
The Taste of Things (2023)
‘Taste’ is a recipe for love By Al Alexander Food is love and love is food. It’s a symbiotic relationship that tantalizes the taste buds as well as the heart, often accented by heat. It’s part of the natural order. And it defines a substantial portion of Trần Anh Hùng’s scrumptiously delicious “The Taste of […]
The Social Network (2010)
‘The Social Network’ is an instant classic By Al Alexander The Oscar race begins and ends today with the release of “The Social Network,” the stirring, utterly engrossing tale about the ingenuity, ambition and ultimate betrayal behind the founding of Facebook, possibly the most life-altering social phenomenon since the advent of the cell phone. It’s no less than […]
The Fighter (2010)
Gritty ‘Fighter’ has a bit of a glass jaw In recounting the bare-knuckle lives of Lowell, Mass., boxing legends Dicky Eklund and “Irish” Micky Ward, David O. Russell aims for the level of Cain and Abel, but winds up with something more akin to Dennis and Randy Quaid. You know the story: older, more talented […]
Life of Pi (2012)
Visually, it’s hard to refuse this slice of ‘Pi’ Beautiful on the outside, empty on the inside, Ang Lee’s glitzy “Life of Pi” is very much the equivalent of a Victoria’s Secret model sporting those fluffy angel wings. I mention the appendages because this is movie about God, or, more precisely, gods, dozens of them, […]