Monthly Archives: February 2019

The title and genre will plant, in your mind, most of the obstacles, pitfalls and crises facing Mads Mikkelsen’s hero in “Arctic.” It’s a tale of survival and it’s set way up north. So yes, polar bears, frostbite, etc. are … Continue reading →

There’s implicit pleasure in watching Patricia Clarkson in any guise, so throwing her at an aged alcoholic gay New Orleans police detective is reason enough to check out the new thriller “Out of Blue.” The intensely atmospheric film, based on … Continue reading →

The longer I review movies, the more disconnected from the Academy Awards I seem to be. Disinterest settles in early in “Awards Season” and doesn’t abate with”Holltywood’s Big Night.” I barely bother to watch the damned thing any more. It’s … Continue reading →

Italian is a lovely language for storytelling, something you can experience even if you don’t speak the language. In films, the subtitles merely pinpoint the specifics of the story being told. The rhythmic dramatic pauses and musical Italian words easily … Continue reading →

February has become, in Hollywood terms, when you release iffy animated fare that you don’t need or expect to become a blockbuster, a place where “Gnomeo & Juliet” and its ilk — non Oscar worthy kid-oriented fare — can make … Continue reading →

Process and the life one has lived informs an artist’s work, and that’s what the Oscar-nominated German drama “Never Look Away” is about. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck returns to his “The Lives of Others” roots, rooting around Germany’s past for … Continue reading →

It’ll probably take some of the same hits “Bohemian Rhapsody” did over sexuality. Yawn. But Taron Egerton does his own singing, and the story arc to the May 31 Paramount release “Rocket Man” becomes much clearer in this second trailer. … Continue reading →

This May comedy from Lionsgate parks Oscar winner Charlize Theron in the lead as an accomplished politician and stateswoman — former Secretary of State — running for president. Not that Bob Odenkirk can figure that out. Seth Rogen is the … Continue reading →

Sorry, the headline’s my best shot. Moss plays a messed up post-punk singer/guitarist/songwriter. Cara Delevigne, Virginia Madsen, Dan Stevens and Eric Stoltz are also in the cast. “Her Smell”“Her Smell” rolls out March 29 — wider in April.  

In fight classifications, “Fighting with My Family” is a featherweight  — a no-strain showing comedy that’s easy to pin, even easier to like. It’s fun. British funnyman Stephen Merchant steps out of his pal Ricky Gervais’s shadow, writing and directing … Continue reading →