Monthly Archives: March 2019

Family Movie Review: “Wheely” is “Cars” without the Pixar touch

Imitation in the sincerest form of flattery, so the producers of Pixar’s tedious “Cars” movies should be flattered to the point of blushing by “Wheely.” It’s a straight-up “Cars” knock-off about racing and a race car who escapes his pedestrian … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: French Canadian teen aspires to be a “Slut in a Good Way”

Charlotte and her pals Mégane and Aube spend an afternoon hunting through the sex shop for bustiers. She’s dying to find something to turn on Samuel, her beau, and she won’t let Aube’s naivete (she’s a virgin) or Mégane’s anti-romantic/anti-capitalist … Continue reading →

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Preview: Sean Penn, Steve Coogan and…Mel Gibson” “The Professor and the Madman”

“A madman can be redeemed.” Who is Mel Gibson speaking of, here? He and Sean Penn are the leads in this all-star cast account of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, compiled by James Murray (Gibson) and Dr. William … Continue reading →

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Preview: Jesse Eisenberg signs up for Karate in “The Art of Self Defense”

A dark comedy — a bleak worldview — a life lived in fear. Of everything. Why this guy doesn’t buy a gun (It’s “The American Way”) is anybody’s guess. But this Jesse Eisenberg vehicle shows promise in its premise, and … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Julianne Moore COULD have won Best Actress playing “Gloria Bell”

“Gloria Bell” is the picture of supportive, understanding patience and resilience. It lets the 50ish divorcée (Julianne Moore) thrive at work, as an insurance claims mediator/adjuster. Maybe it explains how she’s still on good terms with her remarried ex (Brad … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: Pay good money for this and YOU’LL be the one in a “Captive State”

There’s a tipping point to how much editing a movie can sustain before it becomes visually incoherent. It’s a sweet spot in the modern, flood-of-rapid-fire cuts style that sits somewhere between say the Paul Greengrass (Christopher Rouse, editor) “Bourne” movies … Continue reading →

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Preview: “William” is a new Neanderthal Among Us

Gimmicky? Sure. But cute, clownish? No. Not even a joke about “We have PLENTY of Neanderthals ALREADY,” not in the trailer anyway. “William” is about a scientist couple who decide to give birth (via DNA swap) to a Neanderthal (young) … Continue reading →

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Next screening? “Captive State”

Focus Features is releasing the only movie that NOBODY (apparently) got to see in advance of this weekend’s opening day. A new “Nancy Drew” got previewed. Somewhere. The teen rom “Five Feet Apart” previewed. In a few places. This one, … Continue reading →

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Movie Review: “Nothing to Do”

Paul Fahrenkopf is a character actor/bit player who has kicked around in movies, TV and theater forever. Or since the ’70s, when his first credit, as a “spectator,” was earned in the Super Bowl terrorism thriller “Black Sunday.” Read his … Continue reading →

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Preview — “Avengers: Endgame”

Here you go. See if your favorites are “dead” (Mark Ruffalo, “I’m not fired?”) or back for this general wrap up of a superhero storyline, sure to own the late spring and much of this summer at the box office. … Continue reading →

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