Yearly Archives: 2023

Every now and then, a film comes along that could pass for the quintessence of what we used to mean when we invented the phrase “indie cinema.” That label implies personal stories, an intimacy created between characters and the viewer, … Continue reading →

Laure Calamy and Olivia Cote co star with French speaking Brit queen Kristin Scott Thomas. July 14, a mid summer vacation at the movies.

I wasn’t inclined to truth “Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway,” a somewhat soapy and heavy-handed drama about a child welfare case that turns into an international incident as it slow-walks towards the cliche that “No one can love a child as … Continue reading →

Are they finally wrapping this decades-dominating franchise this time out? Because how do you top Jason Momoa, EGOT/Goat Rita Moreno and Her Majesty, Helen Mirren, all in the same film? It opens Friday.

A lightly fiesty performance by Leslie Uggams in the title role and a general feel-good vibe are the chief recommendations of “Dotty & Soul,” a plucky but corny comedy from actor turned writer, director and star Adam Saunders. The movie’s … Continue reading →

Yeah. “Inspired by a true story.” Djimon Hounsou and Archie Madekwe co-star. August.

A Bollywood-length comic satire, “¡Que viva México!” is not a film for those wholly unfamiliar with Mexico and its political schisms and their history, or for the faint of bladder. Director and co-writer Luis Estrada gives us an immersion in … Continue reading →

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3″ had a steep fall-off on its second Friday, a 70% plunge to around $15 million. But as a lot of that is attributable to the Thursday “previews” that boosted opening weekend, it’s still on … Continue reading →

The truly revolutionary films hit you with how ordinary they can seem on first glance. But that’s just how much they changed the cinema that followed. What they did transformed the way people watched, considered and made movies, rendering all … Continue reading →

There have been two Nia Vardalos movies based on this family, that wedding, and the love that blossomed under the dolmades and retsina. There was a TV series. Nia V. did a movie playing a tour guide in Greece, “My … Continue reading →