Monthly Archives: December 2023

Your first though when you see him is that “High School Musical” alum Zac Efron is the beneficiary of the latest tech used to make “The Hulk” come to life. He is a walking muscle, bulked-up so much his head … Continue reading →

As “classics” go, “Black Magic” is very much a mixed-bag. A fanciful and dark account of the life of a real-life historical figure, the magnetic and captivating 18th century magician, con-man and hypnotist Cagliostro, it features impressive Italian locations, soaring … Continue reading →

“Stolen Vacation” is a stumbling, slow-footed Mexican “vacation” comedy (titled “Viaje Todo Robado” in Spanish) that barely gets out the front door, fails to arrive at its destination and never once gets up to speed. Comedy can be slow and … Continue reading →

The sweet sadness of “All of Us Strangers” envelops the viewer with the warm melancholy of memory, which makes it the best “holiday” movie to have little to do with “the holidays.” It’s a tenderly-acted romantic fantasy about a lonely … Continue reading →

The rules on any adaptation of “The Three Musketeers” are that it’s got to be swashbuckling and that it must be fun. Disney landed the latter and made a decent showing of the former in their 1993 “Young Guns” version … Continue reading →

Describing “Saltburn” in cinema shorthand terms is so easy it almost gives away the game. Not that the plot is any big inscrutable secret. It’s “The Talented Mr. Ripley” meets “Call Me By Your Name” — insidious, class conscious, with … Continue reading →

There was an accident involving her husband, one that involved brain damage that has left him speechless and borderline catatonic. When we see it recreated in a flashback, we understand her loyalty, why she’s sticking with him, monitoring his symptoms, … Continue reading →

Seeing the film adaptation of the stage musical based on an Alice Walker novel that Steven Spielberg filmed nearly 40 years ago, I found it helpful to remember that Taraji P, Henson can sing, and that David Alan Grier is … Continue reading →

“Our Son” is a child care/child custody soap opera about married gay couple who divorce and then fight over who gets primary custody of their son. It’s a sensitively-mounted drama that bears more than a passing resemblence to “Kramer vs. … Continue reading →

Hungary’s bid for Best International Feature Oscar is a lovely and poignant animated environmental parable built on Native American mythology. Director and co-writer Áron Gauder’s “Four Souls of Coyote” would also seem like a natural contender in a very weak … Continue reading →