Author Archives: Roger Moore

“Eileen” is a chilly, immersive character study about a young woman drowning in the drudgery and burdens of the trap her life has become. Eileen, played by the wonderful Thomasin McKenzie, has a soul-crushing job at a young men’s prison. … Continue reading →

“The Smell of Money” is a social justice documentary about environmental racism and its role in bringing home the bacon, ham and sausage in the American food chain. Set in the towns and rural counties of Eastern N.C. where Big … Continue reading →

In secular cinematic terms, “The Oath” is a limp, underfinanced Pre-Columbian “Last of the Mohicans,” an “action adventure” about the lone survivor of a tribe hunted down by his hated rivals, but not before he’s fallen in love with an … Continue reading →

Prolific provocateur and cinema revolutionary Jean-Luc Godard cut a long, narrow swath through film history in his 91 years. He changed cinema into something messier and more realistic in launching the French New Wave in the 1950s. Movies were never … Continue reading →

“Photophobia,” Slovakia’s entry for Best International Feature in the upcoming 96th Academy Awards, is a reminder that Ukraine still merits the world’s compassion, aid and attention. It’s a docudrama with non-actors “playing” the role Putin’s Russian invasion has limited them … Continue reading →

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 →