Category Archives: Reviews, previews, profiles and movie news

“It Takes a Village” is a frustrating Polish farce that opens its arms to a world of comic possibilities only to let them all slip through its fingers, one by one. Titled “Podlasie” in Polish, after the region the village … Continue reading →

An impending wedding reels towards going terribly wrong and right off a cliff in “The Drama,” a dry and ever-so-dark romantic comedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. The latest from the writer-director of “Dream Scenario” begins awkward, with a “meet … Continue reading →

An imposing and impressive lead performance somewhat atones for an awkwardly structured script and a charisma-starved supporting cast in “A Great Awakening,” the new film biography of the 18th century English preacher who lent The American Revolution some of his … Continue reading →

The Chinese thriller “731” is a wildly ambitious attempt to get a heroic horror movie out of an infamous crime against humanity. By turns macabre and moving, historical and fantastically, spectacularly over-the-top, it can’t be dismissed as simple anti-Japanese “propaganda” … Continue reading →

Of all the pictures one has come to expect “Black Dynamite” and B-and-C movie action star Michael Jai White to turn up in, a soapy, faith-friendly melodrama trotted out for Easter has to be the most “out there.” “The Secret … Continue reading →

“Pretty Lethal” is another Pretty Young Things Imperiled of the “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” “Ready or Not” and so on genre. Ho hum, right? There are only a couple of those in theaters at any given moment. But it scores major … Continue reading →

The seminal, genre-bending , world-conquering alt rock/rap/funk band The Red Hot Chili Peppers turn sentimental and surprisingly sweet in “The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother Hillel,” the new documentary about how they formed, their disparate infuences … Continue reading →

If you’ve got time for just one Netflix movie on predator guardianships and the lawyers who prey on seniors with assets, and the nursing homes, health care workers and even judges in on the fix, I recommend “I Care a … Continue reading →

The nihilist in an existentialist world of Albert Camus‘ novella “The Stranger” comes to sublime, understated life in the latest film of François Ozon. The director of “Potiche,” “Eight Women,” “Everything Went Fine” and “When Fall is Coming” turns out … Continue reading →

The American cinema of the ’70s is justly celebrated for daring and intellectually challenging film, cynical cinema that pointed the camera at urban and rural decay. The skepticism of the “Hud” and “Midnight Cowboy” 1960s curdled into grim portraits of … Continue reading →