The Toronto International Film Festival has aged gracefully into its 40th year anniversary. Black directors, actors and writers have enhanced the celebratory occasion with fine performances and artistic contributions in indie films, big budget movies and life-affirming documentaries. Their work in films that are positioning themselves for the upcoming awards season is on display […]
Straight Outta Compton
Warning: This isn’t some chump change Sundance indie movie about the rap group NWA. Nor is it a should-have-gone-straight-to-DVD after-thought about hip-hop culture. This is a full-fledged, big-budget looking homage to the L.A. rap scene, that smartly, emotionally and historically capsulizes the life and times of Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and everyone around them […]
The Martian
Flashback to the films Interstellar and Gravity. Now hold that thought. This latest voyage into outer space places itself firmly between the two. It’s not as sterile as the former and not nearly as OMG entrancing as the latter. The entertainment value is steady, but once the premise is set, the storyline becomes predictable. The […]
Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation
The first 15-30 minutes of this new Mission: Impossible entry lacks electricity. Yes it opens with the stunt that is on every trailer; Tom Cruise as IMF agent Ethan Hunt clutching the side of a cargo plane for dear life as it lifts off at over 100 MPH. This should be an OMG moment, but […]
Avengers: Age of Ultron
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic They’re back. The chummy Marvel superheroes assemble once again to fight evil. In this case it’s Ultron, a vicious technological villain hell-bent on ridding earth of human life. There is little in this film that is new, but that doesn’t matter. The characters are still entertaining, the action scenes […]
Timbuktu
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic As Islamic fundamentalists encroach on the basic liberties of people in Africa and the Arab world, we hear about it, but it’s hard to put it into context and understand the magnitude of the situation. Leave it to veteran, Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako (Bamako) to boil a complicated social […]
The Wedding Ringer
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic In a now infamously leaked email, Screen Gems President Clint Culpepper called comedian Kevin Hart a “whore” because he wanted him to use his huge social media following to promote Think Like A Man Too, and Hart wouldn’t do it without being paid more money. Kevin politely responded in […]
American Sniper
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic This well-produced but flawed bio/war/drama follows the armed forces career and subsequent malaise of ex Navy Seal Chris Kyle. He was a legendary sniper who did four tours of duty in Iraq. His steely, icy demeanor gave him a steady aim, but didn’t protect him from the fragile aftermath […]
Freetown
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic It’s an urgent escape. Like the Jewish people leaving Germany in the face of imminent death. Only, this journey to freedom takes place in Liberia and involves the personal story of six Christian missionaries. The film, based on true events, feels dramatic and thrilling at moments. Other times, its […]
Fast & Furious 7
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic Walking into a theater to see the latest Fast & Furious episode is like saying hello to an old friend. Great and familiar cast, excellent script, superb production values and the direction is tight as a drum. Can’t say this is the best film of the franchise, because so […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 50
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 54
- …
- 61
- Next Page »