(**) Even master auteurs have an off day. A premise that doesn’t pan out. A vision that others can’t see. But because they’re so talented, often film buffs find some kind of gold in whatever they do. Legendary writer/director Abderrahmane Sissako, who was born in Mauritania and raised in Mali, has built a solid reputation on classic African […]
Thunderbolts*
(**1/2) When will the Marvel Universe stop feeding on its own? Never. But at least this time, they’re on to something. The Avengers are out to lunch. Those that have the power are drafting a C-Team, a group of misfits that aren’t as showy as the real A-Team. Nor as cool and socially conscious as the […]
Havoc
(**1/2) Bullets will fly. Blood will be shed. When the dust settles, bodies will pile up like garbage on trash day. Who’ll be left standing after this havoc? Who? Crime stories and gangland killings fuel crime/action/thriller movies. Dirty cops wrangling criminals when the line between the law and the lawless is blurred beyond recognition is […]
Sinners
(***) Is it possible to admire the artistry of a movie more than the movie itself? Yes! As a writer/director Ryan Coogler has had a storied career. From his first, well lauded and socially coconscious film Fruitvale Station, to the globally popular Black Panther superhero series and two chapters of the sports drama Creed—he’s cemented his place in film […]
The Amateur
(***) Hell hath no fury like a nerd seeking revenge. That hardly seems like a threat, until a wonky CIA worker loses the love of his life and goes on a war path. When it comes to espionage/action/thrillers, assassins like Jason Bourne (The Bourne Identity) and field agents like Ethan Hunt (Mission: Impossible) come to […]
The Friend
(***) Damn that’s a big dog. A big sad dog. So, what’s his problem? Well, he’s in mourning… The novel The Friend, by Sigrid Nunez, doesn’t tell this lives-after-death story from the canine’s point of view. Instead, it shares the perspective of his new shell-shocked owner, the person who inherits him. In the book, much of […]
The Woman in the Yard
(**1/2) The chickens are dead in their bloodied coop. The dog is gone, too. Is the woman in the yard messing with ‘em? Yep. A widowed mom, Ramona (Danielle Deadwyler, Till) can’t get past the tragedy she’s experienced. Her husband (Russell Hornsby, Fences) is gone, and she lives with that sorrow every day. Mornings start curled up […]
Magazine Dreams
(**) Images of Jonathan Majors (Creed III) in a skimpy swimsuit, sporting a lean, muscular body that would shame Michelangelo’s David don’t portend what’s to come. Based on the male eye candy, some film fans may anticipate the joy of a comedy/drama like Magic Mike or the enthusiasm of the inspiring documentary Pumping Iron. Think twice. This isn’t […]
Black Bag
(***) “There’s been a breach.” “We have a traitor.” “Who’s a suspect?” “Your wife!” Titillating bits of conversation run the ground work for this fairly engrossing British spy/drama/thriller. Within minutes audiences will figure out the problem, complications and where the intricately laid out script by David Koepp (Mission: Impossible) will take them. It’s all administered and […]
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl
(***1/2) Dead uncle in the middle of the road. Do you hit the brakes or accelerate? British writer/director Rungano Nyoni has her own take on the #MeToo movement as it concerns her home country, Zambia. She prefers a modern fable. One in which the protagonist must find her voice to speak the truths about what has happened. […]
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