Dance of the Forty-One (2020) Film Review A-
Ignacio de la Torre was the son in law of Mexico’s president for life and dictator Porfirio Díaz’s. But he was leading a double life with his lover Evaristo.
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Category: Archival Posts
Dear Comrades (2020) Film Review A-
Andrei Konchalovsky’s Searing Indictment of a little-known Khrushchev Era Massacre is his best work in years.
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Undine (2020) Film Review A-
Christian Petzold’s direction is so seductive, and the two leads are so effective, that you fall easily for “Undine’s” charms.
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Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (2023) Film Review B+
We also discover, in a beautifully acted scene by McAdams, who steals the picture, that Barbara is estranged from her devoutly Christian parents.
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Blackberry (2023) Film Review B+
Balsillie is the yin to Lazaridis” yang. Baruchel and Howerton complement one another at every turn as Balsillie has eyes for the Pittsburgh Steelers!
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The Covenant (2023) Film Review B+
Matching Gyllenhaal, Salim gives a supremely dignified yet deeply moving performance that is worthy of a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
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Ferrari (2023) A Triumphant Return for Michael Mann B+
Mann shoots the racing sequences with breathtaking panache and urgency aided at every turn by his master cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt and the editing genius of Pietro Scalia.
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The Road Dog (2023) Road Movie Meets Stand-Up In This Wonderful Comedy. B+
Doug Stanhope is “The Road Dog” in writer/director Greg Glienna’s inspired blend of the road movie and stand-up comedy..
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Shortcomings (2023) Review. Randall Park’s Sweet Asian American Comedy. B+
Min, playing a dislikeable character, manages to make Ben, if not exactly likable, then certainly sympathetic. Both Sherry Cola and Debby Ryan are superb.
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Girl Picture (2022) Film Review B+
Aamu Milonoff is exceptionally good, giving a beautifully grounded yet magical performance. The kind that makes you sit up and take notice.
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God’s Country (2022) Film Review B+
But the movie belongs to Newton who gives the best performance of her career here. We are completely in her spell.
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Till (2022) Film Review B+
The 2023 Best Actress Oscar Goes To…Danielle Deadwyler in Till. And as she reaches the volta of her magnificent speech she does something extraordinary…
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The Green Knight (2021) Film Review B+
David Lowery’s enthralling “The Green Knight”. Alicia Vikander does double duty as a peasant girl, and the mistress of a mysterious household.
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The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Film Review B+
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” is filled with brilliant touches. The major reason to see this movie is Kathryn Hunter who plays all three witches.
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Monica (2023) Film Review B
Pallaoro is blessed with two actresses who are able to convey oceans of emotion with their eyes and Lysette, a real-life trans actress, is wonderful.
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Rotting in The Sun (2023) Self-Referential with Penises Galore. B
Now, after ten years in the (relative) wilderness, Saavedra and Silva (and Silva’s co-screenwriter Peirano) have returned with a delicious slice of meta.
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Sick of Myself (2023) Film Review B
If you can take moments of extreme gore and disfigurement – it succeeds more as a horror movie than as a piece of social satire – you could do worse.
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The Whale (2022) Film Review B
As Charlie, an overweight teacher, Brendan Fraser gives a very sweet and appealing performance in director Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale”.
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White Noise (2022) Film Review B
Our savior is Driver, who, against all odds, manages to give another really good performance in inhospitable settings.
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Jockey (2021) Film Review B
Collins and Parker have a wonderful rapport based on their shared love of horses, and there might be something deeper between them.
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Tick, tick…Boom! (2021) Film Review B
Although we know the eventual outcome, there is no great tragedy awaiting us at the end of the movie. In fact, it is a celebration of life.
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Amerikatsi (2023) Armenia’s First to Make the Shortlist B-
The result is a film that walks a tightrope but contains some beautiful moments, even if, at times, it threatens to topple over.
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Dream Scenario (2023) Runs Out of Ideas….Fast B-
There are too many scenes straight out of Bunuel’s famously scathing “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie”. Gradually, you feel this movie has been stolen.
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Fremont (2023) The Film’s Nonchalant Charm Wins You Over B-
In the second hour, the movie enters a different realm due to the appearance of Jeremy Allen White and his palpable chemistry with our leading lady.
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Origin (2023) (B-) vs 13th (2016) (A-) Narrative vs Documentary
I felt that the constraints of the narrative feature may not have fully captured the depth and complexity of Wilkerson’s analysis of caste and its impact on society.
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Return to Seoul (2023) Film Review B-
Director Davy Chou likes to have his main character bottle up their emotions and then express these feelings in a couple of spectacular dance sequences.
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She Came to Me (2023) Rebecca Miller’s Sweet and Quirky Comedy Drama. B-
With “She Came to Me” we have the same quirky Miller, however, although the ideas are there they never come together to form a concrete whole.
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Babylon (2022) Film Review B-
I had no problem sitting through the movie’s bloated 180-minute running because, through all of this nothingness, five actors manage to make lasting impressions
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Blonde (2022) Ana is Sensational as Marilyn B-
Immersing herself completely in the role of Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe, Ana de Armas is sensational. And exhausting!
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Tár (2022) Film Review B-
However, no one seems to have stopped and thought about the age difference between these two maestros. By my calculations, Lenny would have been teaching Lydia when she was five years old!
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