Oscars: Right or Wrong?

2000 Winner Gladiator Gladiator is a fine movie, heavy emphasis on fine. There were better choices. What should have won? Traffic Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Erin Brokovich are also worthy winners, but Traffic is a masterclass in crosscutting narrative excellence, boasting terrific performances and a prime script. What should have been nominated? In the...

“The Last Duel” is an interesting, if altogether too long, Rashomon-like tale of perception

No one has quite been able to replicate Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece Rashomon in terms of telling a story with multiple perspectives and leaving the audience guessing as to what really happened. Director Ridley Scott, perhaps sensing this looming prospect of failure, instead doesn't try to outdo Kurosawa, but just emulate him, paying homage to a...

Irish Movies for St. Patrick’s Day

Every St. Patrick's Day, we eat copious amounts of colcannon and beef stew, throw back Guinness and Smithwicks like there's no tomorrow and dance a jig at the drop of a green hat. You might also want to watch an Irish film as well. In terms of film, Ireland has offered plenty of cinema that...

“The Way Down” is an uneven docuseries that focuses on some truly reprehensible people

Who is the lowest of the low? Murderers? Rapists? War criminals? Sure. They're the flashy ones anyway. Often missed among the hubbub of the atrocious are the leeches, the parasites who offer bogus claims and false hopes to steal your money right out of your vulnerable hands. People like Gwen Shamblin. Oh, shit. She's dead?...

“Respect” hits the high notes, but doesn’t quite level out

When you think of who could play Aretha Franklin in a biopic, your list should pretty much start and end with Jennifer Hudson. The pair are identical in a variety of ways. Heck, Franklin herself pushed for Hudson to play her in the long-gestating project. And Hudson does indeed bring the soul and the drama...

“Shang-Chi” is… zzzzz

It's far past time for Marvel to have an Asian superhero. Just like it was past time for them to have a Black superhero. And past time for them to have a woman superhero. Well, anyway, we're here now. All ready to dive into everyone's favorite superhero... Shang-Chi. Written by Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton...

“Eternals” offers some variation, but can’t overcome lackluster characters

Chloe Zhao directing a Marvel movie? The same Chloe Zhao who made The Rider and Nomadland, thoughtful, slow, arresting character studies with minimal plot and deep introspection? How is that going to work in the MCU? Well, it doesn't really. Written by Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo, Eternals follows a group of...

“Halloween Kills” Sucks

The rebooted Halloween (2018) was a sturdy continuation of the original Halloween (1978) with a demonic Michael Myers, a cynical town and a vengeful Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis). There were flashes of #MeToo, some good scares, a great score by John Carpenter... how did this sequel screw all that up? Directed by David Gordon Green...

“The French Dispatch” is a hollow spectacle

The problem with Wes Anderson's films is that his distinctive style can overpower the actual stories. For every Moonrise Kingdom, there's a Darjeeling Unlimited. For every The Royal Tenenbaums, there's a Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. With The French Dispatch, story goes totally out the window to homage and ego. Based off a story by...

“House of Gucci” is one excessive movie

Everything in House of Gucci is over the top: the acting, the sets, the costumes, the editing. You have to wonder if director Ridley Scott and writers Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna (based off the book by Sara Gay Forden) were in on the joke: everything is so overdone as to be comical. If conceived...