2020 has been crazy, so there’s something comforting about a Pixar movie around Christmas to end the year. “Soul” follows a middle school music teacher (voiced by Jamie Foxx) with dreams of being a jazz musician who dies and must work with a young soul (Tina Fey) to return to Earth. Questlove, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed… Continue reading ‘Soul’ Review: Heart, Humor, and a Whole Lotta Jazz
As far as blatant rip-offs go, I’ve seen worse than this. “The Midnight Sky” is the latest directorial effort from George Clooney, based on the novel “Good Morning, Midnight.” The film follows a lone scientist in the Arctic (Clooney) who must journey to a radio tower to warn off a returning spaceship (containing Felicity Jones,… Continue reading ‘The Midnight Sky’ Review: You’ve Seen This a Dozen Times Before, So Why Not Once More?
Sometimes good intentions aren’t good enough. “All My Life” is based on a true story and follows a young couple (Jessica Rothe and Harry Shum Jr.) that must put their wedding on hold after one of them receives a cancer diagnosis. Kyle Allen, Chrissie Fit, Jay Pharoah, Marielle Scott, and Keala Settle also star while… Continue reading I Could Go ‘All My Life’ Without Every Thinking About This Film Again
I feel the amount of anticipation and pressure on this film and David Fincher to deliver can’t be understated. “Mank” is the latest film from director David Fincher, and his first since 2014’s “Gone Girl.” Written by his father Jack Fincher, the film follows writer Herman Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) and his development of the script… Continue reading ‘Mank’ Review: A Witty and Meticulous Hollywood Homage
Chadwick Boseman, man, gone way too soon… “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is based on the play of the same name by August Wilson, and follows “Mother of the Blues” singer Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) amid a stressful recording session one summer afternoon in 1927 Chicago. Chadwick Boseman also stars (in his final film appearance), with… Continue reading Chadwick Boseman Gives a Touching Swansong Performance in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’
Sometimes it is wonderful when a movie is exactly what its trailer made it out to look like. “Freaky” puts a twist on the body-swap tale, when a notorious serial killer (Vince Vaughn) switches places with one of his teenage victims (Kathryn Newton). Katie Finneran, Celeste O’Connor, Misha Osherovich, and Alan Ruck also star as… Continue reading ‘Freaky’ Review: Vince Vaughn Is Having a Bloody Good Time and You Will Too
See, this is what happens when you don’t give people their Oscars when they deserve them; they put on a bunch of makeup and take on heavy-handed family dramas. “Hillbilly Elegy” is based on the memoir of the same name by J.D. Vance about his upbringing in rural Ohio, and the struggles he faces with… Continue reading ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is a Contrived Family Drama
If Zack Snyder’s DCEU got anything right, it was creating the Costner-Lane power couple. “Let Him Go” stars Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as a husband and wife who, after the death of their own son, set out to retrieve their grandchild from their new abusive father. Thomas Bezucha writes and directs. In recent years… Continue reading ‘Let Him Go’ Review: A Bit Uneven, but Wrangles Up Some Solid Adult Drama
“The Climb” stars Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin as two lifelong friends, and glimpses into their lives over several year. Covino and Marvin also wrote the script, as Covino directs and Gayle Rankin, Talia Balsam, George Wendt, and Judith Godrèche also star. I hadn’t heard much about this film until recently (it premiered at… Continue reading ‘The Climb’ Is Simple, Funny, and Honest
Someone needs to get to the suits in Hollywood and tell them that not every classic film needs to be reimagined. “Rebecca” is based on the 1938 book of the same name, which was famously adapted by Alfred Hitchcock in 1940 (his only Best Picture winner). The plot follows a newlywed couple (Armie Hammer and… Continue reading ‘Rebecca’ Is a Beautiful-Looking Bore
The Reel Deal 