Finally, a 2016 blockbuster that isn’t a let down! “Rogue One” is set between Star Wars Episodes III and IV and focuses on the rebels’ plans to steal the designs to the Death Star. Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, Riz Ahmed and Forest Whitaker all star as Gareth Edwards directs. I’m not the biggest… Continue reading ‘Rogue One’ One of Best ‘Star Wars’ Films to Date
Well Casey Affleck may not be as cool or Batman-y as his older brother Ben, but he’ll be able to hold a Best Actor Oscar over him once awards season wraps up… “Manchester by the Sea” stars Affleck as a Boston janitor who becomes the guardian of his nephew after the death of his brother.… Continue reading ‘Manchester by the Sea’ Emotionally-Layered and Darkly Amusing
Finally, a film that features the excitement of an actual office Christmas party, but with all the laughs of an actual office Christmas party (so to say not much of either). “Office Christmas Party” is about exactly what its title would suggest and features an ensemble cast (including Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, T. J. Miller,… Continue reading ‘Office Christmas Party’ as Fun as Real Company Gathering
Subtlety can be a film’s largest strength or biggest weakness, and in this case it’s both. “Loving” tells the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple in 1960s Virginia who fight to have the marriage laws of the United States changed. Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga star as the couple alongside Nick… Continue reading ‘Loving’ is Well Acted but Too Subtle for its Own Good
It’s like “Café Society,” only worse. “Rules Don’t Apply” marks the cinematic return of Warren Beatty in his first acting role since 2001’s “Town & Country” and directorial effort since 1998’s “Bulworth.” Beatty stars as Howard Hughes and the story follows a contract driver (Alden Ehrenreich) and actress (Lily Collins) who are employed by Hughes… Continue reading ‘Rules Don’t Apply’ a Boring, Disappointing Return for Warren Beatty
I mean, at least it’s better than “The Hobbit” or “Star Wars” prequels… “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is the first of five (five!!) films of the spin-off prequel Harry Potter series that follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), the author of the animal guide students at Hogwarts will eventually use. Katherine Waterston, Dan… Continue reading ‘Fantastic Beasts’ a Comforting but Flawed Return to Harry Potter
Part of me spent the entire runtime of this film hoping it would turn out to be an “Inglourious Basterds” spin-off… “Allied” stars Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard as two spies in World War II who meet and fall in love during a mission to assassinate a German official. Jared Harris, Lizzy Caplan and Matthew… Continue reading ‘Allied’ a Slow-Burn Spy Thriller Worth Watching
I guess there really is no way to make a non-cliché boxing film… “Bleed for This” stars Miles Teller as real-life boxer Vinny Pazienza who after a car accident is left with a broken neck. Despite being told he would never fight again and may not even be able to walk, Pazienza defies the odds… Continue reading ‘Bleed for This’ Filled with Decent Performances, Every Cliché
Who would have thought a coming-of-age story could be so original? “Moonlight” follows Chiron, a gay African American in Miami, through three stages of his life (youth, teen and adult) and the struggles he faces to figure out who he truly is. Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders and Alex Hibbert star as the three incarnations of… Continue reading ‘Moonlight’ a Well-Acted and Masterfully Shot Drama
And 2016 just keeps stabbing me in the heart… “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” stars newcomer Joe Alwyn as the title character, a 19-year-old Iraq veteran who is going around the country with his eight-man company (led by Garrett Hedlund) after a video of them during a mission goes viral. Kristen Stewart, Vin Diesel, Steve… Continue reading ‘Billy Lynn’ an Aimless, Disappointing Misfire
The Reel Deal 