I’m enjoying this Michael Keaton renaissance. “The Founder” tells the true tale of how Ray Kroc (Keaton) came to run the McDonald’s food chain and turn it into the franchised empire we know today. Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch play the McDonald brothers as Linda Cardellini, Patrick Wilson, B. J. Novak and Laura Dern… Continue reading Like the Burgers it’s About, ‘The Founder’ is a Well-Done Biopic
This, “Lone Survivor,” “Deepwater Horizon”… guess Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg are just going to spend the rest of their careers making films about recent tragedies. “Patriots Day” is about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and its subsequent manhunt. Mark Wahlberg, J. K. Simmons, John Goodman, Kevin Bacon and Michelle Monaghan all star as Peter… Continue reading ‘Patriots Day’ a Solid, Respectful Thriller with a Few Stumbles
This is honestly going to be one of the most difficult reviews I’ve ever written… “Silence” is the latest film from Martin Scorsese, a passion project of the director’s for over 25 years. The film follows two 17th-century Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who travel from Portugal to Japan in order to locate… Continue reading ‘Silence’ Easier to Admire than Enjoy
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
I thought it was interesting the trailer for this said “from the director of ‘Braveheart’;” apparently it’s still too soon to use Mel Gibson’s name as a brand… “Hacksaw Ridge” is the true story of World War II Army medic Desmond Doss, a pacifist who refuses to bear arms despite enlisting in the military and… Continue reading ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ a Bloody, Moving Story of Conviction
This was hands-down the longest, most grueling 89 minutes I have ever spent in a movie theater. “Blair Witch” is the third installment of the franchise of the same name and follows a group of friends who set out to visit the woods where the first film took place. James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Brandon… Continue reading The Boring, Unintelligent ‘Blair Witch’ Is One of Worst Horror Films Ever Made
I know Jared Leto spent months in psych wards trying to get his Joker cackle just right, but Jonah Hill’s laugh in this is the best one cinema has had all year. “War Dogs” stars Jonah Hill and Miles Teller as two 20-somethings who get government contracts to supply weapons to soldiers in the Middle… Continue reading Hill Steals the Show in ‘War Dogs’
Bryan Cranston really needs to stop being in movies that don’t deserve him… “The Infiltrator” is the true story of 1980s US Customs agent Robert Mazur (Cranston), who infiltrated (eh!) Pablo Escobar’s money-laundering organization. Diane Kruger, Benjamin Bratt, John Leguizamo and Amy Ryan also star as Brad Furman directs. Oscar nominee Bryan Cranston (ugh, that… Continue reading Very Little Tension in ‘Infiltrator’
Matthew McConaughey? More like, Matthew MEH-Conaughey! … [clears throat] “Free State of Jones” is the true story of Confederate soldier-turned-rebel Newton Knight (McConaughey), who led an armed rebellion in Mississippi during the Civil War. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali and Keri Russell also star as Gary Ross writes and directs. I love me a period piece… Continue reading ‘State of Jones’ Free of Excitement, Intrigue
I think this is it. I think Leo will finally get his Oscar. “The Revenant” stars Leonardo DiCaprio as 1820’s frontiersman Hugh Glass, who after being mauled by a grizzly bear is abandoned by his fur trading company (Tom Hardy and Will Poulter). Glass then sets out on a path of revenge against the men… Continue reading Visuals, DiCaprio Make ‘Revenant’ The Year’s Best
The Reel Deal 