Author: coolpapae
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Darkest Hour (****) is the other side of Dunkirk
Wright has made a film that plays a good contrast to Christopher Nolan’s superior Dunkirk. We see the threat that looms at home before it strikes abroad. So much is at stake, the tension is unbearable, yet Churchill finds a way. Good Lord does he ever.
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Happy Death Day (**) If Disney made slasher films…
See it if you must, knowing most of the film and deaths are covered in the trailer. It’s always kind of a bummer when a film gets hamstrung by its advertising, but never having seen the trailer probably wouldn’t have made the film any more enjoyable.
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Home Again (**1/2) is a fantasy for grown women
It’s a Lifetime film with more accomplished actors, but #HomeAgain is still okay.
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Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (****1/2) opens a new world
Along with the Gods is deceptively good. Not being an expert on Buddhism or the afterlife, I can only relate that what is presented it consistently intriguing. It pulls the viewer along into an emotional crescendo that belies the simple concept of “do good, get rewarded.”
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Insidious: The Last Key (**1/2) #timesup
None of this is bad. It’s mostly bland thrills and chills where women overcome what weak men and demons put them through. It doesn’t further the journey, like the second and best film in the series. It’s just another loose strand that tries to add to the outfit.
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I, Tonya (*****) – Fall, fall again
I, Tonya – 2017 Director Craig Gillespie Screenplay by Steven Rogers Starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, Caitlin Carver, Paul Walter Hauser For all of the stupidity, abuse and backwards ways of thinking, I never could get past the idea that Tonya Harding couldn’t be that bad. The fact that the chosen hero of “the incident” Nancy Kerrigan…
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Molly’s Game (****) shows Chastain at her best
Seeing Chastain’s Molly push on through each ceiling she’s presented with is enjoyable. Her ability to show confidence and compassion simultaneously is astounding. Of course she is beautiful, but to stop there would be akin to think the biggest part of the iceberg is above the water.
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The Shape of Water (****1/2) holds you completely
If you like Del Toro, this is the best work he’s created since Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s regrettable that he’s not received more resources to create with, but seeing what he’s done here with such seemingly limited funds, I really don’t know if it matters. He just needs to bring more of his universe to ours.
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Downsizing (***1/2) You may find yourself…
As for me, the best parts of the film, the idea of my thousands of dollars becoming millions and living a life of tiny luxury, are cut short by the reality that Payne never seems to be able to shed himself. It’s really depressing at times. But not as depressing as you’d think.
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Pitch Perfect 3 (***1/2) is a well deserved victory tour
Pitch Perfect 3 – 2017 Director Trish Sie Screenplay by Kay Cannon, Mark White Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knapp, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks, Ester Dean, John Lithgow If you don’t know what to expect from the Barden Bellas by this point, you might as well just skip this review. You get what you’ve seen…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 