Category: Drama
-
Swiss Army Man (****) Esoterica for the masses
As for Scheinert and Kwan, this is the first I have heard of them. Their allegiance to farts is admirable and if there is no other statement they make to the world, this is a worthy first effort. If you see no other film with a friend who likes farting, this is it.
-
Sing Street (****) You can go anywhere
If you like coming of age movies, you will like this film. If you like movies featuring music that aren’t “musicals” where characters spontaneously break into song for no damn reason, you will like this film. If you still have hope in humanity, you will like this film. If you like any combination of the…
-
Free State of Jones (****) – The rebellion to the rebellion
McConaughey is certainly uninterested in presenting himself as a movie star. His performance stands in direct contrast to, say, DiCaprio’s overly desperate attempts and dramatization in The Revenant. Whereas that film goes out of its way to change history in order to make its protagonist the only sympathetic figure in the story, we get more…
-
The Lobster (***1/2) is precisely as pathetic as it’s supposed to be
The overall effect to me is somewhere between amused and nails on a chalkboard. This film has appeal to people I admire, and I cannot fault them their feelings. It’s a little too close to “Sprockets” for my taste. When I watch a movie or read a book, I am in for a different type…
-
Cool Papa E Reviews Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Episode I-VI)
#starwars #thecompletesaga What I will do here will amount to more a list than anything. There will be a basic review and a best of and worst of for several facets of each film. I am kind of making it up as I go along, but I am sure this will be no worse than…
-
The Fundamentals of Caring (***) picks up a lot of baggage along the way
The film works best when it concentrates on the relationship between the two protagonists. Rudd and Roberts play well off of each other, and when it goes deeper than words, it’s believable and entertaining. If they’d given the bit players smaller portions, the story might flow better.
-
Wild (*****) is a beautiful loser
Vallée has made a vast improvement over his good but not great film Dallas Buyer’s Club. Where the first film made took the warts out of the protagonist’s past and present to make him into a saint-like figure of AIDS research, this film leaves all of Strayed’s bad traits right there, and we benefit from…
-
Midnight Special (****) has a familiar shine
Nichols succeeds with this story, but not to the level of his previous work. The pace works, and the effects are in keeping with the rest of the story up until that big reveal. If you loved what Nichols has done before, you will like this one. That it’s not the groundbreaking work one would…
-
Forgotten Gem: Starman (****1/2) is better than Dutch Apple Pie
John Carpenter’s Starman – 1984 Director John Carpenter Screenplay by Bruce A. Evans & Raynold Gideon Starring Jeff Bridges, Karen Allen, Charles Martin Smith, Richard Jaeckel, Robert Phalen, Dirk Blocker, M.C. Gainey In my mind’s eye, Starman is a big hit that was seen by everyone in the 1980’s. When Jeff Bridges was nominated for an Oscar as…
-
Black Mass (**) is not moving
Someone messes up, they go for a car ride, they get whacked. Someone gets arrested, they talk (or don’t) they go for a car ride…you know.
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 