Tag: Steven Soderbergh
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Presence simple story told simply
Presence – 2025Director Stephen SoderberghWriter David KoeppStarring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland, Julia Fox, Natalie Woolams-Torres, Lucas Papaelias Stephen Soderbergh is quietly one of the better directors of his era. He’s been willing to try any type of story with any type of method. In the last century, he would…
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2025’s Black Bag: Uncovering Secrets in a Spy Drama
Black Bag, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is a modern spy thriller starring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. The plot centers on George Woodhouse, tasked with uncovering a leaker of a top-secret software within a week. As tensions rise during two dinner gatherings, suspicions shift among five suspects, culminating in a dramatic reveal.
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Nightwatch (**1/2) – Looks better than it is
The only other film I have seen of Bernedal’s is The Possession, which is a wholesale improvement. He is able to concentrate on atmosphere and leave the script to someone else. One can see the connections between here and there. I would prefer to be there.
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Forgotten Gem: The Limey (*****)
“This is one of Soderbergh’s best. Coming directly from Out of Sight and just before Ocean’s 11, it’s easy for The Limey to get lost in the shuffle. Don’t let too this one pass you by. ”
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The Ocean’s Films: Then, Then and Now
Hopefully, once they get past the #metoo stain, they can include Damon and the rest of the cast in a future film.
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Logan Lucky (****1/2) is Ocean’s on a budget
This film is a perfect Sunday afternoon flick. Low commitment and it doesn’t cure the world’s ills. There are some touching moments like the last time you hear that John Denver song. There is some amount of overdoing it with the accent, especially on the peripheral characters. It’s a minor quibble, though. If you like…
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Forgotten Gem: Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight – Made of stars
Out of Sight – 1998 Directed by Steven Soderbergh Starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames, Steve Zahn, Dennis Farina, Don Cheadle, Albert Brooks, Samuel L. Jackson, Luis Guzman, Isaiah Washington, Catherine Keener, Nancy Allen, Viola Davis, Michael Keaton Screenplay by Scott Frank, based on the novel by Elmore Leonard There was a time, before I was married, when…
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Side Effects is full frontal storytelling
Side Effects – 2013 Director Steven Soderbergh Starring Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vinessa Shaw Screenplay Scott Z. Burns There is a propulsive feeling to the first 1/3 of Side Effects. It’s a little like we’re heading towards inevitable disaster. Once disaster strikes, the viewer is somewhat shocked, and like Dr. Jonathan Banks…
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Magic Mike: Typical story made special by Soderbergh and Horn
Magic Mike – 2012 Director Steven Soderbergh Starring Channing Tatum, Cody Horn, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, Olivia Munn, Kevin Nash Screenplay Reid Carolin Almost 1/3 of the way through Magic Mike, there is a point where Brooke (Horn) has just discovered where her brother Alex (Pettyfer) has been working. She does her best to…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 