‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Is a Fun, Nostalgic Ride
With a film as archetypal as Disney’s first Mary Poppins movie, a remake can be a challenge. The question is how to create something worthy enough to stand on its own, while honoring…
Lebanese Filmmaker Nadine Labaki on Giving Refugee Children a Voice in Compelling Drama ‘Capernaum’
One of the most eye-opening films of the year is “Capernaum,” a brutally heartbreaking drama from Lebanon. Nadine Labaki not only serves as…
Barry Jenkins’ ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ Eloquently Explores Love in a World of Injustice
This is how you adapt great literature for the screen. “If Beale Street Could Talk” breathes cinematic life into the words of iconic American author James Baldwin. Director…
Clint Eastwood’s ‘The Mule’ Tells Fascinating True Story of an Old Timer Turned Cartel Runner
“The Mule ” has quite a way of exploring the idea that you’re never too old to try something new. It tells the fascinating true story of a…
‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Spins a Deliriously Creative Web of Animated Fun
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is no mere comic book movie, it joyously leaps and thrills like an actual comic book. While the box office has been ruled by…
Netflix’s ‘Dumplin’’ Tackles Body Shaming With a Lighthearted Spirit
There are imperfect movies that still tempt you with giving them a pass because the heart of the story is in the right place. “Dumplin’” is just such…
‘Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle’ Is a Classic Story Revised for Darker Times
The Andy Serkis directed adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s time-honored tale of a young boy raised by wolves takes a darker turn in “Mowgli: Legend of…
Natalie Portman Takes the Stage as a Broken Pop Icon in Darkly Alluring ‘Vox Lux’
“Vox Lux” imagines the dark and tragic lives behind the bubblegum lyrics of glossy pop. Actor turned director Brady Corbet is a mere…
‘Mary Queen of Scots’ Is a Compelling Tale of the Controversial Monarch
When it comes to rivalries, few have reached the heights of that of Mary, Queen of Scots and England’s Elizabeth I. Even the feud between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis could never compare…
Shay Mitchell Gets Trapped in a Blender of Horror Clichés in ‘The Possession of Hannah Grace’
Here we are right in the middle of the holiday season with Sony Pictures offering us a film about a demonic corpse chasing after victims inside a morgue. Of course there is nothing…
Kurt Russell Finds Little Holiday Cheer as Santa in Netflix’s ‘The Christmas Chronicles’
Netflix’s “The Christmas Chronicles” is surely one of the weirdest, dreariest holiday movies in the history of streaming. It takes the figure of Santa Claus and throws him…
Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone Engage in a Royal Battle of Savage Wits in ‘The Favourite’
“The Favourite” understands that behind all of the protocols and pomp of power there lie hidden boiling passions, jealousies and vices. Sometimes they can also be quite funny.