Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Captain Marvel (2019)

Theatrical Release Poster – Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The following is a review of Captain Marvel — Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.

It’s good to be Marvel. One year ago, the industry was still in shock over the huge success of Marvel’s Black Panther. Only one month later, Avengers: Infinity War would break many records and, along with Black Panther, make sure that the first six months of 2018 was owned by Marvel. Now, in March of 2019, Marvel Studios can finally say that it has Oscars to its name following Black Panther‘s historic wins at the 91st Academy Awards. Some things never change, we are now waiting for another huge Avengers-film. Continue reading “REVIEW: Captain Marvel (2019)” →

REVIEW: Isn’t It Romantic (2019)

US Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a quick review of Isn’t It Romantic — Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson.

Released in theaters on Valentine’s Day in North America and at the end of February on Netflix elsewhere, Isn’t It Romantic is a film about a woman tired of a stale film genre who, then, suddenly finds herself inside of such a film. The film follows Rebel Wilson’s Natalie, an Australian woman living in New York City whose mother turned her off romantic-comedies as they presented scenarios that ‘weren’t made for girls like them.’ Continue reading “REVIEW: Isn’t It Romantic (2019)” →

REVIEW: Paddleton (2019)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a quick review of Paddleton — Directed by Alex Lehmann.

There is a way to sugarcoat and refuse to spoil what Paddleton is really about. I could tell you that it’s just about two old friends and neighbors playing some game they invented for 90 minutes. I could feed you some line about how it becomes surprisingly moving or something like that.

But, I’m not going to do that, because Alex Lehmann’s Paddleton essentially reveals its nature in its very first scene in which it is revealed that Mark Duplass’ Michael is suffering from terminal cancer. Paddleton, though — yes — named after the game that is two friends’ own invention, is a film about assisted suicide, saying goodbye, and reluctantly coming to terms with a loss.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Paddleton (2019)” →

Top Ten Films of 2018

The BAFTAs are over. The Oscars are over. The book on 2018 films is about to be closed, but, wait, there’s more! Before we switch our focus completely onto the films of 2019 and the future awards season, I’d like to, as always, submit and present my own top ten films of the year-list. What was my favorite film of the year? What film got the honor of being my one and only honorable mention? It’s time to reveal the top ten films of 2018. Continue reading “Top Ten Films of 2018” →

REVIEW: Green Book (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Universal Pictures

The following is a review of Green Book — Directed by Peter Farrelly.

Today, as I was sitting in the theater watching Green Book, less than ten hours after it had won Best Picture at the 91st Academy Awards, I was briefly reminded of Mark Kermode’s thoughts on revisiting Moonlight after it had become an Oscar contender and then Best Picture winner. In his video, the British film critic remarked that he found himself seeing the film in a different light. It was no longer an indie hit — it had evolved and he saw different things in it. The film had risen to meet the expectations that the label ‘Best Picture winner’ brings with it. Continue reading “REVIEW: Green Book (2018)” →

REVIEW: True Detective – “The Big Never”

This is a recap and review of the third episode of the third season of True Detective — Expect spoilers for the episode.

In the third episode of the third season of True Detective — The Big Never — we get to see where Roland West (played by Stephen Dorff) is in his life in 1990, while Hays (played by Mahershala Ali) has a panic attack in a supermarket. The Big Never was written by Nic Pizzolatto and directed by Daniel Sackheim.
Continue reading “REVIEW: True Detective – “The Big Never”” →

REVIEW: High Flying Bird (2019)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of High Flying Bird — Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Soderbergh rose to directorial stardom with Erin Brockovich and his Ocean’s-heist trilogy. In 2018, Soderbergh’s low-budget thriller Unsane was released to strong critical reception. What made that film so interesting was the fact that the entirety of the film was shot on iPhone 7 Plus cameras. Now, in 2019, Netflix has given Soderbergh a worldwide audience for his second iPhone-film High Flying Bird, a sports drama centered around an NBA lockout. Continue reading “REVIEW: High Flying Bird (2019)” →

REVIEW: Vice (2018)

Theatrical Release Poster – Annapurna Pictures

The following is a review of Vice — Directed by Adam McKay.

In recent years, comedy filmmaker Adam McKay has successfully changed his reputation in Hollywood. He was once thought of as one of the great funny-man directors of the industry, with such films as Anchorman and The Other Guys. But with 2015’s The Big Short — a film about the financial crisis of 2008 — McKay became known for his unconventional techniques in covering a disastrous true story. It didn’t work for everyone, but, for the most part, I really enjoyed his first foray into this style of political filmmaking.  Continue reading “REVIEW: Vice (2018)” →

REVIEW: Arctic (2019)

Danish Theatrical Release Poster – United International Pictures

The following is a review of Arctic — Directed by Joe Penna.

To some, Mads Mikkelsen, known outside of his home country for his roles in the NBC-series Hannibal and the James Bond-film Casino Royale, is the quintessential villain. A European character actor that, from time to time, takes on roles in blockbuster films and elevates the material. To others, like A. O. Scott once wrote, Mads Mikkelsen is the face of Danish cinema. The Copenhagen-born dancer-turned-actor has earned himself a strong reputation outside of Denmark, with such successes as winning the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt. Continue reading “REVIEW: Arctic (2019)” →

REVIEW: Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Velvet Buzzsaw — Directed by Dan Gilroy.

In 2014, Dan Gilroy’s directorial debut — Nightcrawler — became a hit with critics and audiences alike. It gave us a brilliant and rivetingly unhinged performance from its leading man, Jake Gyllenhaal, and it showed us that Dan Gilroy was a supremely talented filmmaker.

With his second directorial effort, Roman J. Israel, Esq., Gilroy stumbled a bit, even though that film had another committed lead performance — this time from Denzel Washington. Now, Gilroy and Gyllenhaal have reteamed for a horror film about the art world with Netflix’s Velvet Buzzsaw, and, though it isn’t quite a return to form, it shows us that Gilroy is perfectly capable of having fun with his art. Continue reading “REVIEW: Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)” →