Tag: Rachel Brosnahan

‘Ballad of a Small Player,’ ‘The Home,’ ‘Det Andet Offer,’ and More | Bite-Sized Reviews

Top Row (L-R): ‘Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix);’ ‘The Home (Lionsgate /Roadside Attractions);’ ‘Det Andet Offer (SF Studios).’
Bottom Row (L-R): ‘Under Stjernerne På Himlen (SF Studios;’ ‘Opus (A24),’ ‘The Amateur (20th Century Studios).’

Every once in a while, I don’t quite have enough to say or the time to put it into enough words for me to write full, dedicated reviews for everything new that I see. So, from time to time, I will just post a short review on Letterboxd, and, as you may have noticed, sometimes these reviews find their way to this site in the form of bite-sized reviews in a compilation article. That is exactly what’s happening today.

In this article, I’ll give you my thoughts on two Danish films starring the same stand-up comedian turned actor, an action thriller that came and went without much fanfare, a mystery thriller that also came and went without making an imprint, a recent Netflix casino flick, and a retirement home-set horror film that may just be one of the worst films I’ve seen this year. Let’s get to it.

Continue reading “‘Ballad of a Small Player,’ ‘The Home,’ ‘Det Andet Offer,’ and More | Bite-Sized Reviews” →

Superman (2025) | REVIEW

Superman (David Corenswet) and Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan) in SUPERMAN (2025) — PHOTO: Warner Bros. Pictures (Still image from trailers).

Directed by James Gunn — Screenplay by James Gunn.

I can’t stress enough how significant it is that the first image of the new live-action Superman is of him lying defeated in the snow, in need of healing and a pick-me-up, and, importantly, bleeding out of his mouth due to all the fighting he has just been through. It is an immediate act of flipping the switch on the modern cinematic understanding of what and who Superman is. When Marvel Studios launched a cinematic universe at the same time that Christopher Nolan was making self-contained and critically lauded Batman films for DC, they gradually set in motion a trend that Warner Bros. was eager to imitate. The head honchos at the studio gave filmmaker Zack Snyder the keys to their comic book movie empire, and, with his epic but divisive Man of Steel, he gave us a Superman born of a gritty, slow-mo heavy universe wherein he was presented as an Alien with god-like powers that was often paired with Christ-like imagery. Snyder notably had a character ask the godlike alien with an ‘S’ on his chest: “Tell me, do you bleed?”

Continue reading “Superman (2025) | REVIEW” →

Casting Ideas | James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy

James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 has been released, Gunn has finished his trilogy, and his time at Marvel is seemingly in the rearview mirror whether we like it or not. Warner Bros. and DC made a good decision to allow him to guide the direction of a shared universe of films based on DC Comics, which was something I advocated for in my review of his excellent The Suicide Squad film. Although his first DC film as a director, Superman Legacy, is still a couple of years away, now is as good a time as any to have a look at what actors would be good fits for the most iconic characters in Clark Kent’s corner of the DC Universe. So, without further ado, let’s have a look at some casting ideas for the upcoming Superman: Legacy film.

Continue reading “Casting Ideas | James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy” →

REVIEW: I’m Your Woman (2020)

Still Photo Wilson Webb Amazon
‘I’m Your Woman,’ Still Image — Photo: Wilson Webb / Amazon Studios.

Directed by Julia Hart — Screenplay by Julia Hart & Jordan Horowitz.

In the first scenes of Julia Hart’s latest film, I’m Your Woman, we are introduced to Jean (played by Rachel Brosnahan) who has become passive and inactive as she has resigned herself to never become a mother, which she had always hoped to become. For Jean, days go by at home, while her husband, Eddie (played by Bill Heck), goes out to do God-knows-what. But then one day her dream comes true in the oddest way possible. One day, Eddie stands in the doorway with a nameless child who he insists is theirs. Continue reading “REVIEW: I’m Your Woman (2020)” →

Exploring an Auteur’s Short Films: Ari Aster – Special Features #53

I don’t normally write about short films unless it’s a special occasion. This is a special occasion. I recently watched and reviewed Ari Aster’s follow-up to Hereditary, the daytime horror fairy tale Midsommar. I have become a great admirer of Aster after having seen those two films, both of which I believe to be amazing works of cinema.

Since I saw Midsommar, I haven’t been able to get it off my mind. So, on Friday, I spent the entire day watching Ari Aster’s short films. Today, I want to talk about his flawed short films, some of which didn’t speak to me at all. In five separate sections, I want to describe the experience of watching Aster’s short films, as well as make some general observations as to what it is like to watch the raw material of a future auteur. Continue reading “Exploring an Auteur’s Short Films: Ari Aster – Special Features #53” →

Golden Globes Predictions: Winners – Special Features #41

It’s time to get ready for the first major awards show of 2019 — The Golden Globe Awards. Though not at all as prestigious as the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes ceremony is known all around the globe as the major American precursor to the Oscars. Today, I’ll give out my own predictions for the ceremony which is being held this weekend. Continue reading “Golden Globes Predictions: Winners – Special Features #41” →

Top Ten TV-Shows of 2018

The New Golden Age of Television continued in 2018 with yet another great year of television. This must be reiterated year after year — yes, even in a year without Game of Thrones — 2018 continued that age, or trend, in which television is as effective as, or even more so than, cinema. For some, television of 2018 is defined best by the return of the increasingly confounding Westworld, and, for others like me, it is best defined by limited series that kept my attention far better than most long-running shows. Continue reading “Top Ten TV-Shows of 2018” →

IJR Awards 2018: Nominations, Part One of Two

Today I’m revealing the first half of the 2018 nominations for this blog’s IJR Awards (I’m Jeffrey Rex Awards, but you probably already guessed that). The two legend awards (Film Legend and TV Legend) aren’t getting any nominees, instead, I’ll reveal the winners, or honorees, in the two upcoming IJR Awards 2018-posts. Continue reading “IJR Awards 2018: Nominations, Part One of Two” →

REVIEW: House of Cards – Season Three

I'm Jeffrey Rex Episode Review - Netflix - House of Cards - Season 3The following is a review of the entire third season of House of Cards. Obviously there will be spoilers.

Unless you’ve been under a rock since Thursday, you should be aware of the fact that season three of House of Cards is out on Netflix – go watch it if you haven’t. Now. Since its release I’ve been working hard to review every single episode of the season, and I am thankful that I finished it in the opening weekend. They function both as recaps and reviews – so if you forgot something then feel free to make good use of it.

Today I decided to release a full post on season three of House of Cards. Now if you’ve been following my episode reviews, then you already know that I mentioned some overall thoughts at the end of Chapter 39, but I thought I had more to say today.

So, first things first – did I like the season? Yes, I really did. I think a lot of the people that are disappointed expected the second coming of Heisenberg this season. But in many ways this season was always going to be about the illusion of the Presidency – the illusion of power. And what it means to be Commander in Chief. Continue reading “REVIEW: House of Cards – Season Three” →

REVIEW: House of Cards – “Chapter 39”

I'm Jeffrey Rex Episode Review - Netflix - House of Cards 39The following is a review of the thirteenth and final episode of season three. Expect spoilers in the plot description.

One final hour until the end of the season. What is Claire saying? Will Frank take Iowa? Come and find out! At the end of the post, I’ll also gather some thoughts about the entire season, though that won’t affect the episode grade. Let’s get to the plot description:

The episode opens with Rachel Posner – there she finally is. She was indeed alive, like Orsay had told Doug a few episodes ago. She has multiple jobs – helping out at a bar, at a grocery store. Meanwhile, Doug is flying to Caracas. What exactly does this mean for the final hour in season three? Continue reading “REVIEW: House of Cards – “Chapter 39”” →