Tag: Reviews

Families Like Ours (2024) | REVIEW

Paprika Steen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas in Thomas Vinterberg’s FAMILIES LIKE OURS — PHOTO: Per Arnesen/TV2.

Series created by Thomas Vinterberg.

Dogme95 co-founder Thomas Vinterberg has had quite the career. He burst onto the scene with his sophomore effort, the Cannes-darling and Danish classic The Celebration, and, though he struggled in the early 2000s overseas, he rebuilt his career on home soil with Submarine and The Hunt, the latter of which was a particular international success critically and with awards bodies. In the mid-to-late 2010s, he took another stab at filmmaking overseas with Far From the Madding Crowd and Kursk (with the Danish drama The Commune sandwiched in between the two). Then, at the very beginning of the 2020s, his binge-drinking dramedy Another Round took him to new heights as he not only accepted an Oscar and a BAFTA for the picture but also became the first-ever Danish filmmaker to be nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards. Now, he has turned to TV, as he has crafted a television series about the calamitous potential of climate change that works as an eye-opener and much more. For me, it’s been one of the most interesting shows of 2024.

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Conclave (2024) | REVIEW

Ralph Fiennes in Edward Berger’s CONCLAVE — PHOTO: Focus Features (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Edward Berger — Screenplay by Peter Straughan.

How do you follow up successfully directing a German-language version of All Quiet On the Western Front to critical acclaim and multiple little golden men statues from the Oscars? It’s a good question, and it is exactly the kind of challenge German filmmaker Edward Berger had in front of him. Now, two years later, we have our answer with Conclave, as Berger has crafted yet another adaptation of a major novel. This time around his film is a big screen adaptation of Robert Harris’ 2016 thriller novel of the same, and his adaptation was written by Peter Straughan, a BAFTA-winning co-writer of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Straughan’s writing and Berger’s direction are paired with a stellar cast spearheaded by Ralph Fiennes, together that trio has brought us a political thriller for grown-ups that is deeply engaging. 

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Anora (2024) | REVIEW

Mikey Madison as the title character in Sean Baker’s ANORA — PHOTO: Neon (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Sean Baker — Screenplay by Sean Baker.

When Sean Baker walked up to the stage to accept the Palme d’Or prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, he stood next to George Lucas, who had just received an honorary award. There the legendary creator of Star Wars, essentially the blockbuster film that changed the direction of American cinema for the next many decades, stood next to perhaps the most well-known American independent filmmaker who was enjoying the biggest moment of his career with his latest film, Anora. Arguably, no two filmmakers could better symbolize the vast breadth of American filmmaking, and here Baker was becoming the first American competitive Palme d’Or winning director in more than a decade (since Malick in 2011). Frankly, for Baker, Anora marks arguably his feature with the most public appeal. 

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Drive-Away Dolls (2024) | REVIEW

Geraldine Viswanathan and Margaret Qualley in Ethan Coen’s DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS — PHOTO: Focus Features / Universal Pictures (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Ethan Coen — Screenplay by Ethan Coen & Tricia Cooke.

Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls is set in the late 1990s and the film follows friends Jamie (played by Margaret Qualley) and Marian (played by Geraldine Viswanathan) go on a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida. However, what complicates things is that, due to a misunderstanding, the drive-away car that they are given the keys to a car that three criminals had planned to take and which contains an all-important cargo that they desperately need to get ahold of. As a result, while the more promiscuous Jamie tries to get Marian laid on the way to Tallahassee, criminals are desperately following in their footsteps in an attempt to retrieve what the drive-away car contains.

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‘The Piano Teacher,’ ‘The Iron Claw,’ and More | Review Compilation

(L-R, top row) The Piano Teacher (MK2 Diffusion); The Iron Claw (A24); The Watcher (New Line Cinema).
(L-R, bottom row) Imaginary (Lionsgate); The Strangers: Chapter 1 (Lionsgate).

In this review compilation, I have shared my thoughts on a Michael Haneke classic, as well as one of the most devastating wrestling movies. In addition to this, I have highlighted three different horror films from 2024, none of which, sadly, won me over. Read more below to find out why that’s the case.

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My Old Ass (2024) | REVIEW

Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella in Megan Park’s MY OLD ASS — PHOTO: Amazon Prime Video (Still image from trailers).

Directed by Maisy Stella — Screenplay by Maisy Stella.

The strange title made me very curious about what this film was, and I am glad I found the time to watch it. Megan Park’s My Old Ass is such a sweet coming-of-age film that is oozing with charm. Here we find an 18-year-old young woman (played by Maisy Stella) who, through magic mushrooms and other unexplained occurrences, finds a way to communicate with her 39-year-old self (played by Aubrey Plaza) from the future. That is about all you need to know about the film, and, even if you have reservations about watching something with unexplained timey-wimey mechanics, I would suggest that you should get over that and enjoy this film for what it is, even though I, too, sometimes, raised an eyebrow at the mechanics of it all.

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Brothers (2024) | REVIEW

Peter Dinklage, Glenn Close, and Josh Brolin in BROTHERS — PHOTO: Prime Video.

Directed by Max Barbakow — Screenplay by Macon Blair.

Max Barbakow’s Brothers, from a script by Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), is a buddy action crime comedy that follows twin brothers Moke (played by Josh Brolin) and Jady Munger (played by Peter Dinklage) who, after a shared history of crimes over the years, team-up to do ‘one last job’ together. During their previous ‘last job’ years ago, Jady was apprehended and sent to prison while Moke managed to get away, and so at the start of the film, they find themselves on opposite ends of life. Jady has just gotten out of prison, under suspicious circumstances, while Moke is trying to start a family and live as a law-abiding citizen. However, when Moke loses his job due to his criminal past, Jady finds an angle to convince his brother to join up with him for a road trip and a heist. Meanwhile, we discover that Jady made a shady deal with an aggressive crooked cop (played by Brendan Fraser) and his judge father (played by M. Emmet Walsh), who intend to keep track of whether or not Jady follows through on their deal.

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Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, Nov. 2021, pt. II: ‘The Morning Show,’ ‘A Quiet Place Part II,’ and More

Valeria Golino and Billy Crudup in “The Morning Show,” now streaming on Apple TV+ — Photo: Apple TV+.

In this edition of my monthly movie and television catch-up article series titled ‘Additional Bite-Sized Reviews,’ I give my thoughts on the second season of the major Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, but I have also taken a look back at Steven Soderbergh’s latest film. And then, at the end of the article, I will finally reveal what my thoughts are on the sequel to A Quiet Place.

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Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, Feb. ’21, Pt. II: ‘Your Honor,’ ‘For All Mankind,’ and ‘Framing Britney Spears’

Joel Kinnaman in “For All Mankind,” now streaming on Apple TV+. — Photo: Apple TV+.

In this edition of my monthly movie and television catch-up article series titled ‘Additional Bite-Sized Reviews,’ I take a look at a couple of shows that I have watched a lot in the first months of 2021 — specifically Your Honor and For All Mankind. But I also give you my thoughts on a documentary that everyone talked about in February. Continue reading “Additional Bite-Sized Reviews, Feb. ’21, Pt. II: ‘Your Honor,’ ‘For All Mankind,’ and ‘Framing Britney Spears’” →

REVIEW: Game of Thrones – Season Eight (2019)

The following is a season review of the final season of HBO’s Game Of Thrones.

The final season of Game of Thrones has come to an end. White Walkers, Dragons, and foreign sellswords have shown their strength, and conquerors, leaders, and usurpers have had their say. During the run of the final season of the show, I’ve written thorough episode reviews that recap and critique all six episodes of the eighth and final season including the series finale. In this season review, I’ll link to those reviews, and provide general thoughts on the season as a whole. For spoilers, detailed analyses and discussions, do check out my spoiler-filled episode reviews. Continue reading “REVIEW: Game of Thrones – Season Eight (2019)” →