For over 150 years now, the words of Louisa May Alcott have
maintained a place in literary history. Since the classic novel was published
in 1868, its had its fair share of adaptations, both traditional and vastly
different, so it’s not easy to justify a new version in 2019. However, writer
and director Greta Gerwig doesn’t try and justify her reasons, choosing to tell
the story we all know in a slightly different way and letting the themes shine
through.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Monday, December 23, 2019
Uncut Gems - Review
The Safdie Brothers, a directing duo that produces films
that are bound to not be for everyone. In 2017, Good Time put them on
the map for a lot of people, with its grimy, loud, and violent portrait of a
New York criminal. In 2019, they return to the formula for more griminess,
noise, and violence, but this time with some added comedy from the Sandman
himself.
Friday, December 20, 2019
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - Non-Spoiler Review
The long wait is finally over. Two years after Star Wars:
The Last Jedi, the final installment in the Skywalker saga has arrived,
much to everyone’s delight (or for a very small portion, dismay). In a year
where it seems every big pop culture pillar is pitching in a bases loaded, bottom of the ninth, game
seven pressure situation, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker seems to be
facing an even bigger obstacle than that: Star Wars fans.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Bombshell - Review
The year 2016 brought a reckoning upon predatory men of
power unlike anything anyone had seen before, and one of the larger takedowns
of that crusade was the Fox News women and their stories. Their place in this
movement is up for debate, mainly hinging on their continued culpability in the
faulty reporting of the network and their blind eye to other evil affairs, but Bombshell
seeks to place one element above all else: their humanity.
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
1917 - Review
Captivating and brutal, stories of war are amongst the most
popular ventures for Hollywood to embark on for the past handful of decades.
However, World War I always seems to be passed up for World War II or more
recent conflicts when it comes to dramatic, grand tales of battle. But not this
time. This time, director Sam Mendes steps into the trenches of the Great War,
brings some fancy camera work from Roger Deakins along with him, and creates
one of the best war films ever.
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Jumanji: The Next Level - Review
At
least the creatives behind the newest entry in the Jumanji
franchise have the self-awareness to reference the
repetitive nature of their world with the sequel’s title. And while that
general self-awareness transfers to the film in some regard, it still doesn’t
save the film from being largely the second film, just on a grander, bizarre
scale. Fortunately, the cast and crew have a blast with this premise that it translates
to the big screen and saves what could’ve been a busted game.
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
The Two Popes - Review
Finding drama at the center of a conversation about the
inner workings of the Papacy isn’t easy. It doesn’t get easier when you
consider that the bulk of the film in centered on just two characters: Pope
Benedict XVI and Jorge Bergoglio. The handles very much like a play, complete with
dialogue heavy scenes, few locations, and even the way the narrative is
structured. And it all ties back to the central question of it all: can there really be TWO Popes?
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Waves - Review
When stepping back and looking at a film, at all its
excellence and shortcomings, an idea of its merits as a whole film usually
emerges. It doesn’t always happen that way exactly, but more often than not,
some clear image of what a film’s intentions were will come through. Waves is
different. From the moment its dizzying opening scene throws everyone off
balance to the serene moments that close the film, piecing together what it
wants to be is kind of half the battle. A battle that Waves only wins if
you can make it through an onslaught of color and sound at the beginning to the
more graceful, reflective second half.
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
The Aeronauts - Review
Once upon a time, hot air balloons used to be the future of
flight, an engineering accomplishment of flammable gas, silk, and a precarious
basket that lead to new heights. Now, they’re a novelty, an experience that’s
sought after by less and less people as the years go by. But boy were they all
the rage in 1800s London, and The Aeronauts seeks to explore just what a
flight above the clouds could look and feel like, even if it nixes telling an
interesting story along the journey.
Monday, December 2, 2019
Dark Waters - Review
A
drama about a chemical company poisoning citizens and the court proceedings
that follow it hardly sounds like an entertaining venture on the surface, but
reality plays out differently. Though entertaining may be the wrong
description, Dark Waters aims
to be enthralling more than anything, its execution is solid. However, the bar
for films such as this are difficult to clear, and even if Dark
Waters has talent behind it and elements that do work, it doesn’t
quite make the leap.
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