Reviews

A traditional biopic is elevated from the embodiment of its subject even if it has an obvious gambit to call attention to its spirit. The Scandinavian melodrama Becoming Astrid (in Danish/Swedish with English subtitles) looks at its author (born in Vimmerby, Sweden), fondly remembered for her best-selling children’s books like ‘Pippi Longstocking’, in her more formative […]

Fantasy sci-fi thriller from Jeffrey Nachmanoff (Traitor) starring Keanu Reeves (whose career has had the ups and downs of his middle-age counterpart Nicolas Cage) is quite daffy and exasperating, not to mention listless. In between the ‘John Wick’ films (the third outing arrives in May) it’s been pretty rough going for the Canadian star (you probably haven’t seen […]

 A less lurid version of Saw, Hostel, and Final Destination comes from Insidious: The Last Key helmsman Adam Robitel using pillaging, resourceful hosts and surveillance to primarily entice a millennial draw for a five-figure stipend for its obliging participants to assuage their anxieties. A routine irksomeness finally pervades what might be tantalizing for a while in its orchestration and visuals.  Escape Room […]

A new crime drama from Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, Jennifer’s Body, Girlfight) would lead one to believe that it is more profound than it is. Starring a haggard Nicole Kidman, stripped of the glamour often seen in her roles (from prosthetics/makeup used for films like Deadpool 2), even in the Civil War-set adaptation of Cold […]

A sweet, if doleful homage to an illustrious comedy duo from Hollywood’s yesteryear is this limited biopic where the leads outweigh a mostly commonplace display. Jon S. Baird’s Stan & Ollie stars Steve Coogan (The Trip) and John C. Reilly (The Sisters Brothers, and currently in a misjudged Holmes & Watson with Will Ferrell, again) who bring […]