There is certainly something to be said about the role of the critic when one sits down to watch The Burnt Orange Heresy. “If it is just about telling the truth, anybody can do it,” James Figueras says about being a critic. “My job is to separate the good ones from the bad ones.” Critics are frauds. Or so this is the argument that the film does its best to make. At the same time,…
"The Burnt Orange Heresy Argues About Critics"Category: Movie Reviews
Spenser Confidential puts the city of Boston front and center while taking its inspiration from Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland. There’s something in seeing a Mark Wahlberg action film debut not in cinemas but on Netflix. It’s just a little bit weird to be watching a Wahlberg film for the first time on TV during opening weekend. But hey, this is the world we’re currently living in so we may as well start getting used to…
"Spenser Confidential Shows A New Boston"
Ben Affleck manages to deliver a masterclass in acting with his performance as an alcoholic basketball coach in The Way Back. Gavin O’Connor has done it again. The director of Miracle and Warrior knows his way around a sports movie. Brad Ingelsby’s script isn’t immune to some of the classic sports film cliches but that’s alright. The most climactic scene in the film doesn’t quite hit with the level it should because we already know…
"The Way Back: Ben Affleck Turns In A Masterclass"
First Cow takes us back in time to the Pacific Northwest where we look at life as seen through the lens of a fur trapper and Chinese immigrant. Fur trapper Cookie Figowitz (John Maguro) befriends a Chinese immigrant, King-Lu (Orion Lee) early on in the film. The two of them are among many to explore the Oregon Territory in the 1820s. While there’s surely a lot of history that one could examine, the film settles…
"First Cow: Bromance Thrives on Stealing"
Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss is opening up in theaters this weekend nearly two years after its premiere during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Following the film’s premiere in April 2018, I spoke with director Vivieno Caldinelli. Since that time, the film was re-cut and also received a shorter title. The new title is much friendlier if you ask me. If you’re a comedy fan, there are comedy cameos throughout the film. Anyway, here’s…
"Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss"
Wendy seeks to tell the classic story of Peter Pan by way of a contemporary retelling but Benh Zeitlin’s first film in years just happens to fall short. The basic ideas behind J.M. Barrie’s classic novel appear in the film. However, this is about it. With rare exception, most of the film adaptations take place around the time that the novel was sit. This film happens to move things up by several decades. It may…
"Wendy: There’s No Pixie Dust Here"
Burden tells the story of how one man made the decision to walk away from the KKK with the help of a local religious leader and social activist. Let’s paint a quick picture. The film takes place in Laurens, S.C. in 1996 where racism was very much alive and well. Honestly, it’s brutal to watch at times as there are more than enough moments of discomfort. There are racial slurs throughout the film so I’m…
"Burden: Can Love Win Over Hate?"
A stand-up comedian moves home after four years of struggling to find success in Los Angeles in the recently released Standing Up, Falling Down. The story told in this film is one that is all too familiar. While stand-up opportunities are all over New York City, the biggest opportunities are almost always in Los Angeles. Take it from this improviser who weirdly became a film critic (I haven’t given up on comedy for what it’s…
"Standing Up, Falling Down: A Familiar Story"
D. Wade: Life Unexpected presents an unfiltered look at NBA star Dwyane Wade as the future Hall of Fame enters his final year in the NBA. Filmmaker Bob Metelus and Wade are long time friends. It’s because of this that we’re getting a look into the ballplayer’s life that is so raw and unfiltered. Could another filmmaker be able to do this? Maybe but what Metelus is able to do is present a side of…
"D. Wade: Life Unexpected profiles NBA star"
Miracle revisits the Miracle on Ice, when the United States defeated the Soviet Union to get a step closer to the Gold Medal during the 1980 Winter Olympics. “Do you believe in miracles? YES!” Then-ABC sports broadcaster Al Michaels captured the moment rather well with the now-iconic line. Forty years to the day, the game remains one of the best moments in sports history. One that most Americans thought aired live on television but ABC…
"Miracle Revisits the Miracle On Ice"