It doesn’t matter that Capernaum (Chaos) is a subtitled film because this film will have you in tears by the time that the credits finish rolling. The film starts off with Zain (Zain Al Rafeea) suing his parents, Souad (Kawthar Al Haddad) and Selim (Fadi Kamel Youssef). Zain does this even as he’s been serving a five-year prison sentence for stabbing someone. It takes some backstory to eventually reach the point but we eventually learn that he…
"Capernaum (Chaos) is Gut Wrenching"Category: Movie Reviews
In Genesis 2.0, we learn that there are scientists who wish to defy every rule on the planet by seeking back the woolly mammoth from extinction. Just over 25 years ago, InGen CEO John Hammond had a dream. A dream that led him to bring back dinosaurs that have been extinct since prehistoric time. This is featured in Jurassic Park, of course. While Genesis 2.0 is not a documentary about that dream, it very well…
"Genesis 2.0: A Real Life Jurassic Park?!?"
Schindler’s List isn’t only Steven Spielberg’s epic masterpiece but the film is what cemented his legacy as both a filmmaker and human. Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) rescued the lives of approximately 1,200 Jews despite being a member of the Nazi party. He took over an enamelware plant and this plant is soon populated by the Jews living in the Kraków Ghetto. Under accountant Itzhak Stern’s (Ben Kingsley) management, a countless number of Jews would find…
"Schindler’s List: Steven Spielberg’s Epic Masterpiece"
History of the World, Part I–which has no sequel–spoofs multiple genres in this anthology showing that there are no limits to the mind of writer-director Mel Brooks. In depicting a few periods of time in world history, Brooks also spoofs other films or stories in doing so. Aspects of “The Stone Age” parody that of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Brooks isn’t shy of placing many gags in this era. Whether its the invention of music…
"History of the World: Part I isn’t Mel Brooks’ Best"
It was a low-key occasion but the prehistoric hand-drawn animated adventure, The Land Before Time, marked its 30th anniversary in November. Within the first half hour, we meet the core characters of this animated adventure: Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Petrie, and Spike. Littlefoot meets Cera while his Longneck family of three are on a journey to the Great Valley. Initially told that Longnecks don’t play with Three-Horns, neither Littlefoot nor Cera have a choice if they…
"The Land Before Time Marks 30 Years"
Holmes and Watson is a brutal cinematic disgrace and a stain to the legacy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary detective, Sherlock Holmes. The film starts in 1867 when young Sherlock Holmes (Will Ferrell) first attends boarding school. Major teasing results in the young boy becoming a detective and getting all but the future Dr. John Watson (John C. Reilly) expelled from the school. The opening credits flash forward by way of newspaper articles to…
"Holmes and Watson: A Cinematic Disgrace"
Fiddler on the Roof remains a cinematic masterpiece nearly 50 years following the theatrical release of the musical adaptation. It’s been some time since I last watched the film but there’s something about watching this movie late in December. Tonally speaking, the first and second acts of the film could not be more strikingly different in how they feel. No, the production design remains the same but the humor of the first half is gone. …
"Fiddler on the Roof: A Tradition Unlike Any Other"
The spotlight is on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex as the future justice begins her fight against gender discrimination. A lot of what gets covered in this film was also covered in the Solzy Award-winning documentary, RBG. This makes so much of the film feel rather redundant to say the least. I won’t lie in that I questioned why would someone want to watch a biopic when one…
"On the Basis of Sex: A Conventional Biopic At Best"
When I reviewed Paddington 2 back in January, I made a huge mistake by saying the film would not be an awards contender. In my original review in January, I wrote the following about Paddington 2: “It may not be a contender.” The funny thing is, it IS a contender. Back in January, I was probably thinking along the lines as many film critics and box office analysts do. January is that barren month in…
"An Apology to Paddington 2"
Loosely inspired by a true story, Cold War (Zimna wojna) puts the spotlight on a love story where the couple keeps coming together no matter the odds. We’re introduced to Zuzanna “Zula” Lichoń (Joanna Kulig) and Wiktor Warski (Tomasz Kot) in Poland a few years after the end of World War 2. While the Cold War serves as a backdrop, we don’t see much of the government tensions in spite of the film’s title. There is…
"Cold War (Zimna wojna)"