Dear Evan Hansen may not be the monstrosity of a movie musical that Cats was two years ago but exploiting suicide is unforgivable. While Dear Evan Hansen may have been a Broadway phenomenon, the film is not the cinematic event that it claims to be. Ben Platt isn’t going to become an EGOT winner on this film and it’s not his fault. He may have been the right age for the role when he was…
"Dear Evan Hansen Isn’t As Bad As Cats, Thank G-d"Category: Movie Reviews
Breakdown, the 1997 thriller starring Kurt Russell, is the newest film to join the collectible Paramount Presents releases on Blu-ray. The film is a simple thriller and with the truck’s presence in the film, it will sometimes remind you of an early Steven Spielberg TV movie, Duel. Jeff (Kurt Russell) and Amy Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan) are moving to San Diego when their new Jeep Grand Cherokee breaks down. A trucker, Red Barr (J.T. Walsh), pulls…
"Breakdown: Kurt Russell Thriller Hits Blu-ray"
Clint Eastwood is back with his newest film, Cry Macho, but this could very well mark the end of the line for the screen legend. Set aside whatever you think of Eastwood’s politics for a moment, this year sees the release of Eastwood’s 42nd film as a director. Dating back to his directorial debut in 1971, he’s also starred in a bit over 20 films in which he directed. With his output, it’s rare in…
"Cry Macho: Is This The Last Clint Eastwood Film?"
Eva Orner follows the devastating Australian wildfires in Burning and how the government is not willing to address the crisis at hand. The year 2020 brought a whole new meaning to the world being on fire. Heck, 2019 also saw several fires breakout in California. Here in the states, wind conditions brought hazy conditions to states that were nowhere near some of the recent fires. While the US was dealing with fires out west, Australia’s…
"Burning – Toronto 2021"
Charlotte may be a beautifully animated film but given the setting before and during the Holocaust, this film is emotionally intense. Please stay through the end of the credits. Charlotte Salomon (Keira Knightley in English, Marion Cotillard in French) is a German-Jewish artist with the unfortunate luck of growing up during World War II. Referred to as Lotte by her father and step-mother, she grew up in Berlin with dreams of being an artist. Against…
"Charlotte – Toronto 2021"
Ben Foster turns in a career-defining performance in Barry Levinson’s new film, The Survivor, based on the life of Harry Haft. While many perished at Auschwitz, Harry Haft (Ben Foster) found the will to survive. Not so much because of boxing for the Nazis’ amusement–including Nazi camp commander Dietrich Schneider (Billy Magnussen)–but because he wanted to reunite with his girlfriend, Leah (Dar Zuzovsky). If not for boxing, it’s doubtful Harry would have lived. But this…
"The Survivor – Toronto 2021"
Jagged is a revealing documentary about singer/songwriter Alanis Morissette and focuses on her Jagged Little Pill years. While Morrissette opens up about some of the years that followed, this film is really about her early years. The same years that gave us such hits as “You Oughta Know,” “Hand in My Pocket,” and “Ironic.” If you are wondering, audiences don’t find out who “You Oughta Know” is about either. Chances are likely that we’ll never…
"Jagged – Toronto 2021"
The Eyes of Tammy Faye, starring Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield, is one of many Oscar contenders to launch in Toronto. The film focuses on the rise, fall, and later redemption of Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain). Listen, I don’t need to rehash the biography here. If you want to know more, watch the documentary that this film is based on. Or maybe yet, go over to search for her Wikipedia page. The same goes…
"The Eyes of Tammy Faye – Toronto 2021"
Three years winning the Oscar for Free Solo, filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin return to Toronto with The Rescue. Once again, the filmmakers find a way to keep us on the edge of our seats. It’s a very different film from their Oscar winner in that this film focuses on the Northern Thailand cave rescue mission in 2018. The world was glued to the news as twelve boys and their coach were stuck…
"The Rescue – Toronto 2021"
Lakewood is an intense thriller about a mother racing against time to know if her son is okay during an active shooter situation. (The film was titled as Lakewood upon its world premiere but will be released under A Desperate Hour). Amy Carr (Naomi Watts), has been a widowed mother of two going on almost a year. It’s a trying time as the one-year anniversary approaches especially with her oldest son, Noah. With Noah still…
"A Desperate Hour (aka Lakewood) – Toronto 2021"