Madame Web Adds To The Sony Spider-Verse

Madame Web is the latest Sony Pictures installment in how to make a Spider-Man-adjacent movie without featuring Spider-Man. Please note that there are no mid-credit or post-credit scenes. You are free to leave the theater at the end of the film. Obviously, you’re more than welcome to watch the credits. After all, many people worked hard to make the film a reality. But again, there are no teases or tie-ins to the wider universe. If…

"Madame Web Adds To The Sony Spider-Verse"

Persuasion: The Jane Austen Adaptation Is Terrible

The Dakota Johnson-starring Persuasion makes its arrival on Netflix as the first big screen adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. While there have been previous film adaptations, they were made-for-TV and not for the big screen. In fairness, this film did get a brief theatrical release before going to its forever home on Netflix. Unfortunately, one should not go into this film with any high hopes. I mean, it’s very telling alone with Netflix not…

"Persuasion: The Jane Austen Adaptation Is Terrible"

Cha Cha Real Smooth Is Not Realistic

Cha Cha Real Smooth makes its arrival on Apple TV+ but the film is the least realistic movie ever written about Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties. There is a pecking order of people receiving Bar and Bat Mitzvah party invitations. I know this because of my own experiences growing up as a Jew and attending so many of them during 6th through 8th grade. Maybe things have changed in recent years but this holds true…

"Cha Cha Real Smooth Is Not Realistic"

Cha Cha Real Smooth – Sundance 2022

Cooper Raiff follows up his SXSW award-winning Shithouse with Cha Cha Real Smooth, a film set on the Bar and Bat Mitzvah circuit. (If you are searching on Google to see if either Cooper Raiff or Dakota Johnson are Jewish, the answer is no. That’s just another frustration with the film). My worst fear going into this film was that Dakota Johnson would be the latest non-Jewish actress starring as a Jewish woman. This turns…

"Cha Cha Real Smooth – Sundance 2022"

The Lost Daughter: Maggie Hits A Home Run

Maggie Gyllenhaal steps behind the camera and hits a home run in her feature directorial debut, an adaptation of The Lost Daughter. When it comes to actors stepping behind the camera to direct, there’s no guarantee that it’ll be a good film. Maggie Gyllenhaal has nothing to worry about with her feature directorial debut, which brings the mysterious Elena Ferrante’s novel to the screen. She hits it out of the ballpark! It certainly helps having…

"The Lost Daughter: Maggie Hits A Home Run"

The High Note Hits In The Middle

A overworked assistant with dreams of being a music producer reaches a potential turning point in her career in The High Note. Late Night‘s Nisha Ganatra takes the helm behind the camera.  After taking us behind the scenes of a late night writer’s room, we now get to experience the life of a musician and those who surround her.  Well, more so on at least one person who surrounds said musician.  In this particular instance,…

"The High Note Hits In The Middle"

Sundance 2020: The Nowhere Inn

The Nowhere Inn aims to put a different perspective on the music documentary genre but manages to miss the mark in bringing something new. Annie Clark aka St. Vincent asks best friend Carrie Brownstein to direct a documentary about her.  The goal is a documentary about her music, touring life, and the musician’s on-stage persona.  But in making this documentary, their friendship ultimately gets tested to the point of maybe not even surviving the film. …

"Sundance 2020: The Nowhere Inn"

Toronto 2019: Our Friend (Formerly The Friend)

You’re going to need to pull out every Kleenex box you own because you’re definitely going to need it while watching Our Friend (formerly The Friend). While the film may be inspiring, it’s also heartbreaking as we follow the Teague family.  The film goes back and forth in time as it follows Nicole Teague’s (Dakota Johnson) cancer diagnosis.  She doesn’t have long to live so best friend Dane Faucheux (Jason Segel) moves in with the…

"Toronto 2019: Our Friend (Formerly The Friend)"

The Peanut Butter Falcon: Don’t Miss This One

The Peanut Butter Falcon is a film that could have easily been written by the likes of Mark Twain if the author lived during this era. Saying that Mark Twain could have written this film isn’t an understatement.  Not when the large majority of the film sees Zak (Zack Gottsagen) and Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) on an adventure together.  Whether it’s by foot or water, the two of them certainly bond with each other.  Never more…

"The Peanut Butter Falcon: Don’t Miss This One"