Downtown Owl – Tribeca 2023

Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater adapt Chuck Klosterman’s Reagan-era 1980s dark comedy, Downtown Owl, for the screen. The film, like Klosterman’s novel, takes place in a fictional North Dakota town. Funny enough, the Minneapolis area stands in for North Dakota in the adaptation. Anyway, the film takes place in 1984 just as a blizzard is about to hit the area. English teacher Julia Rabia (Lily Rabe) is one of Owl’s newest residents, having moved from…

"Downtown Owl – Tribeca 2023"

Luckiest Girl Alive Handles Sensitive Subject With Care

Luckiest Girl Alive brings Jessica Knoll’s bestselling novel to the screen in a new film starring Mila Kunis and Finn Wittrock. On paper, Ani FaNelli (Mila Kunis) is living the dream life–she’s working for Women’s Bible magazine, has an amazing wardrobe, and a wedding on the horizon. What many people around her don’t know is that deep down, Ani is still dealing with repressed trauma from high school. This trauma comes back to haunt her…

"Luckiest Girl Alive Handles Sensitive Subject With Care"

Deep Water Is Finally Let Out Of Its Own Misery

Deep Water is finally being let out of its own misery after several months of pandemic delays and going straight to Hulu. This is one of the films that Disney acquired by way of the 20th Century Fox acquisition. Unfortunately, no amount of delays could save this film. At some point, you just have to accept the inevitable: release it on streaming and make everyone happy. Before the last release date change, Deep Water had…

"Deep Water Is Finally Let Out Of Its Own Misery"

A Mouthful of Air Arrives on Home Video

Amy Koppelman adapts her 2003 novel of the same name, A Mouthful of Air, into a feature film starring Amanda Seyfried and Finn Wittrock. In any other year, Amanda Seyfried would be in the conversation for Best Actress in a Leading Role. However, the studio didn’t really push the film ahead of its theatrical release in late October. Case in point: there were barely over twenty critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes as of the other…

"A Mouthful of Air Arrives on Home Video"

Long Weekend: Will Love Last??

A chance encounter may lead into a Long Weekend but getting to know each other and lasting longer might be easier said than done. When Bart (Finn Wittrock) encounters Vienna (Zoë Chao), you can almost call it love at first sight. But before this relationship can go anywhere, the two must communicate with each other. The thing is that whatever they say could be detrimental to their relationship before it really has a chance to…

"Long Weekend: Will Love Last??"

The Big Short Marks 5 Years Since Wide Release

The Big Short, featuring a star-studded cast, explores the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis while weaving together humor and drama. The housing collapse led to one of the worst recessions in American history.  According to the film’s post-script, some $5 trillion was lost in pensions, real estate value, 401k, savings, and bonds.  Eight million people lost their jobs with six million losing their homes in the United States. If not for The Other Guys,…

"The Big Short Marks 5 Years Since Wide Release"

Toronto 2019: Judy

Renée Zellweger remarkably transforms into actress/singer Judy Garland in the upcoming Judy and will surely contend during Awards Season. While the film mostly takes place in late 1968-early 1969 prior to Garland’s tragic death at 47, there are flashbacks to childhood.  If you didn’t read Garland’s autobiography or take a quick glance at MGM co-founder Louis B. Mayer’s Wikipedia page some of the film’s contents will come as a shock to you.  Mayer molested the…

"Toronto 2019: Judy"

If Beale Street Could Talk is Beautifully Directed

Beautifully directed, If Beale Street Could Talk is able to raise the bar on what we come to expect from writer-director Barry Jenkins. If you didn’t notice it with Moonlight, Barry Jenkins has a way with telling a story on camera.  If Beale Street Could Talk further enhances his work as a storyteller.  Jenkins puts so much care into the film even if it’s James Baldwin’s words that he adapts on screen.  We especially see…

"If Beale Street Could Talk is Beautifully Directed"

Landline: Sisters bond through Family Secrets and Lies

Landline takes us back to the 1990s as Obvious Child director Gillian Robespierre re-teams with writer/producer Elisabeth Holm, and actress Jenny Slate. Directed by Robespierre from a screenplay by Elizabeth Holm and Gillian Robespierre, Landline stars Jenny Slate, Edie Falco, Abby Quinn, Jay Duplass, Finn Wittrock, and John Turturro.  Chicago native Gigi Pritzker is one of the produces for Odd Lot Entertainment. Dana Jacobs recently became engaged to Ben (Duplass) and she finds herself dealing…

"Landline: Sisters bond through Family Secrets and Lies"