Enough Said Is Still Charming Ten Years Later

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini deliver a masterclass in acting in Nicole Holofcener’s 2013 romantic comedy, Enough Said. Watching this film in 2013 marked time getting to experience writer-director Nicole Holofcener’s work on the big or small screen. While I confess that I’ve not seen her first four features, I attended the world premieres of her 2018 and 2023 feature films. I may just go back through her earlier filmography as my schedule allows. Holofcener…

"Enough Said Is Still Charming Ten Years Later"

The Way, Way Back: A Poignant Coming-of-Age Story

The Way, Way Back is a poignant coming-of-age story and marked the 10th anniversary of its theatrical release this past summer. This film is a case of awards making a difference. Searchlight considered going forward at one point in 2007. However, it wasn’t until Nat Faxon and Jim Rash won an Oscar for their work on The Descendants for things to start falling into place. That was what ultimately sealed the deal when it came…

"The Way, Way Back: A Poignant Coming-of-Age Story"

Nightmare Alley: A Noir Thriller

Guillermo del Toro shies away from the supernatural to present an updated take on Nightmare Alley in this noir thriller. The gist of the film is that Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) befriends a clairvoyant Zeena Krumbein (Toni Collette) and her mentalist husband, Pete Krumbein (David Strathairn), at a traveling carnival. Stanton takes advantage of what he learns to break free of the carnival alongside Molly Cahill (Rooney Mara). Before you know it, he’s conning the…

"Nightmare Alley: A Noir Thriller"

Stowaway Struggles With Slow Pacing

Stowaway may contain a strong cast but the film ultimately suffers with its slow pacing that may prove trouble for home audiences. The gist of the film is that this small crew of three astronauts are headed towards Mars on a mission. What none of them are expecting is a stowaway being on board. It’s bad news for their life support systems. The crew has to start making decisions along the same lines as Apollo…

"Stowaway Struggles With Slow Pacing"

Knives Out: Bring Home The Best Film of 2019

Knives Out, the Solzy Award-winning film of the year, is now available for audiences to bring home on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital. Crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is discovered dead on the morning after his 85th birthday party.  We don’t know whether he was killed or whether he did the deed himself.  What we do know is that members of the Thrombey family are being questioned by Lt. Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield) and…

"Knives Out: Bring Home The Best Film of 2019"

Toronto 2019: Knives Out

Knives Out may be a murder mystery comedy but no stone goes unturned in what is certainly one of the best laugh riots in 2019. Crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is discovered dead on the morning after his 85th birthday party.  We don’t know whether he was killed or whether he did the deed himself.  What we do know is that members of the Thrombey family are being questioned by Lt. Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield)…

"Toronto 2019: Knives Out"

Little Miss Sunshine holds up 13 years later

Little Miss Sunshine still manages to hold up with plenty of laughs thirteen years after the film was initially released in theaters. Overworked mother Sheryl Hoover (Toni Collette) now finds herself responsible for her brother, Frank (Steve Carell).  Frank recently tried to kill himself so he’s coming to live with his sister’s family.  Meanwhile, man of the house Richard Hoover (Greg Kinnear) is trying to start up a career as a life coach and motivational speaker. …

"Little Miss Sunshine holds up 13 years later"

Hearts Beat Loud: A Musical Masterpiece

In Hearts Beat Loud, director Brett Haley has managed to do it again. This time, Haley, who pens the script with Marc Basch, goes musical and offers up a touching story about a father and daughter starring Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons. Hearts Beat Loud may just be Haley’s best film ever–a musical masterpiece. There’s something about a Haley film that takes a side player from a previous film and they end up delivering one of their…

"Hearts Beat Loud: A Musical Masterpiece"

Fun Mom Dinner: A Fun Adventure

Fun Mom Dinner seems like it might be another version of Bad Moms but it is nowhere near as raunchy. Directed by Alethea Jones from a screenplay by Julie Rudd, Fun Mom Dinner stars Katie Aselton, Toni Collette, Bridget Everett, Molly Shannon, Adam Scott, Rob Huebel, Adam Levine, and Paul Rust, with a cameo appearance by Paul Rudd. Given the screenplay was written by Paul Rudd’s wife, Julie, a cameo appearance seemed to be a…

"Fun Mom Dinner: A Fun Adventure"