Don’t let the title fool you because A Quiet Place is a scary movie that is sure to induce flinching. Through Marco Beltrami’s score, the film is able to counteract the silence that comes from the cast. It’s because of the silence that the score is very much a character in its own right. While filmmakers were careful to stay silent during filmming so as to pick up the background noise, it’s the music that helps…
"A Quiet Place is quiet but scary"
6 Balloons is a film that shows what a sibling is willing to give up in order to save the other sibling. Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco star as a pair of siblings, Katie and Seth. The latter of which has a two-year-old daughter, Ella, and is being sent off to detox yet again for his heroine problem. It’s July and when she could be doing anything else, she’s driving him around Los Angeles with…
"6 Balloons: A Sincere Addiction Drama"
Love After Love is a family drama capturing an intimate portrayal of emotions while grieving. Russell Harbaugh directs the autobiographical family drama from a script that was co-written with Eric Mendelsohn. The script makes for a compelling film that explores a family going through the grieving process following the death of patriarch Glenn (Gareth Williams). He was a husband to Suzanne (Andie MacDowell) and the father to both Nicholas (Chris O’Dowd) and Chris (James Adomian). Everyone has their own…
"Love After Love: Career Best for Andie MacDowell"
Chappaquiddick is a film that strives to take an even-handed look at the tragic events of July 1969 but it’s just not compelling enough of a film. It’s not so much a political film inasmuch as it is one that seeks to take an investigative look. John Curran, directing from a screenplay written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan, takes us back to yet another cursed moment for the Kennedy family. It’s a sad moment for…
"Chappaquiddick: Character Study Falls Short"
Mark Hamill’s Comic Book: The Movie is able to get away with poking so much fun at the industry because it’s satire so full of love. Hamill stars as Donald Swan, the self-professed #1 fan of Commander Courage. The comic book had been created by Jackson Whitney. Swan’s love of comics led him to start up Once Upon A Dime with Derek Sprang (Tom Kenney). The grade school teacher would also go on to open…
"Comic Book: The Movie – A Satire of Love"
The very funny independent comedy, For a Good Time, Call…, still holds up nearly six years after its theatrical release in 2012. The biggest reason as to why the film still holds up is because of the strong lead performances from Ari Graynor and actress/screenwriter Lauren Miller Rogen. Graynor delivered one of the most unsung performances among 2012 releases. The two women, Lauren Powell (Rogen) and Katie Steele (Graynor), are as opposite of each other…
"For a Good Time, Call… still holds up"
Final Portrait is a character study that takes us into the mind of what an artist goes through as they work to perfect their work. It’s the latest directorial offering from Stanley Tucci. The camera framing is absolutely beautiful with its handheld movements. Through his direction, Tucci makes some wise choices early on to hide the portrait of James Lord (Armie Hammer) even if audiences would beg for even just a glimpse of the master…
"Final Portrait: A Character Study"
The major problem with Ready Player One goes down to one thing: neither Steven Spielberg nor Warner Bros. Pictures decided to recast T.J. Miller’s role of I-R0k following allegations of assault and abuse. Given the news stories that broke in December about allegations of sexual assault at college as well as my own personal experience, why didn’t Spielberg follow Ridley Scott’s lead with recasting the role?!? Miller’s character is nowhere to be seen in the…
"Ready Player One: Time’s Up Means Recasting!"
Ready Player One falls a bit short of being a visual masterpiece that’s on par with many of director Steven Spielberg’s best films. There’s a lot to enjoy at first glance but reality soon sets in after the nostalgia wears off. The film is chock full of Easter Eggs to movies, television, books, video games and beyond. This isn’t a surprise when one considers the source material is essentially a love letter to so many of…
"Ready Player One: Visually Pleasing With Flaws"
The Last Movie Star, formerly known as Dog Years, shows us what would happen when an aging celebrity in the third act of their life decides to accept an invite to a basement film festival. Burt Reynolds stars as Vic Edwards, an aging celebrity who receives an invitation to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nashville Film Festival. Thinking that it’s a legitimate film festival, the former college football player decides to accept the…
"The Last Movie Star: Made for Burt Reynolds"