Training Day Arrives On 4K Ultra HD

Training Day earned Denzel Washington an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role and audiences can now bring the film home on 4K Ultra HD. This is a film that depicts two detectives over a single day of action. One of them just happens to be a rookie cop in training. When Training Day marked its 20th anniversary in 2021, the world was different and attitudes towards the cops had very much changed. Nowadays,…

"Training Day Arrives On 4K Ultra HD"

Raymond & Ray: A Yawnfest Of A Film

The casting of Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke in Raymond & Ray is enough to pique one’s interest but neither can save the film. On paper, this is a film that should work. In terms of execution, it fails on almost every level. I like both of the starring actors but in watching at home, the film had to fight for my attention. It’s never a good sign when a streaming film has to fight…

"Raymond & Ray: A Yawnfest Of A Film"

The Northman: Robert Eggers Does It Again

When it comes to Robert Eggers, you either love his films or you don’t but he’s outdone himself with the new Viking film, The Northman. You might think you’ve seen a Viking film but you’ve never seen anything like The Northman. Robert Eggers has a way with cinematic language unlike any other filmmaker working today. The nonstop action films coming from the likes of Marvel and Lucasfilm might be spoiling us but this one is…

"The Northman: Robert Eggers Does It Again"

Moon Knight: The Newest Marvel Disney+ Series

Moon Knight is the newest Marvel series to hit Disney+ but there’s not much here in terms of Marc Spector’s Jewish origins in the comics. Press were given the first four episodes to screen in advance. To date, this is the most for any Marvel series ahead of its premiere. That the series launches after their licensed Netflix series came back home means that this is also the most mature to date. I should note…

"Moon Knight: The Newest Marvel Disney+ Series"

The Guilty: Remake Delivers The Thrills

The Guilty remakes another foreign language film but this one is the best of the two TIFF premieres that largely depend on one person. The film is based on Den Skyldige. However, I cannot tell you whether this film works better or doesn’t because I didn’t see the original. I can tell you that The Guilty is effective as a thriller. This is a film that has Jake Gyllenhaal working overtime as a 911 dispatcher…

"The Guilty: Remake Delivers The Thrills"

Dead Poets Society: Remembering Robin Williams

Robin Williams may have been famous because of his comedy work but his non-comedy role in Dead Poets Society is one of his best performances. “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.” – John Keating (Robin Williams) I try and watch a film every year in Robin William’s memory. Last year, it was Hook. Next year might be Good Will Hunting even if I hold my review for the film’s 25th anniversary.…

"Dead Poets Society: Remembering Robin Williams"

Sundance 2020: Tesla

Tesla may not mark the first time that Nikola Tesla’s story has been brought to the screen but it is certainly the most innovative version. There are so many things that a Tesla film could focus on.  However, this one is presented in the most comical fashion.  We get Tesla singing into a microphone!  There’s no denying that Ethan Hawke can sing but it was certainly a surprise.  But on a serious note, the film…

"Sundance 2020: Tesla"

Chicago Film Fest 2019: The Truth (La Verite)

The Truth (La Verite) features some brilliant acting as director Hirokazu Kore-eda tackles a project that isn’t set in his home country of Japan. The root of the film is the mother-daughter relationship between Fabienne (Catherine Deneuve) and Lumir (Juliette Binoche). Lumir’s relationship with her mom is tenuous at best.  The reason why she’s back in her native France is her mother’s memoir being published.  To say it’s a memoir would also be exaggerating the…

"Chicago Film Fest 2019: The Truth (La Verite)"

Juliet, Naked: A Touching Comedy

Based on the Nick Hornby book, Juliet, Naked is a film that comes off as Apatowian in nature with a overgrown man-child playing a large role at the center of the story. […] Annie (Rose Byrne) has spent the last 15 years wasting her life with her husband, Duncan (Chris O’Dowd), who has been obsessed with rock star Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke).  Duncan, a university lecturer, runs a fan site and has been obsessed with…

"Juliet, Naked: A Touching Comedy"

The King: Elvis Presley’s Life as An American Dream

Writer-director Eugene Jarecki uses journey of Elvis Presley in The King as a way of showing us the rise and fall of the American Dream. It’s an interesting premise.  The King isn’t an outright documentary of Elvis Presley.  There are clips of Elvis as the singer was making his rise.  We get a number of celebrities discussing Elvis while riding in his car.  The film traces us through some of Presley’s locations.  At the center…

"The King: Elvis Presley’s Life as An American Dream"