Review: “Sputnik”

When most people hear the word “sputnik,” they likely think of the name of the first satellite launched into space by the Soviet Union. But the word itself roughly translates to “fellow traveler,” making it the perfect title for director Egor Abramenko’s less-than-perfect debut feature based on his award-winning short film “The Passenger,” which continues […]

Review: “Made in Italy”

Sometimes, elements of a movie will come together in a way that seems like what can only be described as fate. You can certainly say that regarding the casting of the leads for “Made in Italy,” a new comedy/drama that’s actor James D’Arcy’s feature debut as writer and director. The film stars Liam Neeson and […]

Review: “Summerland”

“Summerland” is a period piece that is exactly as pleasant as it looks and sounds. But by injecting a rather traditional and sentimental narrative with a more contemporary attitude, and through Gemma Arterton’s winning performance, writer and director Jessica Swale’s debut feature is a sumptuous treat. Set during World War II, “Summerland” stars Arterton as […]

Review: “The Rental”

You may think twice about booking that weekend at someone’s Airbnb after watching “The Rental,” the thriller that’s Dave Franco’s directorial debut. The film, which is co-written by Franco and Joe Swanberg, follows two couples: Michelle (Alison Brie) and Charlie (Dan Stevens) and Charlie’s brother Josh (Jeremy Allen White) and his girlfriend Mina (Shelia Vand). […]

Review: “The Painted Bird”

Toward the beginning of “The Painted Bird,” we see the nameless young protagonist (played by Petr Kotlár) watch Lekh (Lech Dyblik), the bird breeder he is staying with, paint the wings of a small bird he has captured before releasing it to rejoin its flock. But because the painted bird is different from the rest, […]

Review: “Onward”

3.5 out of 5 stars. Pixar Animation’s “Onward” is what is probably the studio’s most personal film wrapped in a fantasy adventure. Director and co-writer Dan Scanlon based on the story on the relationship he had with his brother after their father’s passing when they were children. “Onward” is set in a world that is […]

Review: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

5 out of 5 stars. In “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” we know that Marianne and Héloïse’s relationship is doomed from the start. But that doesn’t make their interactions onscreen any less passionate or romantic; if anything, they are even more so, as the time that they have left together dwindles away. Written and […]

Review: “The Invisible Man”

3.5 out of 5 stars. Monster movies have always been compelling because, as far from reality as they may appear on the surface, we see reflections of the good and the bad in humanity in their stories. This is especially apparent in the new version of “The Invisible Man,” directed by Leigh Whannell and based […]

Review: “Emma.” (2020)

4 out of 5 stars. Jane Austen possessed a sensibility about feminism, class, and other social matters that was in many ways ahead of her time. The timeliness and timelessness of her work is always apparent when it is newly adapted, and director Autumn de Wilde and screenwriter Eleanor Catton’s version of “Emma.” is no […]

Review: “The Call of the Wild” (2020)

3.5 out of 5 stars. You’d have to have a pretty hard heart not to be moved by “The Call of the Wild,” a new adaptation of the classic Jack London story directed by Chris Sanders—despite a very obvious issue. The story of a dog’s journey from pampered house pet to his origins in the […]