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 […]

Review: “Sonic the Hedgehog”

2.5 out of 5 stars. I can’t really say what exactly I was expecting from the live-action movie version of “Sonic the Hedgehog.” When the first trailer for the film debuted in April 2019, the reaction was outrage from fans, and something between confusion and horror for everyone else. Needless to say that despite an […]

Review: “Birds of Prey”

4 out of 5 stars. Comic book movies can be dicey territory, but I think it’s safe to say that most people found the 2016 ensemble film “Suicide Squad” to be an unsatisfying mess. The best part of that movie, however, was that it gave us Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Harley Quinn. The character, who […]

Review: “Weathering With You”

4.5 out of 5 stars. It’s hard to discuss “Weathering With You” without also bringing up “Your Name.” The latter film, an anime movie from writer/director Makoto Shinkai, is one of the highest grossing Japanese films of all time, and has been critically praised across the board. The story of a boy and girl connected […]

Review: “1917”

5 out of 5 stars. “1917” is a war epic brought down to a more personal level, without sacrificing the scale or horror of said war. That is thanks to director Sam Mendes and his crew, who adhere to a vision for this story—based on an anecdote told to him by his grandfather, Alfred Mendes—that […]

Review: “Uncut Gems”

3.5 out of 5 stars. I watched “Uncut Gems” for the first time over two days ago, and I still have a hard time putting my reaction to the film into words. It’s engrossing, but not exactly enjoyable; intense, even though the endgame is rather predictable. None of the characters are likeable, including Adam Sandler’s […]