Review: “Ticket to Paradise”

“Ticket to Paradise,” director Ol Parker’s Bali-set romantic comedy, closes with a good old-fashioned blooper reel playing over the end credits. In the footage, stars Julia Roberts and George Clooney goof off, riff off each other, laugh hysterically, and just seem to overall be having a great time in each other’s company. The pair, who […]

Review: “Falling for Figuro”

The romantic comedy genre has touched almost every imaginable environment or scenario, but I can’t think of one set in the world of opera. Director Ben Lewin’s “Falling for Figuro,” which follows rival opera singers who fall in love, may ultimately adhere to the expectations of the genre, but it also occasionally subverts them, and […]

Streaming Movie Recap: September 2020

September’s streaming releases are largely dominated by some big movies from Netflix, from Charlie Kaufman’s latest and the all-star ensemble of “The Devil All the Time” to the controversial “Cuties” and the crowd-pleasing period piece “Enola Holmes.” Read my reviews of those movies and more below. “I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS” (Netflix) “I’m Thinking of […]

Streaming Movie Recap: August 2020, Part 1

Happy almost-fall, movie fans! The month of August started to see some changes for movies, with many theaters across the United States and in other countries reopening for the first time since they shut down in March. I don’t know if or when I will be returning to indoor movie theaters myself, and if you […]

Streaming Movie Recap: July 2020, Part 2

Here’s part two of my streaming recap for July, featuring mini reviews of some more new releases! “FATAL AFFAIR” (Netflix) “Fatal Affair” is the sort of mediocre thriller you’d expect to find on the Lifetime Channel while channel surfing, and if those are the sort of movies you enjoy, you’ll likely find it a quick […]

Review: “The Lovebirds”

A romantic comedy starring the funny and talented Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae and directed by Michael Showalter (who helmed the poignant and unique 2017 rom-com “The Big Sick,” also starring Nanjiani) sounds like a definite winner. But Nanjiani and Rae’s talents outshine the script for their new movie “The Lovebirds,” which fails to do […]

Throwback Review: “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” (2008)

“Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day” is a modern movie with all the hallmarks of a 1930s screwball comedy. The film, set in pre-World War II London, stars Frances McDormand as Guinevere Pettigrew, a governess who just got fired from her fourth job. Desperate, Miss Pettigrew steals a job meant for someone else, but it […]

Review: “Last Christmas”

2.5 out of 5 stars. “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away.” We all know the words to “Last Christmas,” the iconic holiday favorite by Wham! And that knowledge just adds to the painful predictability of the movie “Last Christmas,” a sort of rom-com directed by […]

Review: “Long Shot”

4 out of 5 stars. At first glance, Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen seem to be an unusual pairing. Their unexpected chemistry plays a large part in “Long Shot,” a romantic comedy in which Theron plays powerful and elegant Secretary of State Charlotte Field and Rogen plays awkward and funny journalist Fred Flarsky. They unexpectedly […]

Review: “Crazy Rich Asians”

4 out of 5 stars. “Crazy Rich Asians” is the first film produced by a Hollywood studio to boast an all-Asian principal cast in 25 years. They are a minority who are often either grossly under-represented, or poorly represented, in major American films. And while “Crazy Rich Asians,” which is based on the novel of […]