ETERNALS is an odd blend, featuring segments of unusual natural beauty and humanity for a comic book blockbuster. Still, this tonal change is stymied by the need to stick mostly by the formula of its franchise brethren, and the film feels very inhibited as a result of its lack of boldness.
CANNON ARM AND THE ARCADE QUEST manages to beautifully demonstrate the value of friends and community in helping someone overcome grief and achieve their ambitions in the face of long odds.
Not every story in THE FRENCH DISPATCH is a hypothetical page-turner, but the value of each one is clear, and Anderson remains one of the best cinematic authors.
DUNE may be Denis Villeneuve’s most grand and high-minded entry in the cinematic canon yet, but the relationships and emotions developed in this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s book are as dry as the desert sand on Arrakis.
PASSING’s sumptuousness frequently tips toward a visual and auditory fussiness that distracts from the flow between and within scenes and the contemporary echoes of Nella Larsen’s source novella.
BANTÚ MAMA is a film that never entirely gives its audience the complete picture painted in the mind of its characters. However, by allowing relationships to develop without over-laden dialogue and instead relying on the team’s visual craft and acting skills to sketch out this story, the film sets a touching and engaging tale in … Continue reading Bantú Mama
NO TIME TO DIE is a viscerally effective send-off for Daniel Craig’s tenure. Still, a deep thematic confusion prevents it from resonating beyond the increasingly narrow confines of what a James Bond movie is seemingly allowed to be.
An awkward narrative transition, combined with a plurality of readings, could indicate a messy and unfocused story, but Riz Ahmed’s performance and the consistent tone created by director Michael Pearce ensure ENCOUNTER remains a captivating experience.
Justine Bateman’s feature film debut is full of ideas but desperately needs to triage them to let the best of them – and Olivia Munn’s excellent performance – breathe.
Too little is established in Jake Gyllenhaal’s main character for the tension to pierce or upend our understanding of him, and the focus on him in THE GUILTY is so intense that any broader metaphors or statements fail to emerge from that dense wildfire smoke.
