“First Man” Salutes the Work of Putting a Man on the Moon
Damien Chazelle’s new feature “First Man” is an ode to elbow grease. Telling of the painstaking years it took for NASA to put a man on the moon, it is less about the glorious conquering of space and more about the tireless work involved in making it happen. Specifically, it focuses on astronaut Neil Armstrong […]
“Venom” Has Plenty of Fangs but Lacks Teeth
With audiences’ insatiable thirst for superhero movies, it was inevitable that the villainous foils would start headlining their own films as well. One of the first out of the gate is “Venom” and it tells the origin story of one of Spider-Man’s key enemies. Spidey is nowhere to be found in this film, and that’s […]
“Colette” Tells A Joyous Tale of France’s Most Provocative Female Author
Keira Knightley may have a reputation as the queen of corsets, suggesting a stuffiness to her work in the many period pieces she’s played. But her performances couldn’t be farther from that characterization. In “The Duchess”, she infused Georgiana with a Princess Diana-style defiance of palace protocol. In “A Dangerous Method”, her Sabine Speilrein reveled in her […]
“Lizzie” Paints a Compelling #MeToo Portrait from 1892
The new period thriller “Lizzie” is a fresh retelling of the infamous Lizzie Borden murder case and it benefits enormously from the timing of its release. The 1892 story about two women – Lizzie and the family maid Bridget Sullivan – being treated horribly by the male hierarchy and their ultimate revenge against it, can […]
“The Predator” Turns the Franchise into One Hot Mess
Is “The Predator” a sequel or a spoof? At times, it plays so comedically, it feels more like a parody of the original 1987 adventure “Predator.” Whatever the intent, “The Predator” is one hot mess. A summer-type actioner roaring into cineplexes after Labor Day, it’s loud, frenetic, and overstuffed with characters, exposition, and not one, […]
