Movie ReviewsSeen a lot of movies, got a lot of opinions.
Let’s get Lily Gladstone her Oscar.
"Tár" - Film Review
Tár does not make heavy-handed accusations about the state of our society and people in power. Instead, it asks the audience to look at Lydia, to see her as the totality of who she is.
"EO" - Film Review
EO is a stark and oftentimes angry look at humanity’s impact on the natural world. More than the human characters’ treatment of EO, it’s the film’s duality of man-made spaces vs. the open grasslands of nature.
"Aftersun" - Film Review
Aftersun is left open-ended, and that’s a perfect conclusion to this portrait of a father and daughter relationship. It speaks to the inability of a child to truly understand their parents, no matter how valiantly they try.
"The Banshees of Inisherin" - Film Review
Loneliness is isolating, painfully so. You can be surrounded by people and still feel the stifling ache of being alone. The things that help keep despair at bay (friends, music, animals) are the most fragile and need the most care. And yet, those are the aspects of life that people view as frivolous. The Banshees of Inisherin fluctuates from deeply sad to darkly humorous, a mirror of life itself.
"The Fabelmans" - Film Review
The Fabelmans should feel like a memory, but the images are too crystal clear. There’s no grain, no warm hues, no softness. The film is too digital, too modern, too sterile for the emotion it’s trying to invoke in its audience.
"The Quiet Girl" - Film Review
For as gentle and earnest as The Quiet Girl is, the film is full of rage. An angry plea to give a damn about kids and to treat them with as much kindness as humanly possible. That is the bare minimum.
"The Eternal Daughter" - Film Review
While The Eternal Daughter is an interesting concept, effortlessly supported by both of Swinton’s performances, the relationship between mother and daughter isn’t as developed as one would like.
"She Said" - Film Review
She Said should have been scathing, a full-blown, overflowing, boiling pot of rage. Instead, it’s lukewarm, never as damning as it could be and never as critical as it should be.
"Glass Onion" - Netflix Film Review
Unlike other franchises that seemingly stick around far longer than they’re welcome, the mysteries of Benoit Blanc have the potential to delight for years to come.
"Women Talking" - Film Review
The question of staying or leaving is simple, but the road to the answer is not. Women Talking is a tour de force, a fearless look at the way women lose their voices and the way they fight to get them back.
"Devotion" - Film Review
Devotion is another example of Majors proving that he is one of the finest young actors working today, but he, and Ensign Jesse Brown, deserved a richer script.
"The Inspection" - Film Review
As the film progresses, the audience is begging for The Inspection to challenge them on something. Anything. The film doesn’t need to be pro- or anti-military to be successful, but it does need to know what it wants to say.
"Bros" - Film Review
Bros is too obsessed with its own ideas of grandeur. Like the first-of-its-kind LGBTQ history museum Bobby is trying to open, Bros believes that it will single-handedly save queer cinema. However, queer cinema never needed saving in the first place.
"Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" - Film Review
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the last-minute surprise of the year. The film has all the charm the audience has come to expect from the Shrek standout, but with a blindsiding amount of heart and humor.
"Triangle of Sadness" - Film Review
Triangle of Sadness loses credibility by backing off in the film’s final moments. We’re left with a cliffhanger, a reminder of the limits Östlund could have gone to.
"Babylon" - Film Review
Babylon is pure excess, to its own detriment. Chazelle became so lost in frolicking in the playground of the 1920s Hollywood he’s created that he forgot to tie it all together into something meaningful.
"Fire of Love" - Film Review
Fire of Love is born out of passion. The film’s narration is romantic, merely a reflection of the awe Maurice and Katia have for volcanoes. It’s a love that can be understood by anyone who loves something unbridled adoration.
"Avatar: The Way of Water" - Film Review
As with the first film, there will likely be droves of people who will keep showing up to screenings of Avatar: The Way of Water. It’s impossible to deny that they will be treated to a visual feast, but those looking for a more character-driven movie will be left adrift in the open water.
"Empire of Light" - Film Review
Empire of Light is lost in its own grandness. The film wants to be a meaningful celebration of the almost religious experience it is to go to the movies, but seems to believe that isn’t enough to sustain a two hour movie.
"The Menu" - Film Review
The Menu deserves to be seen with very little knowledge of the plot. Even the trailers (and likely this review) give too much away. It’s a dark, vicious satire that expertly unfolds itself over the course of ten dishes.