Tag: Drama

REVIEW: Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’ is an immaculate cinematic achievement

Scientific breakthroughs can be great things, leading to new discoveries and improvements in quality of life. They can also create terrifying, destructive power.

Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” captures the latter, and the impact it had on the figure that helmed such a breakthrough.

The film mainly revolves around J. Robert Oppenheimer’s work on the Manhattan Project, what led him to his involvement, and subsequent investigations into his character during the Red Scare. To do this the movie goes back and forth between three time periods.

Most of the movie takes place during the time where Oppenheimer was becoming a scientist and his work in Los Alamos. However, the movie also includes moments from Oppenheimer’s security hearing in 1954, as well as scenes in 1959 when Lewis Strauss’ hostile relationship with the physicist was brought up in commerce secretary nomination hearings with the Senate.

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REVIEW: ‘Asteroid City’ is a fine addition to Anderson’s filmography

Another Wes Anderson movie. Come for the quirks, stay for the feels.

The latest film from the auteur director is a few layers deep. The movie showcases a television broadcast of the play “Asteroid City,” and through that broadcast, the audience is also able to see behind-the-scenes of that production.

In the play itself, Jason Schwartzman plays the character Augie Steenbeck, whose son Woodrow (Jake Ryan) is attending an event celebrating teens who excel at science. During the event, the small rural town, known for being next to a crater where a meteor struck, is visited by an extra-terrestrial. Through this event, the audience learns more about the characters in the play, as well as the cast and crew of the production.

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REVIEW: ‘Past Lives’ is a romantic drama triumph

One of the most common aspects of the human experience is considering how different things could be if one made a different choice or a life event went an alternate way.

In stirring fashion, “Past Lives” writer/director Celine Song explores this concept, that boils down to the simple words “what if.”

The film, inspired by Song’s own life, centers on Nora (Greta Lee), a woman whose story began in South Korea before her family immigrated to Canada when she was a pre-teen. When she was growing up in South Korea, she was close friends with a boy named Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), but the two lost contact.

The two reconnect a dozen years later via social media and begin speaking regularly via Skype, but again are unable to consistently stay in touch as life takes them on different paths. The movie then follows up with the characters in the present day, when Hae Sung is able to visit Nora. who’s now a married writer in New York City.

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REVIEW: It doesn’t hurt to watch ‘You Hurt My Feelings’

The many complexities that exist in a relationship, even a loving one, come up in this smart dramatic comedy.

“You Hurt My Feelings,” written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth. The film opens with Beth, an author and writing-class teacher, feeling somewhat discouraged. Despite her efforts over the last several months, her latest novel just isn’t getting a great response from her agent.

That feeling only grows when she overhears her husband Don (Tobias Menzies) saying to another person that he doesn’t like her new book, despite saying otherwise to her face. The rest of the movie explores how this impacts their relationship and the people around them.

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REVIEW: ‘Chevalier’ gives insight to important musician, but does so generically

A story during the era of the French Revolution that’s gone largely untold is given a spotlight in this film.

It’s an admirable effort, although there’s a feeling it could have been stronger.

The movie centers on Joseph Bologne, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner who was raised to become a great violinist. Because of his skills, he finds himself in France’s high society, and is named Chevalier de Saint-Georges.

The movie picks up with Queen Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton) giving Joseph the opportunity to lead an opera house via a competition with another composer, to see who can write the best one. During that process, Joseph begins an affair with a married woman, Marie-Josephine (Samara Weaving). As this is happening, there are rumblings of revolution, and it will all come to a head.

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REVIEW: ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ is bold, powerful filmmaking

The brink has been reached for the characters in this drama, and it forces them to go past the point of no return.

It’s no surprise, as they feel the same has happened with climate change.

The film, inspired by the book featuring the same title, follows a group of young people who, seeing all other forms of protest ineffective, decide to sabotage a section of an oil pipeline in Texas. The plan originally formulates between college students Xochitl (Ariela Barer) and Shawn (Marcus Scribner).

They join forces with activists Rowan (Kristine Froseth), Logan (Lukas Gage), Theo (Sasha Lane), Alisha (Jayme Lawson) and Michael (Forrest Goodluck). Additionally, they partner with Dwayne (Jake Weary), a Texan who was forced to relocate when his property was bought out for a pipeline’s construction.

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REVIEW: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ offers quite the fun quest

Not that it’s a high bar or anything, but yes, this is better than the 2000 film. Much better.

In “Honor Among Thieves,” Chris Pine stars as Edgin, a man who formed a band of outlaws with his best friend Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) to steal from the wealthy. One such mission, though, was not to steal treasure, but instead an artifact that could bring back his wife who was killed years ago.

That mission went awry, causing Edgin and Holga to wind up in prison. By the time they get out, Edgin’s daughter has been taken in by a man who double-crossed the protagonist and taken over a kingdom. To get his daughter back and get some gold in the process, Edgin and Holga bring the band back together for another quest.

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REVIEW: Even though it takes some hits, ‘Creed III’ ends up above average

In the lede for my “Creed II” review, I asked for the main character Adonis to fight John Cena in “Creed III,” ala Rocky Vs. Thunderlips in “Rocky III.”

It didn’t happen, but the film is still alright.

Michael B. Jordan not only reprises his role as Adonis Creed for the third time in the series, but also directs. Having defended his title several times and getting higher in age, Adonis retires early in “Creed III,” after what he said was his last fight.

Following his retirement, Creed operates a boxing academy where one day he comes across a former friend, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors). Just released from prison, Anderson was a promising fighter before his sentence and is looking to get back in the sport. Anderson doesn’t just want to box, though, he wants the title and the life Adonis was able to live while he was in a cell.

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REVIEW: Finely crafted ‘Aftersun’ never hooks one in

Sometimes a movie comes along that seems to do all the right things and still never hits the right notes. That’s the unfortunate case with “Aftersun.”

Director Charlotte Wells makes her feature film debut with “Aftersun,” which largely follows a young girl named Sophie (Frankie Corio) who’s on vacation with her father Calum (Paul Mescal). The film showcases how Calum was a good, tentative father, but also seemed distant at times.

The audience eventually learns that the vacation is a collection of Sophie’s memories, and that she has been going over old home movies to reflect on what’s happened in her life since the holiday.

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REVIEW: Pedestrian ‘To Leslie’ has great performance to lean on

Debates over Oscar campaigning aside, there’s no doubt Andrea Riseborough gave an award-caliber performance.

She stars as Leslie in the film, which picks up six years after the character won nearly $200,000 through the lottery. In the present day, Leslie’s bank account has run dry, with her having gone through the money she won.

She finds herself at the movie’s start not only homeless, but also an alcoholic. After briefly staying at her son’s apartment, she finds herself at a motel where the owners decide to take a chance and give her a job. There, she has a chance to restart her life, but it’s not made easy because of her addiction and past mistakes.

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