Tag: Drama

REVIEW: ‘Marty Supreme’ is another frenetic flick from Josh Safdie

I love me some sports, but my knowledge of ping pong is limited, so this film was a bit of a crash course.

Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), is a shoe salesman in New York City, and also one of the top ranked table tennis players in the world. Set in the 1950s, the film takes place largely between two ping pong world tournaments held in France and then Japan.

Throughout the film, the audience sees Marty train to compete against other top players from around the world, while also scrounging for money to pay his way into the sport and having relationships with a pair of women.

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REVIEW: ‘Knives Out’ saga returns to form with ‘Wake Up Dead Man’

After a decline in quality with the second installment, Rian Johnson gets his murder mystery series back on track with part three.

“Wake Up Dead Man” is the latest stand-alone investigatory flick featuring private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). This time around, the mystery is set in upstate New York and revolves around a church where a death has taken place.

The victim is Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a rather loud pastor with an aggressive style in his sermons. The small congregation of the church point the blame at the young, idealistic priest Jud (Josh O’Connor), who was at odds with Wicks, but claims innocence.

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REVIEW: ‘Jay Kelly’ is a forced, over-sentimental melodrama

Just a short while after reviewing “Sentimental Value” and here comes another film where a cinema artist tries to reconnect with his kids.

In “Jay Kelly,” George Clooney stars as the titular character who’s built a career as a celebrated actor. Like Clooney himself, Kelly has managed to star in both major blockbuster releases and arthouse flicks, allowing him to develop a strong reputation.

In the twilight of his career, one can see he’s had a successful run. However, the same can’t be said outside of the studio lot. He has a strained relationship with his daughters, and his assistants, namely Ron (Adam Sandler), are getting tired of his shenanigans. He makes an attempt to turn things around, though, with a trip to Europe where one of his daughters is visiting.

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REVIEW: ‘Rosemead’ is a well-made, distressing picture

A frightening spiral of events, inspired by a true situation, unfold in this drama with a noteworthy performance from Lucy Liu.

In “Rosemead,” Liu stars as Irene, a woman with a terminal cancer diagnosis whose son, Joe (Lawrence Shou), is also facing major issues. A high school student, Joe has struggled with his mental health since the death of his father.

Because of those struggles, Joe has visited a mental health professional and was diagnosed with schizophrenia. As the film goes on, Joe’s mental health deteriorates, resulting in disturbing behavior, putting Irene in a difficult position with her limited resources and worsening cancer.

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REVIEW: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ advances story in repetitive fashion

There’s a spot in the filing cabinet at the Department of Redundancy Department for this film’s script.

“Avatar: Fire and Ash” once again brings audiences to the moon world of Pandora. Set not long after the events of the second film, the latest “Avatar” picks up with Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family still living along the ocean with the water tribe.

While they managed to repel an offensive in the last film, there’s stress for Jake, who knows the humans are still working to not only exploit the world’s resources, but wipe out more Na’vi. Plus, Jake is being hunted by Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang), who has partnered with an antagonistic Na’vi tribe to go after the Sully family.

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REVIEW: ‘Rental Family’ succeeds thanks to Fraser and sincere writing

Who would have guessed we’d have two films this year with a guy pretending to be a member of a family? It’s like “Deep Impact” and “Armageddon” again.

OK, in reality, unlike “Roofman” with Channing Tatum, the lead character in this movie isn’t a criminal on the run. Instead, Brendan Fraser stars as actor Phillip Vandarploeug. Once able to get steady work in Japan, acting in commercials and TV, Phillip’s job prospects have dried up.

Looking to keep his career rolling, he decides to take a gig with a different type of agency. Rather than acting in media productions, the company he starts working for has him portray relatives of family members. Skeptical at first, Phillip begins to build connections in the role.

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REVIEW: Visually stunning ‘Train Dreams’ fails to fully connect

“Train Dreams” is a film that, in theory, should be one a viewer can fully embrace. In practice, though, it’s another story.

Speaking of story, the one at play here revolves around Robert (Joel Edgerton). A laborer in Idaho, Robert finds himself getting work in the timber and railroad industries starting in the 1910s. It’s around this time he also meets Gladys (Felicity Jones), who he begins a relationship with and later marries.

The film follows his time at home, as he builds a life with Gladys and the two have a child. The audience also gets to see his days at work, where he meets others from across the country who’ve come to the forested terrain to earn a living.

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REVIEW: ‘Sentimental Value’ is a gripping, powerful family drama

Art, family and generational experiences spectacularly collide in this multilingual picture.

“Sentimental Value” centers on a pair of sisters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), who are navigating life after the death of their mother. During this time, they’re approached by their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard), a celebrated director who left the family when the two women were kids.

Gustav is looking to make a new film after a hiatus in his career, and also wants to reconnect with his daughters. In particular, he wants Nora, a stage actress, to star in his new project. However, after she turns him down, he hires a film actress, Rachel (Elle Fanning), to take the lead role.

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REVIEW: Energized ‘Wicked’ sequel largely enthralls

Broadway buzz is back on the big screen with a second round of “Wicked,” and the experience in the sequel surpasses that of the first.

“For Good” picks up a short while after the events of “Wicked.” Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is working to disrupt the actions of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), who she’s found out has no magic at his disposal. In response, He and his associate, Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are slamming her with propaganda, labeling her the Wicked Witch of the West.

Glinda (Ariana Grande), meanwhile, has been put forward as Glinda the Good, with Oz presenting her as a positive witch to rally around against Elphaba’s efforts. While the two are pitted against each other, though, their friendship remains. Yet its strained as the situation in the realm grow more dire under the leadership of Oz and Morrible.

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REVIEW: ‘Frankenstein’ is a gothically gorgeous creation

Guillermo del Toro was made for this.

The latest movie from the visionary director is right up his alley, from the story itself to the aesthetic. The film is of course an adaptation of the 1818 Mary Shelley novel. In del Toro’s take, Oscar Isaac portrays Baron Victor Frankenstein. The movie picks up with the doctor in the cold wilderness of the North Pole. There, he’s found by a Danish Naval crew from a nearby ship.

It’s to the captain of that ship (Lars Mikkelsen) that he tells his story. He describes how he had a vision of stopping death after his mother’s passing, which led him into a career of medicine and science. Then from there, how it led him to bringing the Creature (Jacob Elordi) to life Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Frankenstein’ is a gothically gorgeous creation”