Enola Holmes

Enola Holmes; MBB has oodles of charm playing a character from a family line that’s captivated us in many iterations. Her expressive face breaks the fourth wall w/frivolous fun. Writing is witty but clues hold little mystery, not on a Sherlockian level. Bring on the sequels!; B+

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan; Impeccable digital rendering of animals shows no expense was spared, but the F/X animation doesn’t have a story worthy of it. Voice cast is excellent and bring their best to what is a simple, true (??) story that seems to be more fantasy than fact; B-

Days of Heaven

Days of Heaven; Simple story propped up by roaming camera lovingly capturing the beauty of the surroundings. Tension builds as the proposed con reaches a point of no return but the meandering narration is more interested in poetic form than plot revelations. Sweet and simple; B+
 

Rain Man

Rain Man; Dynamic performances from Cruise and Hoffman highlight a film about family bonds and understanding autism. Though some aspects have become more noticeably stereotypical and less nuanced, the heart residing in the acting remains. Definitely a classic film. Definitely; A-

Papillon

Papillon; Grand filmmaking lends itself to the epic exploits of the title character’s penchant for jail breaks. Hoffman imbues his role with delicate humour and McQueen gives an action star turn for the ages. Very captivating film that doesn’t feel as long as its run time; A

Waitress

Waitress; Cast elevates what could be just a simple, good film into a more memorable one. Finds the heart & humour in an otherwise tragic story while at the same time finding subtle notes within the melodramatic plot lines. Worth the time invested; B

Seven Chances

Seven Chances; A giant chase sequence prefaced by smaller, simple gender role jokes. Keaton is superb in his deadpan way and takes the premise as far as it can go given the contrived setup. The stunts in the final sequence hint at the feats to come from the silent film genius; A- 

Don't Look Now

Don’t Look Now; Creepy film w/clever editing & Venice location shooting creating an air of despair & trepidation. Acting leads play their relationship well, as they live, love & suffer through exploits tragic & mysterious. A thriller that uses film techniques to great effect; B+   

Magic Camp

Magic Camp; School of Rock style film for magic that doesn’t have same quality of direction or cast. Despite this, it has some touching qualities & respects skill of magic. Bounces from telegraphed schmaltz to very funny quips. Hard to fully embrace but has redeemable moments; B-

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe

Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe; Everything we’ve come to expect from this fabulous show. Puts some interesting pairings together and some good songs. Doesn’t reach the heights of the series’ best moments or the previous film but it’s a welcome return; B