Her

Her; Poses interesting questions about modern relationships, dealing w/divorce & break ups, & how initial attraction morphs into something different as time together passes. All this portrayed by great acting, and a rather myopic view of artificial technology, makes for a thought provoking film; B

Hoppers

Hoppers; Story, message and entertainment blend in the same Pixar manner we’ve cherished for three decades now. The 30th film comes in just below the studio’s legacy best, but right on par with some of its greatest hits. Fun and silly while still grounded in emotional reality, it’s pure enjoyment; A
 

Black Bag

Black Bag; The economy of Soderbergh strikes gold once again. A taut thriller, stage play style experience, expertly acted by a fine cast. The spy world is given a domestic slant to great effect and high tension. Sold as having more action, it’s really the mind games bringing the excitement; A-
 

GOAT

GOAT; A zillion sports story tropes delivered w/fresh paint, tunes & animal types. The chaotic animation will make the same old story beats go down easier, w/fun in jokes, sight gags and solid voice acting. Made for the small balls, but with enough to enjoy for the adults, an easy crowd pleaser; B+

Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso; A love letter to the communal town square that’s at the heart of small town film theatres. Told through loving enduring relationships btwn generations & the journey of their lifetimes. When clips of a life tell a story of love and what forms our lives, it is heartrending joyous; A-

Marty Supreme

Marty Supreme; A wild romp filled w/erratic unsympathetic characters, spearheaded by Chalamet’s full throttle performance in the title role. Bolstered by a great supporting cast, save for Paltrow, continuing her knack of sucking in great movies. Shocking, unapologetic moments abound & entertain; A-

Materialists

Materialists; Works best as a dark comedy when it’s speaking deadpan about sociopathic behaviour in an American Psycho way. But when it comes to the rom com angle, Johnson’s woodenness doesn’t convey anything appealing to either leading man. Still, Celine Song knows how to direct dialogue; B

The Mission

The Mission; Spectacular filming of the brutal dichotomy of colonial powers valuing South American indigenous peoples and territory for their subjugation to religion and exploitation of labour. The efforts to depict the scope and scale are unfortunately not given to the writing of the script; B+
 

TRON: Ares

TRON: Ares; Maintains cool aesthetic lighting and killer soundtrack that makes the franchise appealing in the first place. New plot angles are interesting enough to fill a full two hours and Lee is a great leading actor to root for. Unfortunate casting of Leto detracts but it’s still watchable; B-
 

Play It Again, Sam

Play It Again, Sam; A tale of two reactions. One, an appreciation for the clever turn of phrase inherent in the comedic writing. The other, a disgust for overblown pathetic attempts at physical comedy by the repulsive Allen, along with some jokes that have not aged well, thankfully. Skippable; D+