Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine; Falling in love with Ryan Gosling isn’t that hard but seeing him and Williams fall out of love is heart wrenchingly powerfully expressed in this intimate, realistic pastiche of life. Intercutting across moments of time lends intrigue to the amazing performances. A true hidden gem; A-
 

The Fabelmans

The Fabelmans; Heavy handed, overwrought personal filmmaking that means more to its director than his audience. Suffers from the fact that it’s better suited for a documentary on a young film prodigy’s origins than this sentimentalized drama. Chloe East steals her scenes; B

The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman; Songs are bigger than the film, needing a grander treatment or arc. Inspired performances by all involved. Story’s themes resonate for today’s era; A-

Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck; Maintains the book’s mystery, imagery and flow while touching on all the same themes regarding deaf culture, museums, family and friendship. Captures the sensations using film and sound in clever ways; A-

Oz the Great and Powerful

Oz: The Great and Powerful; Imbues the spirit of Baum's work without sullying the 1939 classic. Scares & laughs for all ages. Well cast; A-