Whiplash

Whiplash; An exceptionally powerful film feat. performances for the ages. Direction & editing of music scenes bring music alive to our eyes complementing what it brings to our ears. Actors offer us the devastating impact that music has on the hearts and minds of the dedicated; A

The Witches

The Witches; Fantastic grotesque makeup applied on top of Angelica Houston’s fabulous performance of Roald Dahl’s high witch makes for a delightful, frightful family film. Keeps the macabre aspect of the source material intact and allows for menacing thrills at a fun level; B

Downhill

Downhill; A fitting name for a film that seems promising at first by casting the dream team of Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell, only to squander their comedic AND dramatic capabilities with a D.O.A. script of two characters unworthy of our empathy or attention. Completely unlikable; D

Moonstruck

Moonstruck; Silly love story that thrives on the deft turns of the cast. Cher, Cage and crew play the laughs, the drama and the absurd with equal brilliance, crafting an enjoyable farce about an Italian family turned inside out by struggles with love. A goofy delight; B+

Life of Pi

Life of Pi; Fabulous combination of film elements combine to create a fantastic adaptation of an unfilmable novel. Visuals are stunning, combined w/the score, cinematography & F/X, the story's religious allegory & exploration of storytelling unfolds beautifully before us; A-

Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.

Matangi/Maya/M.I.A; Insane amount of personal footage paints a portrait of an artist who seemed to know her talent before the rest of us. Fascinating reflection on the influence & impact of events that shape an artist. Goes to unexpected places, much like M.I.A’s music itself; B
 

Secret Society of Second Born Royals

Secret Society of Second Born-Royals; Surprisingly enjoyable twist on the franchise films found in the marketplace. Likeable cast is compelling enough to rise above Disney Channel budget level F/X & story beats. Sequel setup is welcome for young fans awaiting more instalments; B-

Save the Tiger

 Save the Tiger; Meditation on a man affected by war & what it does to his everyday work & personal interactions. Lemmon gives a power performance, finding many notes both small & grand to paint this portrait. Reflections on morality may speak to some people but miss others; B+

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

Brewster's Millions

Brewster’s Millions; Comedic giants Pryor & Candy deliver the goods in a zany premise that celebrates & condemns excess in the 80s. Some aspects are product of the time while others are eerie in retrospect (like the election). W/o the leads it would truly be run of the mill; B-

Parasite

Parasite; Engrossing progressive descent into family horror show w/clever & creepy allegorical touch points on capitalism & societal fiscal stratification. Shot beautifully while amping up the anxiety towards the horrific concluding incidents. Foreign horror made mainstream; A-