Trois Fois Rien

Three Times Nothing; Starts off as a cringy comedy seemingly disparaging homeless people by making buffoons of them, then slowly morphs into a family drama attempting to tug deeper at our emotions, w/mixed success. You may care for the makeshift family or be even more put off; B-

Kimi

Kimi; Another of Soderbergh’s economical thrillers, focused on the present in its storytelling, not bothering w/deeper background or investigation of the themes that are presented. Entertaining in the moment but ultimately unfulfilling from the questions it leaves unanswered; B-

Midsommar

Midsommar; Exquisitely crafted and shot for maximum effect, both beautiful & haunting. A slow burn that will stay with you long after the final frame. Long run time isn’t felt at all, as the film ratchets up the tension, foreboding and stakes. Pugh is captivating. Stellar; A
 

Day for Night

Day for Night; Before DVD extras made the mystery of filmmaking commonplace, this film flies through production while the fly on the wall viewer marvels at the machinations and shenanigans of a movie set. Clever, quick, funny and winking, a masterful take on the film industry; A

Sing 2

Sing 2; Another fully stuffed animated explosion of symphonic colour that somehow manages to offer many characters their own tidy storylines. Movie works best operating in music video style montages and pantomime. New voices are welcome alongside the returning stars. Very fun; A-

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent; Meta narrative suits Nic Cage well, as his self-aware performance is game for layers of action, family & self-reflection propelling this film. At times hilarious, at others quite touching, it’s all the greatness of Cage one expects; B+

Crush

Crush; Sweet leads Cravalho & Blanchard play out a teen rom com that’s more reflective of the times by being true to the emotions and dialogue of young love. Witty, quick and stylistic, the film won’t surprise as much as it will entertain with its cast, art and soundtrack; A-
 

Reminescence

Reminiscence; Great looking cast on great looking sets solving a noir like mystery elevates this film above its clumsy execution of its interesting premise. Ideas are intriguing yet written so ploddingly that it disservices itself. A film w/promise that can’t quite deliver; B-

Lightyear

Lightyear; Fine animation with several nods to space adventures past and present. Never cared for the character much and this doesn’t change anything but there’s mild fun to be had and a few great action moments. Missed seeing the usual Pixar short film beforehand; B

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; With each successive movie this franchise gets less interesting, more annoying and needlessly convoluted. Who are they making these films for? Rowling may be able to write a book, but she’s miserable at screenplays; D+

Pig

Pig; Soulful, sweet, yet haunting meditation on what we value most in life and how we deal with losing it. Shows that with the right script and director, Cage continues to be capable of impactful performances with great emotional depth. Layered in unspoken meaningful moments; A-

Studio 666

Studio 666; Fun to see the band goofing it up in a blend of gore, ridiculousness, rock & horror. Acting ability range makes it funny and creepy, with some fun supporting roles by comedy pros. Not the film I thought it would be, but filled with gruesome effects and solid rock; B+
 

Beastie Boys Story

Beastie Boys Story; A fun way to hear a history of the group. A film of the stage show works but last 10 minutes makes a case for a straight up documentary as well. Like the Boys themselves, one genre/way of telling their story isn’t enough. Glad to have this one among others; A-
 

Scream

Scream; What should be a tired reboot (or requel) actually entertains w/enough familiarity & twists to keep viewers guessing. Young cast is quite good & could hold their own without legacy stars showing up. Ghost face is the one thing that hasn’t aged well, more like a joke; B

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers; A fun romp stuffed chock full of cartoon cameos and nods to animation history. The premise is funny and the voice actors have the comedic timing to keep up with the cartoon lunacy. Not cinematic level material but perfect for a streaming feature; B+

Maudie

Maudie; A peek into folk artist Maud Lewis is buoyed by Hawkins and Hawke’s lead performances and the maritime setting. Her artwork pops on screen but it would be better if her life story came across with more pronounced drama and emotional impact. Cute, yet lacking in parts; B-

Sneakerella

Sneakerella; Grabs you from the opening number w/its fresh, talented faces & clever twists on the age old fantasy. It’s hard not to be swept along w/the sneaker theme on account of how sweet & fun the family & friendship dynamics are played out through catchy musical numbers; A-
 

The Grey Fox

The Grey Fox; Charming, quaint little tale of an old time train robber having a hard time giving up the thrill. Masks its small budget by using the great scenery of British Columbia to fill the screen while other scenes are pitifully compressed in cheap production design; B-

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; Horror/witchcraft genre comes to Marvel with mixed results. Much like Raimi’s previous work, it straddles hokey/horrifying by way of interesting/cheesy visuals. Acting talent of Cumberbatch and McAdams shine above all once again; B

Worth

Worth; Interesting behind the scenes of the work most people wouldn’t ever want to be tasked with. Dynamite actors Keaton and Tucci give nuanced performances reflecting the type of nuance required to determine what a life is worth. Slightly elevated from melodrama; B