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-

Birdman of (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance); Virtuoso performances in a refreshingly unconventional film. Keaton is remarkable & fascinating in every moment. Percussion score and fluid camerawork propel the story forward at a blistering pace. Nutty in all the right ways; A-

Crash

Crash; Stellar performances by many (notably Cheadle) can’t save this film from its misguided examination of racism using a soft lens. The movie means well but doesn’t dig deep enough to provide a true meaningful examination yet isn’t very subtle about its intentions either; B-

Hamilton

Hamilton; Wonderful filming of theatrical production manages to capture stage, lighting & choreography seamlessly while providing intimate, up close moments w/o missing a beat. Fabulously frames founding fathers in an equally groundbreaking energetic revolutionary performance; A+

Death Note

Death Note; Interesting premise offers enough to entice us into the story. Dafoe’s performance is fun to watch (like a Groot Green Goblin) and the mix of supernatural and morality tale is thought provoking. Film favours conventional story beats to entertain a broad audience; B 

Harold and Maude

Harold and Maude; A bizarre, dark February-December romance (?) that questions what is worth living for? Uneven, odd and off putting, in all the right ways. Cats Stevens soundtrack sunnily contrasts the black comedy it is. Great lead performance by Gordon; B+ 

Sky High

Sky High; Silly, teenage superhero film imagines high school stratified by superpowers, on top of all the other tropes. Messages are aplenty, but never too overbearing as the adult cast has fun playing around in tights. Solid family entertainment with a good soundtrack; B

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl; Oddly omits best parts of book from the screenplay. Changes detract from what makes book a fun, engaging read. Offers less action and more imagery and is overall disappointing. Casting is pretty good despite the alterations. Not sure what they were going for; C-

The Insult

The Insult; Fine, simmering take on racial stigmatism from a micro to macro level. Story develops to ensure sympathy for both sides while divulging background in stages for deeper understanding and awareness. Excellent performances all around. Extremely relevant then and now; A-