Category Archives: Movies

Review: First Reformed

Posted on April 11, 2019 by philipbrasor

Though I rarely acknowledge such matters, Paul Schrader was royally screwed last February when he failed to receive the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for his latest film. It was bad enough that Ethan Hawke, who won all sorts of awards … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Vice

Posted on April 5, 2019 by philipbrasor

The comic challenge for Adam McKay, who made his name with Will Ferrell vehicles, in depicting the life of former Vice President Dick Cheney is not that no amount of satire could make the George W. Bush administration seem more … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Review: Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool

Posted on April 1, 2019 by philipbrasor

The time frame of Paul McGuigan’s slice-of-life biopic of actress Gloria Grahame isn’t specifically stated, though the first scene takes place in a rundown dressing room in Liverpool in 1981 as Grahame (Annette Bening), long washed-up as a film actress, … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Dumbo

Posted on March 30, 2019 by philipbrasor

At this writing, the new CGI live-action Dumbo is being slated as a likely box office smash, thus justifying Disney’s faith in director Tim Burton as the kind of edgy filmmaker they can trust with their family fare. Inherent in … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Review: The LEGO Movie 2

Posted on March 29, 2019 by philipbrasor

The big reveal at the end of the first LEGO Movie was one of the most brilliant in the history of animated films, since it capped a fairly hilarious mock-dystopian story with a credibly affecting framing device that not only … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Leave a comment

Review: Shock and Awe

Posted on March 28, 2019 by philipbrasor

In the wake of the recent Mueller report and the disappointment felt by those who hoped it would hasten the end of Donald Trump’s presidency, Rob Reiner’s earnest paean to the old-fashioned virtues of hard-hitting newspaper journalism may, in fact, … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Review: On the Basis of Sex

Posted on March 23, 2019 by philipbrasor

Given her current role in keeping the U.S. Constitution on an even keel during these politically stormy times, it’s not surprising that there are two feature-length films about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and by most lights the Oscar-nominated … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: BlacKkKlansman

Posted on March 21, 2019 by philipbrasor

Spike Lee’s most obvious touchpoint as a major film director is his obsession with the African-American experience, which he translates to the screen in the most uncompromising terms. For that reason, he often oversteps his subjects when it comes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Review: Mary Queen of Scots

Posted on March 15, 2019 by philipbrasor

The rapid rise and fall of Mary Stuart has been filmed a number of times before, so director Josie Rourke needs a damn good reason to stick our noses in the tragedy once again. Her revisionist take, turning the rivalry … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Review: Woman at War

Posted on March 10, 2019 by philipbrasor

It’s interesting that Jodie Foster is thinking about doing a Hollywood remake of this extraordinary Icelandic fantasy, because it seems so resistant to the kind of pat familiarities that Hollywood trades in these days. The hook is understandably appealing: Unassuming … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Leave a comment