The most talked about early acquisition at this year’s Sundance International Film Festival has been Netflix dropping $20 million for Chloe Domont’s semi-erotic workplace thriller “Fair Play”. It was quite a move for the streaming leader who gains the distribution rights for a film that has gotten a ton of buzz since premiering in Park … Continue reading
SUNDANCE REVIEW: “A Little Prayer” (2023)
The always terrific David Strathairn stars in the equally terrific “A Little Prayer”, a low-key Southern melodrama that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before being picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. This delightful and warm-hearted ensemble film is a beautifully sketched family portrait that doesn’t gloss over the imperfections that make us human. In … Continue reading
REVIEW: “Blood” (2023)
The new horror thriller “Blood” from director Brad Anderson and screenwriter Will Honley puts a wicked new spin on the “a mother will do anything to save her child“ idea. It’s a patient movie that puts a lot of effort into exploring the fractured family dynamic at the center of its story. But it also … Continue reading
REVIEW: “Pathaan” (2023)
Bursting at the seams with high-caliber action and loads of panache, “Pathaan” is an off-the-charts, full-throttle Bollywood blockbuster in every sense. Furiously directed by Siddharth Anand, this fourth installment in the YRF Spy Universe flaunts the star power of Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham. It’s somewhat of a comeback role for the … Continue reading
REVIEW: “Women Talking” (2022)
(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) Forming the very marrow of Sarah Polley’s quietly lacerating new drama “Women Talking” are the bold and timely themes of female survival and solidarity. That alone is enough for an engrossing story. But part of what makes Polley’s film adaptation of Miriam Toews’ 2018 … Continue reading
First Glance: “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”
Full disclosure: Despite really liking Zachary Levi and Mark Strong, I wasn’t as smitten with 2019’s “Shazam!” as many seemed to be. It had its moments. But it was a little too silly, and I wasn’t sure how the more comedic superhero movie was going to fit in with the rest of the DCEU. As … Continue reading