(CLICK HERE to read my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her directorial debut in “The Lost Daughter”, an assured and daring first feature that’s full of surprises both narratively and technically. It’s a worthwhile adaptation of the novella “My Brilliant Friend” by Italian author Elena Ferrante. The book is the first … Continue reading
The 5 Worst Movies of 2021
Last week I shared my Top 20 films of 2021 (you can check them out HERE). This week is a less joyous occasion. In keeping with tradition, today I’m sharing my picks for the five worst movies I had the displeasure of seeing in 2021. There were far more bad films to choose from than last … Continue reading
Happy New Year!
Well, we’ve done it again. We’ve came to the end of yet another year. For many people 2021 was a tough one. For me it was a year of several highs but some significant lows. On the down side, I lost two uncles and one aunt in 2021 and I considered myself close to all … Continue reading
Top 10 Films of 2021
It seems I say this too much, but I can’t believe another movie year has come and gone. 2021 was a strange yet hopeful year for cinema as we looked to make our way back from a global pandemic and (hopefully) closer to some semblance of normalcy. Movies still found themselves in a unusual place, … Continue reading
REVIEW: “C’mon C’mon” (2021)
The ever enigmatic yet insanely talented Joaquin Phoenix follows up his Oscar-winning turn in “Joker” with a dramatically different performance in a much different movie. “C’mon C’mon”, written and directed by Mike Mills, is a surprisingly sweet and heartfelt drama that may look familiar on the surface, but that avoids many of the snares that … Continue reading
REVIEW: “Red Rocket” (2021)
In “Red Rocket”, if Sean Baker’s goal was to create the worst person ever to be put on screen, he didn’t miss by much. For the sake of clarity, there’s nothing wrong with telling stories about bad people. I’ve never subscribed to the notion that all the main characters in movies need to be likable. … Continue reading