Familiar plot beats aside, The High Note entertains
One of my favorite things about music centered films are that they show the behind the scenes aspect of the music industry. Two of the seven basic plots (Rags to Riches) and (Rebirth) mix in the Focus Features released The High Note. Directed by Nisha Ganatra and written by first screenwriter Flora Gresson, The High […]
Liam Hemsworth & Clark Duke explore the criminal underworld of The Natural State in Arkansas
Supporting comedic actor Clark Duke makes his directorial debut in Lionsgate crime drama, Arkansas. Kyle Ribb (Liam Hemsworth) is a low-level drug dealer working for a Mcguffin Esque character known only as Frog. Kyle soon receives word that he has earned a promotion to work in Arkansas, where he will move & sell drugs for […]
The natural aura of Michelle Obama is highlighted in Becoming
Director Nadria Hall gives viewers an intimate look at one of the most prolific and admired women of this century, Mrs. Michelle Obama, in Netflix’s Becoming. Following Mrs. Obama on her 34 cities promotional tour for her 2018 same-titled memoir, this was one of my most anticipated documentaries in recent memory.
All Day and A Night a slow burn but worth the watch
Screenwriter Joe Robert Cole directs Netflix’s latest feature All Day and A Night. Film buffs know the name Joe Robert Cole from his co-writing credit on the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther.
The Main Event will score with young wrestling fans
The plot device of some magical sporting gear serves as the basis in the Netflix film, The Main Event. Directed by Jay Karas, The Main Event tells the story of Leo Thompson, a precious eleven-year-old wrestling fanatic who lives with his father Steve (Adam Palley) and grandmother Denise (Tichina Arnold). Leo has big dreams of becoming a WWE superstar and one day reuniting with his mother.
Vin Diesel misses the bullseye in Bloodshot
Action star Vin Diesel makes a return to the comic book genre in Columbia Pictures Bloodshot. Director David S.F. Wilson adapts the Valiant Comics series, which tells the story of Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel), a marine who has just finished his latest classified mission. During some R&R time with his wife Gina (Tallulah Riley), the […]
The Hunt is a winning action satire
After an initial delay due to mass shootings in the US, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, The Hunt finally makes its way to cinemas. Directed by Craig Zobel, with a screenplay by Nick Curse and Damon Lindelof, The Hunt is the latest adaption of Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” The Hunt opens […]
Ben Affleck shoots and scores in The Way Back
Ben Affleck reteams with director Gavin O’Connor in Warner Bros Pictures The Way Back. Jack Cunningham is a former star basketball player turned alcoholic construction worker, who’s down on his luck. The day after a tumultuous Thanksgiving dinner with his immediate family, Jack receives a phone call from Father Devine, a priest at his former […]
Jane Austen’s material deserves better than the latest version of Emma
A Jane Austen literary classic receives another big-screen adaptation in director Autumn de Wilde’s Emma from Focus Features. Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor Joy) is a wealthy and beautiful young woman residing in the English village of Highbury in the 18th century. Unlike the other girls her age, Emma has no desire to marry, much to the […]
The Invisible Man brings out the fear of what you can’t see
Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions give an H.G. Wells classic a contemporary spin in The Invisible Man from director Leigh Whannell. The Invisible Man opens with Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) escaping the abusive clutches of her controlling boyfriend, Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). Following the advice of her sister Emily (Harriet Dyer), Cecilia decides to stay with her childhood friend […]
Impractical Jokers has enough laughs for a matinee
Comedy troupe “The Tenderloins” make their big-screen debut in director Chris Henchy’s Impractical Jokers: The Movie from Funny or Die and truTv. In 1994, four friends, Joe Gatto, Sal Vulcano, Brian Quinn, and James Murray, were involved in an incident at a Paula Abdul concert. The incident results in the group deciding that videotaping dares is an […]
Lakeith Stanfield & Issa Rae personify black love in The Photograph.
Valentine’s Day weekend wouldn’t be complete without a new love story arriving in theaters for couples to enjoy, as is Universal Pictures, The Photograph. Written and directed by Stella Meghie, The Photograph opens in 1989 with photographer Christina (Chanté Adams) giving an interview. We are then transitioned to the present day, with journalist Michael (Lakeith […]