Tolkien (Karukoski, 2019)
One can’t study J. R. R. Tolkien for very long without encountering his preface to The Lord of the Rings in which he rejects forcefully any interpretations of that work… Continue reading "Tolkien (Karukoski, 2019)"
Category: Disclosure–AS
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Captain Marvel (Boden and Fleck)
It’s been roughly four years (and a rough four years) since I gave a 1 1/2 star review to Avengers: Age of Ultron. Since then, I have admitted to liking… Continue reading "Captain Marvel (Boden and Fleck)"
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Time for Ilhan (Shapiro, 2018)
I first encountered the political career of Barack Obama not through a convention speech or town hall debate but through Bob Hercules’s Senator Obama Goes to Africa. I won’t say… Continue reading "Time for Ilhan (Shapiro, 2018)"
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Glass (Shyamalan, 2019)
When M. Night Shyamalan’s Split met with favorable reviews in 2016, I wondered pretty openly whether or not the film’s twist left a fresher taste in viewer’s mouths than the… Continue reading "Glass (Shyamalan, 2019)"
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The Weight of Success (Silverstein, 2018)
The Weight of Success is mostly a missed opportunity to explore the important topic of whether or not life coaching and/or psychology work and the more important topic of whether… Continue reading "The Weight of Success (Silverstein, 2018)"
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Creed II (Caple, Jr., 2018)
Unfortunately, in order to drive the film to the expected ringside confrontations, Creed II erases much of the nuanced character development of the original.
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The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (Hallstrom and Johnston)
Keira Knightley’s performance as Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is probably my favorite camp performance since Johnny Depp introduced us all to Captain Sparrow. Whether she… Continue reading "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (Hallstrom and Johnston)"
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All About Nina (Vives, 2018)
Nina (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) might be described as an angrier, more messed up version of Amy in Trainwreck. In the first few scenes of the movie, she comes off stage… Continue reading "All About Nina (Vives, 2018)"
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Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc (Dumont, 2017)
The little girl walks and sings. Her affect and gestures are familiar, easily recognizable to anyone who has spent time around children. But the words, translated from French, are not some memorized advertising jingle or relentlessly pounding pop song chorus. They are devout, abstract, and deeply serious. Then she does a somersault, landing in a full cheerleader's split with arms raised triumphantly to the sky. Vive la France! Yay God!
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The Bookshop (Coixet, 2018)
A few years ago, the only used bookstore in my small, rural North Carolina town closed for keeps. I found myself in the shop on its final day, taking advantage… Continue reading "The Bookshop (Coixet, 2018)"