It really pains me to say this (as a long time fan of both director Robert Zemeckis and lead star Steve Carell) but Welcome to Marwen is an underdeveloped, unsettling mess full of grating characterizations and manipulative schmaltz.

Carell tried his best with a complicated role (further undercut by a woeful screenplay), but rather than evoking sympathy from the audience, his performance is considerably uncomfortable. The hate crime Mark endured isn’t near as fleshed out as it could’ve been, and…

At Eternity’s Gate frustratingly squanders a committed performance by Willem Dafoe underneath an unbearably unfocused and ambling narrative and nauseating direction. 

The film hops around from moment to moment with little sense of cohesion or urgency (sometimes quite literally with a plethora of elongated sequences featuring Van Gogh prancing through fields). When Dafoe’s Van Gogh is allowed to profess his internal monologues about his seemingly “higher” purpose in art and his mental anguish, the film soars, and we see glimpses…

The Mule is a decent, albeit slow-paced and understated, drama elevated by Eastwood’s performance and some strong themes.

For a film about the seedy dealings of the underground cartel world, you really think you’d feel the heat a lot more, but the intensity never quite reaches the level I expected it too. There’s suspense for sure, especially as the DEA closes in on Eastwood’s Earl Stone, but there are far more scenes of Eastwood singing along in his pickup to…

McQueen could’ve diverted a bit more focus on the psyche of its tortured protagonist as opposed to all the glitz and glam of his professional life, but it nevertheless represents an intriguing look at the life of this suffering artist and his eventual downfall. Technically, the film is composed with a normal documentary format and competently helmed by director Ian Bonhôte, but Michael Nyman’s score is the true star, adding an ethereal, dreamlike quality to the plentiful fashion show sequences.…

The Grinch is fairly flimsy and forgettable for the most part, but it surely still makes for fine, fun family entertainment with enough cheer and warmth to prepare you for the impending holiday festivities.

The film’s greatest strength lies in the appropriately prickly voicework from Benedict Cumberbatch as the lead character. He fits the titular curmudgeon perfectly, and he even adds proper emotion when the plot demands it, causing the audience to not only laugh at his outlandish antics, but…

The Wife is a fine piece of competent filmmaking elevated by strong leading performances but hampered somewhat by certain storytelling devices and a distinct lack of urgency and ion overall.

Glenn Close has been generating buzz for quite some time thanks to her role in this film, and she definitely brings undeniable tenacity to the character of Joan, even if her quiet rage must be maintained until a climactic third act confrontation scene. It is quite an understated role, and…

Despite a runtime that’s a touch long and a few extraneous subplots, Destroyer is, for the most part, a gripping and relentlessly captivating LA crime noir led by a commanding Nicole Kidman and powerfully directed by Karyn Kusama.

Through and through, this is Nicole Kidman’s show. Although Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi’s screenplay does imbue the character of LAPD detective Erin Bell with quite a bit of sympathy and humanity, the role certainly requires an incredibly skilled actress capable of…

On the Basis of Sex is a rousing, if fairly straightforward ode to the dynamite lady at its center, strengthened by the commitment of Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer.

After the runaway success of documentary RBG, her seemingly never ending presence in the news media, and now this biopic, it seems like Ruth Bader Ginsburg is everywhere (and I’m perfectly okay with that). Full disclosure, I couldn’t be more of an irer, and our political beliefs are pretty much in…

the Girls may have a thin plot, but it serves as a great opportunity for actresses like Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, and Shayna McHayle to shine and pull off impeccable performances.

Hall is the dynamo at the center of this messy “breasterauant” world, handily keeping the camaraderie of her crew together even when nearly every other aspect of the workplace threatens to fall apart. Hall’s Lisa is extremely well realized, internalizing her own struggles for the betterment of…

Dumplin’ is as predictable as they come, but it hooks you with its big heart and pleasant performances from Danielle Macdonald and Jennifer Aniston.

Really, it’d be easy to take a cynical approach and knock the oft-repeated lessons about “loving oneself” and “accepting one’s faults”, but Dumplin’ has too much charm that prevent it from being dismissed that easily. The script follows a familiar “misfits vs. the status quo” storyline, but it provides us with real, tangible characters to connect…