★★★★ (4 Stars) is the Highest Rating
Heartwrenching Family Drama with Excellent Performances
Manchester by the Sea is a movie wherein the more you discuss the great aspects of the film, the more it sounds like your worst nightmare. And by discussing … Read more
Upbeat Musical with Beautiful Stars
Opening on a warm California winter’s day, we view a typical LA freeway traffic jam and an over-the-top atypical song and dance number; La La Land thus proclaims itself as … Read more
James McAvoy helps save M. Night Shyamalan from himself in Split.
Like many others, I have been frustrated by M. Night Shyamalan’s career. Since I am a big fan of his first five movies—… Read more
Patriots Day is a powerful reminder of this country at its best.
As I left for the Patriots Day screening, my husband asked me to remind him what I was seeing. After I told him, … Read more
Raw Emotion Strikes a Chord with Universal Themes
Superficially, one might sum up Moonlight by declaring that it presents three chapters of a gay black Miami man’s life. However, the film delves much deeper than … Read more
Ben Affleck’s really weird gangster film is a dud.
“What. Is. Happening?!?”
While watching Live by Night, I turned to the person next to me and asked this question several times. She was … Read more
Appropriately Titled Feel-Good Feature
In the early 1960s, tensions between the U.S and Russia were so strong that it even spilled over into the space programs. After the Russians jumped ahead in the Space Race … Read more
Portman Brings Jackie to Life
The Kennedy family was nicknamed “America’s First Family” and there has been no shortage of interest in them over the years. America’s obsession with the Kennedy’s has inspired countless books, … Read more
I make my annual Top 10 list based on my favorite movies—which are not always the films that I think are the “best” (read: award-worthy). I consider which movies I know I’ll return to … Read more
“Miss Sloane” Is Ambitious, Fierce
If this past election has taught us anything, it’s that politics is an ugly business. Even more troubling than the viciousness of elections is that even with all of the … Read more
“Bleed for This” – Call It a Comeback
Boxing is nicknamed the “sweet science,” which is a strange name given that it is arguably the most violent and physically punishing sport. Anyone who steps into … Read more
When is an alien invasion movie not about an alien invasion?
Some of my favorite films (Looper, About Time, Safety Not Guaranteed, Back to the Future, Predestination) and novels (The Time Traveler’s … Read more
This movie is nuts.
The trailers for The Accountant would lead you to believe that it is a tense thriller in which Ben Affleck plays a high-functioning autistic man (Christian Wolff) who is both the … Read more
Sully is the movie America needs right now.
Time is on Sully’s side.
But it wasn’t on Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s (Tom Hanks) side on January 15, 2009, when a flock of Canadian geese … Read more
Don’t Breathe keeps you breathless and gasping for air.
It has been an extremely long time since there has been a truly scary, jaw-dropping, tormenting and suspenseful horror/thriller. Don’t Breathe, co-written by Fede Alvarez … Read more
War Dogs doesn’t know what it wants to be.
When I heard Todd Phillips was directing War Dogs, I became uneasy, even though I’m a huge fan of Old School and the first Hangover… Read more
Yes, it’s true! Dragons and honest-to-goodness family-friendly films still exist.
I love dragons. I was “the mother of dragons” (Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen) for Halloween, received “Dragonology” books for past birthdays, love … Read more
A compelling financial thriller, but still not the “women on Wall Street” film I was hoping for.
As possibly the only film critic in the world who has two business degrees, used to work in … Read more
Suicide Squad makes very little sense.
When I was at Comic-Con a few weeks ago, I couldn’t believe there were hundreds of people—many of whom were in full Joker or Harley Quinn costumes and makeup—standing … Read more
Undeniable Ghoul Power In The Latest Installment of “Ghostbusters”
When the cast was announced for the long-awaited next film in the Ghostbusters franchise, some short-sighted fans were upset that the Ghostbuster team would not star … Read more
An inspiring, hopeful documentary about one family’s experience with autism.
I knew what Life, Animated was about before I saw the film, and so I was not surprised to find my eyes welling up only … Read more
No Need to RSVP to the Theater
Two girls tricking two brothers into taking them to a Hawaiian wedding sounds like an attempt to create a female version of Wedding Crashers. Oddly enough, however, Mike … Read more
“The Secret Life of Pets” is a Pet Lovers Delight
The Secret Life of Pets is an amusing, animated tale that centers on the curiosity of what pets do and think about all day while … Read more
The BFG, Fantasy Story with a Big Heart
Thankfully, Spielberg’s The BFG stays faithful to the treasured Roald Dahl young adult novel with old-fashioned storytelling of the love between a wise older giant and … Read more