movie reviews
My Highly Subjective List of the Best Movies of 2019
10) Midsommar A really f’ed-up, somewhat artsy horror flick that really stuck in my mind, thanks to its gorgeous Swedish setting, the unique “creepy traditional festival” conceit, and an excellent lead performance by Florence Pugh. 9) Blinded by the Light It’s corny, it’s cheesily made — and I loved it. Yes, I’m an admitted Springsteenophile, […]
Movie Review: Parasite
3.5 stars out of 5 I’d been trying to see Parasite for a few weeks, but it seemed like the world was trying to prevent me: illness, bad weather, general exhaustion. Finally on December 31 I made a concerted effort, $7 Tuesday not even in effect on account of the holiday (note: popcorn was still […]
Movie Review: Marriage Story
3 stars out of 5 During this whole relationship-crumbling story, the one thought that kept going throug my head was, “Wait, do I still have a chance with Greta Gerwig?” But I guess, if anything, this flick would’ve been inspired by Noah Baumbach’s marriage and divorce with Jennifer Jason Leigh. Bummer. So, this is a […]
Movie Review: Star Wars — The Rise of Skywalker
4.5 star wars out of 5 I was 8 when the first Star Wars came out, so for better and worse, this has been my life, with an awful lot of time and mental energy invested. But, not like, nerd level. So if there are some plot and character inconsistencies from film to film, I […]
Movie Review: Dark Waters
4.5 stars out of 5 Sometimes a movie is good for you rather than enjoyable. Think Spielberg’s Lincoln as opposed to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. This one is very good for you, is a little exhausting, but really packs a punch. I did have to convince myself to see it. Sure, I love Mark Ruffalo […]
Movie Review: Ford v Ferrari
3 stars out of 5 I dig fast cars and Matt Damon. I do not dig rooting for big stupid companies. Eh, I gave the movie a chance. Meh, I reacted. Starts out pretty promising. Driver’s point-of-view, speeding through a race course at night. Cool. And if there has been a previous movie about the […]
Movie Review: Jojo Rabbit
4 stars out of 5When I saw that Flight of the Conchords collaborator Taika Waititi had a new movie coming out, I was excited, even if wasn’t a prequel to Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling. He’d also done nice work on Thor: Ragamuffin, though most recently, the What We Do in the Shadows […]
Movie Review: The Irishman
4.5 stars out of 5 Marty got the band back together, and for many of us that is reason enough to celebrate. De Niro! Pesci! Keitel! Original music by Robbie Robertson, fer crissakes. That he was then able to deliver such a tremendous piece of filmmaking, on a truly grand scale, is… well, not at […]
Movie Review: Motherless Brooklyn
3 stars out of 5 I’ve read one Jonathan Lethem novel, Fortress of Solitude, and my reaction was, “Eh, it’s OK.” Now I’ve also seen one movie based on a different Lethem novel, and I’m feeling the same way. I did hear that Edward Norton took many liberties with the book, so those guys can […]
Movie Review: Western Stars
4 stars out of 5 You know I really want to see a movie if it’s $7 Tuesday but instead of going to a Bow Tie theater I go to AMC where I don’t even have a rewards card and drop $21-and-change for the Dolby Atmos with the reclining seats. I dig the Boss. If […]
Jack Silbert, curator