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‘Arcadian’ Is a Cut Above Most Nicolas Cage Thrillers
In a creepy, dystopian future, 15 years after humanity has been decimated, a man simply named Paul (Nicolas Cage) and his adopted twin sons Thomas and Joseph struggle to survive in a nightmarish world...
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‘Irena’s Vow’ Is One of the Most Astounding Holocaust Stories
Filmed on authentic locations in Poland by meticulous Canadian director Louise Archambault, Irena’s Vow is one of the most astounding true stories to ever emerge from the ashes of the Holocaust. With...
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‘Civil War’ Is an Amazing Film of Imagination and Cinematic Verve
In the confusion and chaos of today’s polarized political landscape—a time of violence, crime, insurrection and the rape of traditional human values—the plight of a free press is another threat to...
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This ‘Cabaret’ Is the Worst ‘Cabaret’
After five Broadway incarnations of Cabaret and endless productions worldwide, you’d think, by now, they’d get it right—in their sleep. But there’s always something wrong whenever the curtain opens on...
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Who Let John Travolta Agree to the Trash Wallow That Is ‘Cash Out’?
John Travolta doesn’t act much anymore. Call it semi-retirement. On the rare occasion when someone talks him into taking up his old position before the camera, it’s always either a favor for a pal who...
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Rachel McAdams Invigorates ‘Mary Jane’ (When You Can Hear Her)
Broadway is in trouble, but now that it is limping to the close of what I arguably consider one of the worst theater seasons in recent memory, two lovely female presences have arrived at the last...
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Jessica Lange Finds New Ways to Melt Hearts in ‘Mother Play’
A few days after Rachel McAdams made a noble but disappointing Broadway debut in Mary Jane, Jessica Lange fared much better in Mother Play, also about an unhappy mother, this one with two problematic...
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‘Nowhere Special’ Is a Thoughtful Tearjerker Without the Sobbing Histrionics
From Northern Ireland, Nowhere Special is the poorly titled but beautifully made and deeply touching film about John, a 34-year-old window washer and devoted single father of a three-year-old son,...
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Maïwenn and Johnny Depp Deliver Decadent Sexual Excess In ‘Jeanne du Barry’
When I first heard about Jeanne du Barry, the sumptuous and extravagant French epic about the infamous, powerful but rarely mentioned final mistress of King Louis XV, with...
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Was ‘Poolman’ Written With Crayons? Chris Pine Is a Hunk, Not a Director
During its catastrophic impact on the film industry, the recent Covid shutdowns and union strikes put a lot of actors out of work, driving them to change career goals and create their own...
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June Squibb Is Endlessly Fascinating in ‘Thelma’
June Squibb, the larky senior citizen who walked away with Nebraska, has deservedly landed her first starring role in the giddy action thriller Thelma. Although she’s 94 years young, it’s an event...
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Nick Stahl Is a Master of Gore in ‘What You Wish For’
Among the plethora of horror films glutting the post-pandemic market, a strange, muted little item called What You Wish For has received scant attention, but it’s better than most. The resourceful...
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‘Daddio’ Is Intimate Without Warrant
Daddio is a dreary two-hander with the look, feel and sound of one hand clapping. Conceived and word processed by first-time writer-director Christy Hall, it takes place in the form of a dialogue...
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‘Longlegs’ Is a Stupid, Zero-Star Dumpster Fire
It’s summer, when multiplex marquees are bloated with hunks of junk. One learns, through experience, to expect mediocrity at the movies. What one does not expect is a load of total trash full of...
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‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Is a Sad, Silly, Over-Produced Disappointment
At a sorry time when most movies are about nothing, Fly Me to the Moon, a rom-com set in the chaos and cross purposes of the heroic Apollo 11 moon landing, deserves attention because even though it is...
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Drop-Dead Glamour-Puss Glen Powell Is a Reason to See ‘Twisters’
Before tornado movies threaten to become a cottage industry, just remember that in spite of both the bad ones and the forthcoming plans for more that are being assembled on the drawing boards as we...
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‘The Fabulous Four’ Is the Latest Humiliation of Seniors Seeking Employment
At a time when mature women are making giant strides toward honor, respect and dignity in every walk of life, progress to gain equal footing is evident everywhere except the movies. Even for...
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‘Close to You’ Review: Elliot Page’s Brave, Bold, Confusing Performance
After a triumphant splash in Juno, Elliot Page got Oscar nominated, was on his way to a promising career as an important film star with range and talent, and then suddenly disappeared for 17 years....
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‘The Union’ Doesn’t Make a Lick of Sense, Which Makes Sense
I’m no stranger to lament when it comes to the disintegration of quality in what passes for movies today, but then along comes a bucket of swill like The Union to remind me things are even worse than...
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Hemingway’s Worst Novel Gets Worse: ‘Across the River’ Is a Dull, Pointless...
Does anyone know how to make a movie these days that makes sense, with enough plot, narrative coherence and character development to keep a viewer from falling asleep? Hope springs eternal, but the...
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