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All tagged 3.5 Stars

It Really Is - Everything Everywhere All At Once

Apr 12

Apr 12 It Really Is - Everything Everywhere All At Once

Like the title of the film, their filmmaking style manages to feel like everything, everywhere, all at once. Funny and serious, poignant and irreverent, joyous and melancholic. If the rest of Hollywood would take swings half as bold as these guys, we’d have a much more intriguing movie landscape.

Nov 22

Nov 22 Dune: 1/2

There’s never a feeling that there is nothing behind the wall you’re looking at. This universe feels thoroughly imagined and thanks to Villeneuve, the screen adaptation is worth your time.

Sorkin's America - The Trial of the Chicago 7

Oct 21

Oct 21 Sorkin's America - The Trial of the Chicago 7

Sorkin’s writing was never in question. It is always top tier. The real question posed in The Trial of the Chicago 7 is can he direct—can he use that flowery rhetoric to its fullest potential and create true dramatic heft? On that question, the jury is still out.

As Rough As It Gets - Uncut Gems

Dec 29

Dec 29 As Rough As It Gets - Uncut Gems

The Safdies’ vision is so refined and distilled that it is hard not to be sucked into this world. Like an exquisite meal where you get something stuck in your teeth, at the very least, I can assure you you won’t forget it.

Stars Out - Knives Out

Dec 18

Dec 18 Stars Out - Knives Out

Something like star pitcher after star pitcher showing up in an all-star game to mow-down three batters and retire after a single inning. In a word, spectacular!

No One Is Laughing Now - Joker

Oct 4

Oct 4 No One Is Laughing Now - Joker

Take a black piece of paper. Use a black magic marker to cover every inch of it. Envelope that paper in a black blanket and shoot it off into space. That is how dark Todd Phillips’ Joker is.

All-American - Hustlers

Sep 19

Sep 19 All-American - Hustlers

Daniel Day Lewis in There Will Be Blood. Michael Douglas in Wall Street. Jennifer Lopez in Hustlers. That is the class this turn belongs in. It was a pleasure to watch someone so accurately capture Americana, and it was a pleasure to watch the film not stand in her way.

Aug 16

Aug 16 Tight - Luce

The plain message is maybe we never know anyone. The deeper message is maybe you never even know yourself.

Lived In - The Last Black Man In San Francisco

Jun 15

Jun 15 Lived In - The Last Black Man In San Francisco

Everyone involved has lived with this story and this city long enough to know every bit of it. The result is a film that feels familiar from the first frame because it knows itself.

Mar 26

Mar 26 All Of - Us

Unlike other allegorical tales like “Mother,” “Us” never forgets that it is a movie. That it is taking a shot at capturing the conceit of the American Dream is just icing on the cake.

We Should Be Listening - If Beale Street Could Talk

Jan 1

Jan 1 We Should Be Listening - If Beale Street Could Talk

Following up Best Picture winner Moonlight seemed like an unenviable task. Moonlight was utterly mesmerizing and had big things to say. If Beale Street Could Talk is equally mesmerizing and somehow has even bigger things to say.

Anyone Can Wear The Mask - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Dec 17

Dec 17 Anyone Can Wear The Mask - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

It is one of the very best superhero movies you will ever see. It is one of the very best animated movies you will ever see. And it is one of the very best examples of what is possible within this medium if people slow down and focus on infusing their work with the right amounts of everything.

Lived In - Roma

Dec 14

Dec 14 Lived In - Roma

He knew it all.

Black and White - Green Book

Nov 29

Nov 29 Black and White - Green Book

On the surface, it looks like the sappiest of sap—a self-proclaimed balm that would show the path to solving racism. And while the movie itself isn’t much deeper than that, it is so superficially satisfying that it’s hard not to appreciate the charm.

Heist Done Right - Widows

Nov 17

Nov 17 Heist Done Right - Widows

The movie has star-power, drama and is about as well put together as anything you’re going to see this year and manages the rare feat of being a blockbuster worthy of critical praise. There truly might be something for everyone here and that is almost never the case.

Hate and a Half - BlacKkKlansman

Aug 11

Aug 11 Hate and a Half - BlacKkKlansman

Misguided musical interludes, lengthy speeches and over-stylized elements have all cropped up in various forms throughout Spike Lee’s career, so any time he is back with a new film, there's always the question of whether we will get the 'Good Spike' or the 'Bad Spike.' It doesn’t take long to realize, this is the former through and through.

Stranger Than Fiction - Three Identical Strangers

Jun 25

Jun 25 Stranger Than Fiction - Three Identical Strangers

There strangest part isn’t even the strangest part.

The Darkness We Inherit - Hereditary

Jun 10

Jun 10 The Darkness We Inherit - Hereditary

Hereditary is a brooding horror showcase that is equal parts manic and stoic. For every bout of frenzy, there is an equal measure of deliberation. The end result is one that will ultimately stick with you much longer than you may want.

Review: Baby Driver

Jul 23

Jul 23 Review: Baby Driver

Baby Driver feels like a singular experience. Whether it is the technical prowess or the murderer’s row of entertaining actors, this movie is popcorn in the best possible way.

Review: Manchester By The Sea

Dec 4

Dec 4 Review: Manchester By The Sea

Nothing is heavy-handed in Kenneth Lonergan's somber meditation on family, loss and moving on. Couple the quality of the material with the veritable masterclass acting on display and the result is a gut-punch with the potential to leave you reeling.