“Becoming,” the energetic and endearing new Netflix documentary based on Michelle Obama’s best-selling memoir, made me realize how much I missed having a First Lady.
Tag: movie review
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‘Cats’ – movie not nearly as good as the musical
I originally saw “Cats” at a SAG preview in 1982, about a week before it opened on Broadway. Since I didn’t know I was supposed to dislike it, I loved it. Just loved it.
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‘Birds of Prey’ – a fun girls gang superhero movie
Fizzy, funky and as full-of-itself as a slumber party on acid, “Birds of Prey” is a feminist free-for-all disguised as a superhero movie.
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‘Emma’ – a ‘delightful’ adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic
In Autumn de Wilde’s crisp and spirited adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma.,” it’s hard to say which is prettier: the pastries or the Empire dresses. Since both are rendered in breathtaking pastels, it probably doesn’t matter.
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‘The Invisible Man’ – movie with feminist agenda is visibly flawed
Given its not-so-subtle feminist agenda, “The invisible Man” might better be called “The Invisible Woman.”
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‘Wendy’ – another failed “Peter Pan” themed movie
The tone of poetic fantasy that was so effective in Benh Zeitlin’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” proves a terrible fit for his newest work, “Wendy.”
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‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ – Céline Sciamma’s ‘superb’ movie casts a spell
See if you can follow me here.
The lady on fire in Céline Sciamma’s superb film, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” may not be the lady in the portrait. It could just as easily be the lady who paints the portrait.
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‘Greed’ – a romp through the abuses of the rich and infamous
You could say Gordon Gekko was wrong. “Greed” isn’t just good.
It’s hilarious – and ultimately quite sobering.
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‘The Traitor’ – a true Mafia thriller that spans decades
In many ways, “The Traitor” is the movie “The Irishman” should’ve been. It, too, is made by an aging master – 80-year-old Marco Bellocchio rather than 77-year-old Martin Scorsese. It, too, runs several hours. And it, too, is a Mafia-based true story.
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‘Downhill’ – Louis-Dreyfus, Ferrell can’t save movie from going downhill
How bad does a movie have to be to obliterate the considerable talents of Julia Louis-Dreyfus?
As bad as “Downhill” (please feel free to make your own “downhill all the way” joke or a variation thereof).
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‘The Rhythm Section’ – a forgettable movie with inept plotting
What’s there to say about a movie that slips out of your head before you slide out of the parking lot?
Not much, I’m afraid. Not much good, that is. “The Rhythm Section,” alas, is that movie.
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‘The Gentlemen’ – Guy Ritchie’s new ‘devilish’ live-action movie
Because I swallowed both versions of “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” I usually expect to swallow Guy Ritchie’s other movies, well…lock, stock and two smoking barrels.
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‘Just Mercy’ – The more things change, the more they stay the same
“Just Mercy” would be the one of the best movies of the year if the year were 1988 or even 1968. There were moments when I glanced away from the screen, looked back and fully expected to see Sidney Poitier.
Posted inColumns, Eleanor Ringel Cater
‘1917’ – a memorable war epic by director Sam Mendes
By Eleanor Ringel Cater
“1917” occupies a kind of unusual no-man’s land, somewhere between Kirk Douglas’ “Paths of Glory” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now.”
It’s not as good as either of those masterworks, but it’s good – really good – in its own way.
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‘Little Women’ – the best movie adaptation of the novel to date
As a woman, bibliophile and – you guessed it! – feminist, I’m supposed to love Louisa May Alcott’s 19th-century novel, “Little Women,” about four sisters and their mom, living in Massachusetts during the Civil War.
Well, I don’t. I don’t hate it, but the adventures of Lassie or the Black Stallion always appealed more.
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‘Bombshell’ – a richly-detailed portrayal of Fox News under Roger Ailes
“Bombshell” is not only one of the best movies of the year. It’s also one of the most important.
Never mind what Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell” may or may not be saying about females in the media. This movie looks at males and females in the media, and I don’t think there are going to be any lawsuits.
Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater
‘The Aeronauts’ – an exhilarating hot air balloon ride best seen on big screen
In the “The Aeronauts,” Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones take us up, up and away in their beautiful hot-air balloon. It’s a trip you don’t want to miss – especially on the big screen.
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‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” – Tom Hanks, a deceptively strong Mr. Rogers
“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” may be one of the most daring movies of the year.
The title suggests kid stuff; you know, a chance to embrace the affable and spiritually-inclined children’s show host many of us – or our kids or our grandkids – grew up with. Fred Rogers was, in his way, the “anti-Sesame Street.”
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‘Marriage Story’ – Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver deliver Oscar-worthy performances
Filmmaker Noah Baumbach’s newest, “Marriage Story,” is the story of a marriage, all right, but a marriage at its worst point, i.e., a marriage in meltdown.
Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater
‘The Irishman’ – director Martin Scorsese’s latest film not his best
Maybe I’m all Martin Scorsese’d out.
After all, I’ve been watching his movies for almost half a century.
But “The Irishman,” which I’d hoped would be his piece de resistance, his final say on what he had to say about the gangster genre that, with few exceptions, he pretty much owns, didn’t do it for me.
