Archive | August 2015
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“Straight Outta Compton”…three-time champ
Bolstered by strong reviews, and positive word-of-mouth, F. Gary Gray’s “Straight Outta Compton” continues to be the surprise hit of the late summer. A drama about the rise and fall of Compton, California’s hip hop group N.W.A., the film has now grossed over 140 million dollars worldwide–or about 5 times its production budget. And despite […]
Ant-Man 3D
Are the summer months really almost coming to a close? After weeks of slam-bang-crash-smash action movies, are we really entering a cooler, more thoughtful period, focusing on cerebral dramas and historical epics? Yeah, there’s that–but don’t kid yourself–James Bond and Luke Skywalker are on the way too! So why not enter the fray once more, […]
Hamilton: An American Musical on Broadway
Honestly, with the almost unanimous raves this show has gotten in 2015, wouldn’t the only story be if I absolutely despised it? Well, sorry, and happy, to disappoint. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s historical marvel opens strong, and ends even better. “Hamilton: An American Musical” presents us with a nice chunk of history, an astonishing first-rate cast, and […]
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter
This is a fascinating character study that’s part non-fiction, part urban-legend, and completely compelling. I’m sure most of you recall the 1996 award-winning “Fargo”, from the Coen Brothers, and you may remember that film opening with a claim that it’s based on a true story. And certain elements of it, indeed are. But how many […]
“Hamilton: An American Musical” to the rescue!
Who would’ve thought it would be nine months? To the day…that’s exactly how long my New York theater dearth has lasted. Longest barren period in over 30 years? Quite possibly. Hey, it was completely unplanned, totally unexpected…and happily about to end. And am I coming back with a bang, or what?! This weekend, I’ll be […]
Clouds of Sils Maria
I realize that I’m not supposed to feel this way, but I’m not completely sold on Kristen Stewart’s performance as Valentine, in Olivier Assayas’s latest, “Clouds of Sils Maria”. After all, Ms. Stewart, after years of “Twilight” malaise, became the critics’ darling once again with this role, receiving almost unanimous praise, and even garnering a […]
Baumbach & Gerwig & “Mistress America”
We are getting a rare treat this year, in the form of a double-dip from the talented Noah Baumbach, within the space of 5 months! Fresh on the heels of the March release of Baumbach’s “While We’re Young” (a film reviewed right here on the blog), comes “Mistress America”, Noah’s latest collaboration with girlfriend/muse, Greta […]
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation IMAX
Tom Cruise is still an international movie star. Want proof? Look no further than the rousing success–critically and financially–of the latest entry in the “Mission: Impossible” features, “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation”. Five movies into the 19-year-old series, and these missions have really hit their stride. Quite possibly, this is the finest of the quintet. […]
Tangerines
It’s a marvelously acted character piece from Estonia, and it was one of the five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film at this past Academy Awards ceremony. If you say that “Tangerines” has individual moments, that ultimately end up being more impressive than the sum of its parts–I wouldn’t argue. But those individual parts are so good, […]
“Mission” accomplished…Cruise soars!
BIG weekend for T.C., and I can’t help but be excited. I know, I know…he’s a Scientology nutcase. But he somehow maintains his unexplainable charisma, even after all these years. 32 years tomorrow, to be exact, since he slid into the scene, in his underwear, in 1983’s “Risky Business”. There were a handful of films […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 