2023 | PG-13 | 2h 15m | Action, Biography, Drama As an admitted cinephile and a film reviewer who’s seen thousands of films, I recall only one about child trafficking: 2019’s actioner “Rambo: Last Blood,” starring Sylvester Stallone. But now, there’s a much more powerful and much more realistic film on the topic: the July…
Film Review: ‘Playing with Fire’
NR | 1h 9min | Documentary, Biography, Music | 09 June 2023 (USA) I can’t speak for other critics, but the single most difficult part of my job is reviewing movies that leave me feeling indifferent. This happens when I consider something to be not quite bad enough to slam or good enough to recommend. “Playing with Fire” (“Fire”), subtitled: “Jeannette…
Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Miracle at Manchester’
2022 | Not Rated | 1h 28m | Family Films that feature Christian morals and values have come a long way in recent years, often having a broad enough appeal to make them relatable to non-Christians as well. Actor and filmmaker Eddie McClintock directs and stars in one such faith-based film—a 2022 production (not released…
Film Review: ‘The Pay Day’: A Stylish but Limp and Lax Caper Thriller
NR | 1h 32min | Drama, Crime, Thriller | 18 November 2022 (USA) Based loosely on the eight-minute 2015 short film “Double Cross,” “The Pay Day” is a great example of why most short films aren’t adapted into features. Even at a scant 92 minutes, it feels stretched, padded, and overlong by more than half. Both productions were directed by Sam Bradford…
Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘The Heiress’: Romantic Drama Avoids the Sentimental
Not Rated | 1h 55min | Drama, Romance | 28 December 1948 Director William Wyler is widely acknowledged to be second only to John Ford in terms of significance. However, I’d almost give him a slight edge since he not only made two of my favorite films of all time—“The Best Years of Our Lives”…
Film Review: ‘The Unforgivable’: Sandra Bullock’s Crime Thriller Is a Big Winner
R | 1h 54min | Drama, Crime, Thriller | 10 December 2021 (USA)Although she made her big screen debut in 1987, Sandra Bullock didn’t appear on anyone’s radar until playing the co-lead in “Speed” from 1994. Almost instantly she became the new industry “It” girl and began getting offers that at the time were going to the likes of Meg Ryan and…
Film Review: ‘Defiance in the Kingdom of Fake News’: A Mini-Look at a Major Horror
10min | 2021 | Documentary, Short As censorship, both state-sponsored and within the private sphere, ratchets up to levels unimaginable in the past, many are seeking out alternative voices when it comes to cinema. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has in recent times steadily amped up both its purging of foreign influences and the muffling…
Film Review: ‘Red Notice’: Reynolds, Gadot, and Johnson Display Winning Chemistry
PG-13 | 1h 55min | Action, Comedy | 5 November 2021 (USA) Three of the hottest performers in the movie business right now—Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, and Dwayne Johnson—have worked as part of ensembles (the “X-Men,” “DC Comics,” and “Fast & Furious” franchises) before, but are usually solo leads in their other ventures. To get all three of them to star in…
Film Review: ‘Finch’: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi With a Troubling Message
PG-13 | 1h 55min | Drama, Sci-Fi | 5 November 2021 (USA) Only the second feature from veteran TV director Miguel Sapochnik (“House,” “Game of Thrones”), “Finch” comes with a complicated back story. Initially titled “BIOS,” the spec (unsolicited) screenplay was penned by first-time writers Craig Luck and Ivor Powell. After a bidding war, it was bought by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment…
Film review: ‘Passing’: First-Time Director Rebecca Hall Delivers a Moody Masterpiece
PG-13 | 1h 38min | Drama, Mystery | 27 October 2021 (USA) For her feature filmmaking debut, English actress Rebecca Hall (“Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “The Gift,” “Christine,” “The Night House”) chose to adapt “Passing,” the second and final novel by Nella Larsen, published in 1929. A mostly-overlooked tragedy, it is vast in symbolism with the same concise, poetic brevity of Hemingway and…
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