Tag: oscar-winner

“The Holdovers” (2023) – Touching Tribute to Teachers

Director: Alexander Payne Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’ Vine Joy Randolph                 … More

“Barbie” (2023) – Captivating Dolls Comedy

Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera                     … More

“Anatomy of a Fall” (2023) – Fantastic French Courtroom Drama

Writer/Director: Justine Triet Starring: Sandra Huller, Milo Machado-Graner, Samuel Theis                     … More

“American Fiction” (2023) – Spectacular Race Satire

Writer/Director: Cord Jefferson Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown                   … More

“Inception” (2010) – Nolan’s Mind-bending Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard ‘Mind-bending Masterpiece’ Few filmmakers in Hollywood have earned recognition of … More

“Oppenheimer” (2023) – Christopher Nolan’s Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt                   … More

“Rebecca” (1940) – Haunting Hitchcock Classic

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Starring: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders ‘A Remarkable Classic’ “Rebecca” is directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Its … More

“Notorious” (1946) – Notorious Hitchcock Classic

Director: Alfred Hitchcock Starring: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Louis Calhern ‘Unforgettable Hitchcock Classic’ “Notorious” is directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It … More

“The Whale” (2022) – Outstanding Obesity Drama

Director: Darren Aronofsky Starring: Brendan Fraser, Hong Chau and Sadie Sink                   … More

“Saving Private Ryan” (1998) – The Greatest War Movie Ever Made

Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Edward Burns ‘Wonderful War Epic’ Few filmmakers in the world are as … More

“All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022) – Wonderful German War Remake

Writer/Director: Edward Berger Starring: Felix Kammerer, Daniel Bruhl, Albrecht Schuch                     … More

“King Richard” (2021) – Spectacular Serena Williams Biopic

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green Starring Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis and Sanniya Sidney ‘Serene-a Biopic’ Gen-Cassius patriarchs whose philosophies catapulted … More

“West Side Story” (2021) – Marvelous Musical Remake

Directed by Steven Spielberg Starring Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler and Rita Moreno       ‘Maria-velous Musical’ Latino-American communities scarcely … More

“The Power of the Dog” (2021) – Wonderful LGBTQ Western

Writer/Director: Jane Campion Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee ‘Wonderful Western’ It’s hard to forgive a genre in … More

“Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021) – Breathtaking Historical Biopic

Writer/Director: Shaka King Co-writer: Will Berson Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons ‘Breathtaking Historical Biopic’ Racism has always … More

“Dune” (2021) – Spectacular Science-Fiction Blockbuster

Writer/Director: Denis Villeneuve Co-writer: Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac ‘Spectacular Sci-fi’ Few … More

“CODA” (2021) – Powerful Deaf Community Drama

Writer/Director: Sian Heder Starring: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin  ‘Powerful Disability Drama’ Silenced stories of celebrities without hearing … More

“Avatar: The Way of Water” (2021) – Awe-Inspiring Avatar Sequel

Writer/Director: James Cameron Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver                     … More

“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (2020) – Compelling Courtroom Drama

Writer/Director: Aaron Sorkin   Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne and Mark Rylance ‘Captivating Courtroom Drama’ Few court cases in American … More

“Soul” (2020) – Soul-Stirring Animated Achievement

Writer/Director: Pete Docter Co-writers: Mike Jones and Kemp Powers Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey and Graham Norton ‘Soulful Animated Achievement’ … More

“Sound of Metal” (2020) – Profound Deaf Community Drama

Writer/Director: Darius Marder Co-writer: Abraham Marder Starring: Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke and Paul Raci ‘Powerful Disability Drama’ Hearing impairment is … More

“Promising Young Woman” (2020) – Spectacular Sexual Assault Satire

Writer/Director: Emerald Fennell Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham and Alison Brie  ‘Riveting Revenge Thriller’ Sexual assault is a sensitive subject … More

“One Night in Miami” (2020) – Spectacular Stage Adaptation

Director: Regina King Writer: Kemp Powers (based on stage play) Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom Jr. and Eli Goree ‘Spectacular … More

“Nomadland” (2020) – Mesmerizing Nomad Docudrama

Writer/Director: Chloé Zhao Based on Jessica Bruder’s book Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathaim and Linda May ‘A Mesmerizing Docudrama’ Imagine … More

“Minari” (2020) – Mesmerizing Immigration Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Lee Isaac Chung Starring: Steven Yeun, Alan Kim and Youn Yuh-jung ‘A Mesmerizing Masterpiece’ Foreign films are rarely rewarded … More

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (2020) – Magnificent Stage Musical Adaptation

Director: George C. Wolfe Writer: Ruben Santiago-Hudson (based on August Wilson’s play) Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman and Colman Domingo … More

“The Father” (2020) – Magnificent Dementia Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Florian Zeller Co-writer: Christopher Hampton Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman and Mark Gatiss ‘Powerful Dementia Drama’ Dementia is a … More

“1917” (2019) – Wonderful War Epic

Writer/Director: Sam Mendes Co-writer: Krysty Wilson-Cairns Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman and Colin Firth ‘Wonderful War Drama’ Over the past … More

“Toy Story 4” (2019) – Terrific Toy Story Sequel

Director: Josh Cooley Writers: Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Keanu Reeves ‘Terrific Toys Sequel’ … More

“Parasite” (2019) – Magnificent Korean Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Bong Joon-ho Co-writer: Jin Won Han Starring: Song Kang-Ho, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam ‘A Mesmerizing Masterpiece’ Foreign films … More

“Pain and Glory” (2019) – Glorious Autobiographical Drama

Writer/Director: Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz and Asier Etxeandia ‘A Glorious Achievement’ Few filmmakers from Spain have achieved … More

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019) – Tarantino’s Powerful Period Piece

Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie ‘Powerful Period Piece’ Few filmmakers in the world have … More

“Marriage Story” (2019) – Meaningful Marriage Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Noah Baumbach Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern ‘Mesmerizing Masterpiece’ It is always hard to move on … More

“Little Women” (2019) – Magnificent Literature Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern ‘An Astonishing Adaptation’ When it comes to the most … More

“Judy” (2019) – Gorgeous Judy Garland Biopic

Director: Rupert Goold Writer: Tom Edge (based on stage play) Starring: Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley and Finn Wittrock ‘Gorgeous Garland … More

“Another Round” (2019) – Amazing Alcohol Addiction Drama

Writer/Director: Thomas Vinterberg Co-writer: Tobias Lindholm Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen and Magnus Millang ‘Dazzling Drinking Drama’ Alcoholism is … More

“Vice” (2018) – Captivating Dick Cheney Biopic

Writer/Director: Adam McKay Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell ‘Brilliant Political Biopic’ When it comes to the most … More

“Green Book” (2018) – Remarkable Racism Period Piece

Writer/Director: Peter Farrelly Co-writers: Nick Vallelonga and Brian Hayes Currie Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali and Linda Cardellini ‘Powerful Period … More

“BlackKklansman” (2018) – Sensational Historical Satire

Writer/Director: Spike Lee Co-writers: Charlie Watchel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver and Topher Grace … More

“Black Panther” (2018) – Breathtaking Comic-Book Blockbuster

Writer/Director: Ryan Coogler Co-writer: Joe Robert Cole Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o ‘A Marvelous Blockbuster’ Over … More

“The Shape of Water” (2017) – Extraordinary Fantasy Epic

Writer/Director: Guillermo Del Toro Co-writer: Vanessa Taylor Starring: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Shannon ‘Fantastic Fantasy Epic’ So far, … More

“Lady Bird” (2017) – Captivating Coming-of-Age Drama

Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf and Lucas Hedges ‘Captivating Drama’ There is no time in a person’s … More

“Dunkirk” (2017) – Wonderful War Drama

Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance and Tom Hardy ‘Breathtaking Achievement’ War is a difficult subject to capture … More

“Call Me by Your Name” (2017) – Mesmerizing Queer Masterpiece

Director: Luca Guadagnino Writer: James Ivory (based on novel by Andre Aciman) Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer and Michael Stuhlbarg … More

“Moonlight” (2016) – Magnificent LGBTQ Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Barry Jenkins Based on the play by Tarell Alvin McCraney Starring: Mahershala Ali, Ashton Sanders and Naomi Harris ‘Magnificent … More

“La La Land” (2016) – Mesmerizing Musical Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Damien Chazelle Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and J.K. Simmons ‘A Musical Masterpiece’ Before I begin this review, I … More

“Arrival” (2016) – Awe-Inspiring Science-Fiction

Director: Denis Villeneuve Writer: Eric Heisserer (based on short story) Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker ‘Spellbinding Science-Fiction’ … More

“Spotlight” (2015) – Spectacular Scandal Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Tom McCarthy Co-writer: Josh Singer Starring: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams ‘Filmmaking at its Finest’ It is … More

“Room” (2015) – Magnificent Literary Masterpiece

Director: Lenny Abrahamson Writer: Emma Donoghue (based on novel) Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay and William H. Macy ‘A Moving … More

“Boyhood” (2014) – Meaningful Childhood Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Richard Linklater Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette ‘A Magnificent Masterpiece’ About halfway through Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood”, … More

“Gravity” (2013) – Spectacular Space Thriller

Writer/Director: Alfonso Cauron Co-writer: Jonas Cauron Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney and Ed Harris ‘A Groundbreaking Achievement’ How often do … More

“12 Years a Slave” (2013) – Magnificent Slavery Masterpiece

Director: Steve McQueen Writer: John Ridley (based on true story of Solomon Northup) Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano … More

“Captain Phillips” (2013) – Captivating Hostage Crisis Thriller

Director: Paul Greengrass Writer: Billy Ray Starring: Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi ‘Captivating Hijacking Thriller’ “Captain Phillips” is the most … More

“Blue Jasmine” (2013) – Disappointing Woody Allen Drama

Writer/Director: Woody Allen Starring: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin and Sally Hawkins ‘Disappointing Drama’ For a reasonable hour or so, Woody … More

“Zero Dark Thirty” (2012) – Intense Terrorism Thriller

 Director: Kathryn Bigelow Writer: Mark Boal Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler ‘Tense Terrorism Thriller’ From what I … More

“Silver Linings Playbook” (2012) – Magnificent Mental Health Masterpiece

Writer/Director: David O. Russell Based on novel by Matthew Quick Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro ‘Magnificent Masterpiece’ It’s … More

“Life of Pi” (2012) – Life-Affirming Literature Adaptation

Director: Ang Lee Writer: David Magee (based off novel by Yann Martel) Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu ‘Beautiful Book … More

“Les Misérables” (2012) – Magnificent Stage Musical Adaptation

Director: Tom Hooper Writer: William Nicholson (based on Victor Hugo’s novel) Starring: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russel Crowe  ‘Magnificent … More

“Argo” (2012) – Captivating Hostage Crisis Thriller

Director: Ben Affleck Starring: Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin and John Goodman ‘Captivating CIA Thriller’ “Argo” is directed by Ben Affleck. … More

“A Separation” (2011) – Mesmerizing Iranian Masterpiece

Writer/Director: Asghar Farhadi Starring: Payman Maadi, Leila Hatami, and Sareh Bayat ‘Magnificent Masterpiece’ Certain decisions are difficult to make. Especially … More

“The Zone of Interest” (2023) – Powerful Holocaust Historical Drama

Writer/Director: Jonathan Glazer  Starring: Sandra Huller, Christian Friedel ‘Powerful Holocaust Drama’ The Holocaust is a sensitive subject rarely depicted in … More

“Poor Things” (2023) – Movie Review

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe                      … More

“Oppenheimer” (2023) – A Breathtaking Historical Biopic

Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt                   … More

“The Holdovers” (2023) – Movie Review

Director: Alexander Payne Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’ Vine Joy Randolph                 … More

“Barbie” (2023) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig Starring: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera                     … More

“Anatomy of a Fall” (2023) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Justine Triet Starring: Sandra Huller, Milo Machado-Graner, Samuel Theis                     … More

“American Fiction” (2023) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Cord Jefferson Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown                   … More

“The Whale” (2022) – Movie Review

Director: Darren Aronofsky Starring: Brendan Fraser, Hong Chau and Sadie Sink                   … More

“All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Edward Berger Starring: Felix Kammerer, Daniel Bruhl, Albrecht Schuch                     … More

“The Power of the Dog” (2021) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Jane Campion Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee ‘Wonderful Western’ It’s hard to forgive a genre in … More

“Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021)- Movie Review

Writer/Director: Shaka King Co-writer: Will Berson Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield and Jesse Plemons ‘Breathtaking Historical Biopic’ Racism has always … More

“Dune” (2021) – A Spectacular Science-Fiction Classic

Writer/Director: Denis Villeneuve Co-writer: Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac ‘Spectacular Sci-fi’ Few … More

“CODA” (2021) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Sian Heder Starring: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin  ‘Powerful Disability Drama’ Silenced stories of celebrities without hearing … More

“Avatar: The Way of Water” (2021) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: James Cameron Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver                     … More

“Promising Young Woman” (2020) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Emerald Fennell Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham and Alison Brie  ‘Riveting Revenge Thriller’ Sexual assault is a sensitive subject … More

“One Night in Miami” (2020) – Movie Review

Director: Regina King Writer: Kemp Powers (based on stage play) Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Leslie Odom Jr. and Eli Goree ‘Spectacular … More

“Nomadland” (2020) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Chloé Zhao Based on Jessica Bruder’s book Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathaim and Linda May ‘A Mesmerizing Docudrama’ Imagine … More

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (2020) – Movie Review

Director: George C. Wolfe Writer: Ruben Santiago-Hudson (based on August Wilson’s play) Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman and Colman Domingo … More

“Mank” (2020) – Movie Review

Director: David Fincher Writer: Jack Fincher  Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried and Lily Collins ‘Filmmaking at its Finest’ When discussing … More

“The Father” (2020) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Florian Zeller Co-writer: Christopher Hampton Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman and Mark Gatiss ‘Powerful Dementia Drama’  Dementia is a … More

“Another Round” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Thomas Vinterberg Co-writer: Tobias Lindholm Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen and Magnus Millang ‘Dazzling Drinking Drama’ Alcoholism is … More

“1917” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Sam Mendes Co-writer: Krysty Wilson-Cairns Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman and Colin Firth ‘Wonderful War Drama’ Over the past … More

“Portrait of a Lady on Fire” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Céline Sciamma Starring: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel and Valeria Golino ‘Powerful Period Piece’ Lesbian love stories are rarely depicted … More

“Parasite” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Bong Joon-ho Co-writer: Jin Won Han Starring: Song Kang-Ho, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam ‘A Mesmerizing Masterpiece’ Foreign films … More

“Pain and Glory” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Pedro Almodóvar Starring: Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz and Asier Etxeandia ‘A Glorious Achievement’ Few filmmakers from Spain have achieved … More

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie ‘Powerful Period Piece’ Few filmmakers in the world have … More

“Marriage Story” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Noah Baumbach Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern ‘Mesmerizing Marriage Masterpiece’ It is always hard to move … More

“Little Women” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern ‘An Astonishing Adaptation’ When it comes to the most … More

“Judy” (2019) – Movie Review

Director: Rupert Goold Writer: Tom Edge (based on stage play) Starring: Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley and Finn Wittrock ‘Gorgeous Garland … More

“Jojo Rabbit” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Taika Waititi Based on the book by Christine Leunens Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell ‘Hilarious … More

“The Farewell” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Lulu Wang Starring: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma and Diana Lin ‘Fantastic Family Drama’ It is always hard to come to … More

“Green Book” (2018) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Peter Farrelly Co-writers: Nick Vallelonga and Brian Hayes Currie Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali and Linda Cardellini ‘Powerful Period … More

“BlacKkKlansman” (2018) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Spike Lee Co-writers: Charlie Watchel, David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver and Topher Grace … More

“Black Panther” (2018) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Ryan Coogler Co-writer: Joe Robert Cole Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o ‘A Marvelous Blockbuster’ Over … More

“The Shape of Water” (2017) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Guillermo Del Toro Co-writer: Vanessa Taylor Starring: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer and Michael Shannon ‘Fantastic Fantasy Epic’ So far, … More

“Phantom Thread” (2017) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville ‘Powerful Period Piece’ Few filmmakers in the world … More

“Lady Bird” (2017) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Greta Gerwig Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf and Lucas Hedges ‘Captivating Coming-of-Age Drama’ There is no time in a … More

“Dunkirk” (2017) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance and Tom Hardy ‘Wonderful War Drama’ War is a difficult subject to … More

“Call Me By Your Name” (2017) – Movie Review

Director: Luca Guadagnino Writer: James Ivory (based on novel by Andre Aciman) Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer and Michael Stuhlbarg … More

“La La Land” (2016) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Damien Chazelle Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and J.K. Simmons ‘A Musical Masterpiece’ Before I begin this review, I … More

“Hidden Figures” (2016) – Movie Review

Director: Theodore Melfi Writer: Allison Schroeder (based off novel by Margot Lee Shetterly) Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and … More

“Arrival” (2016) – Movie Review

Director: Denis Villeneuve Writer: Eric Heisserer (based on short story) Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker ‘Spellbinding Science-Fiction’ … More

“Spotlight” (2015) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Tom McCarthy Co-writer: Josh Singer Starring: Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams ‘Filmmaking at its Finest’ It is … More

“Room” (2015) – Movie Review

Director: Lenny Abrahamson Writer: Emma Donoghue (based on novel) Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay and William H. Macy ‘A Moving … More

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015) – Analysis

Writer/Director: George Miller Co-writers: Brendan McCarthy and Nick Lathouris Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron and Nicholas Hoult ‘Madly Entertaining’ Is … More

“Boyhood” (2014) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Richard Linklater Starring: Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette ‘A Magnificent Masterpiece’ About halfway through Richard Linklater’s “Boyhood”, … More

“Dallas Buyers Club” (2013) – Movie Review

Director: Jean-Marc Valee Writers: Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner ‘Powerful AIDS Drama’ You … More

“Captain Phillips” (2013) – Movie Review

Director: Paul Greengrass Writer: Billy Ray Starring: Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi ‘Captivating Hijacking Thriller’ “Captain Phillips” is the most … More

“Blue Jasmine” (2013) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Woody Allen Starring: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin and Sally Hawkins ‘Disappointing Drama’ For a reasonable hour or so, Woody … More

“Zero Dark Thirty” (2012) – Movie Review

 Director: Kathryn Bigelow Writer: Mark Boal Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, and Kyle Chandler ‘Tense Terrorism Thriller’ From what I … More

“Silver Linings Playbook” (2012) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: David O. Russell Based on novel by Matthew Quick Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro ‘Magnificent Masterpiece’ It’s … More

“Lincoln” (2012) – Movie Review

Director: Steven Spielberg Writer: Tony Kushner (based off novel by Doris Kearns Goodwin)               … More

“Life of Pi” (2012) – Movie Review

Director: Ang Lee Writer: David Magee (based off novel by Yann Martel) Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu ‘Beautiful Book … More

“Les Misérables” (2012) – Movie Review

Director: Tom Hooper Writer: William Nicholson (based on novel by Victor Hugo) Starring: Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russel Crowe  … More

“Django Unchained” (2012) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Quentin Tarantino Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio ‘A Bloody Great Time’ You don’t always see long movies … More

“Argo” (2012) – Movie Review

Director: Ben Affleck Starring: Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin and John Goodman ‘Captivating CIA Thriller’ “Argo” is directed by Ben Affleck. … More

“A Separation” (2011) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Asghar Farhadi Starring: Payman Maadi, Leila Hatami, and Sareh Bayat ‘Mesmerizing Masterpiece’ Certain decisions are difficult to make. Especially … More

“The Zone of Interest” (2023) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Jonathan Glazer  Starring: Sandra Huller, Christian Friedel ‘Powerful Holocaust Drama’ The Holocaust is a sensitive subject rarely depicted in … More

“Oppenheimer” (2023) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt                   … More

“Dune” (2021) – Revisited

Writer/Director: Denis Villeneuve Co-writer: Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac ‘Spectacular Sci-fi’ Few … More

“Marriage Story” (2019) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Noah Baumbach Starring: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern ‘Mesmerizing Marriage Masterpiece’ It is always hard to move … More

“The Holdovers” (2023) – Movie Review

Director: Alexander Payne Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’ Vine Joy Randolph                 … More

“American Fiction” (2023) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Cord Jefferson Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown                   … More

“Dune” (2021) – Movie Review

Writer/Director: Denis Villeneuve Co-writer: Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Oscar Isaac ‘Spectacular Sci-fi’ Few … More