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The Instigators
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Doug Liman has made a slick, handsome, and zippy crime comedy with virtually no connection to what we understand reality to be.
Posted Aug 05, 2024
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Deadpool & Wolverine
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Director Shawn Levy (and producer Kevin Feige) are keenly aware that the MCU requires some tweaking. The best way to start doing that is to lovingly drag the living hell out of the MCU, and that’s precisely what Levy has done.
Posted Jul 29, 2024
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Fly Me to the Moon
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Getting mad at this film is like screaming at a Labrador Retriever puppy. All it wants is to be fun, and to entertain you. On that score, it shoots for the moon.
Posted Jul 15, 2024
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MaXXXine
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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MaXXXine seems to be West dipping into Brian De Palma’s erotic thrillers from the 80s. Lots of neon, lots of shadowy and grime-soaked streets, and the hostile contrast between excessive sleaze and excessive moralism.
Posted Jul 09, 2024
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Mickey Hardaway
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Director Marcellus Cox has made a sharp and perceptive film about abuse, how it accumulates, how it can be overcome in theory, and how it can crush a human being under its psychological weight.
Posted Jul 01, 2024
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The Bikeriders
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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The Bikeriders takes these people seriously, with the good, the bad, and the excruciatingly ugly all on display. It’s a very good film.
Posted Jun 24, 2024
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Inside Out 2
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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What matters is that the filmmakers made a good film following in the footsteps of a great one.
Posted Jun 17, 2024
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Bad Boys: Ride or Die
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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This is a genuinely fun film that has little to say other than “murder is cool if it is the good guys and less cool if it’s the bad guys but it’s still pretty cool honestly.
Posted Jun 11, 2024
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The Fall Guy
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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There’s something to be said for a professionally made movie that exists primarily to be fun. The only thing you need to understand about The Fall Guy ahead of time is that it’s unapologetically and joyously fun.
Posted May 06, 2024
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Whenever I'm Alone with You
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Campanacci and Egon utilize the gorgeous landscape, in-camera effects, and glances and smiles from the co-leads in order to create a joyful and chaotic romance.
Posted May 01, 2024
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Abigail
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Abigail whips unholy amounts of ass. It has its flaws, but while I was watching, I was having a great time. Yes, having a great time also included the copious gore, fountains of blood, shootings, stabbings, and frequently disrespectful language.
Posted Apr 22, 2024
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Civil War
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Civil War is necessary filmmaking for the moment.
Posted Apr 15, 2024
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Monkey Man
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Patel’s film shares DNA with classics like I Saw the Devil, Oldboy, The Raid, and The Night Comes for Us. He’s made an undeniable passion project, one with equal parts heart and grit.
Posted Apr 08, 2024
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Baghead
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Baghead isn’t perfect, but when it works, it works like gangbusters. It sets up a creepy and compelling scenario, then adds characters with relatable flaws.
Posted Apr 01, 2024
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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Most of you reading this aren’t going to dissect the minutiae of the filmmaking, lore, or legacy. You’re just looking for a pleasant way to spend a few hours that won’t actively insult your intelligence. As blockbusters go, you could do a lot worse.
Posted Mar 25, 2024
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Late Night with the Devil
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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For better than eighty percent of the film, the Cairnes commit to the bit hard that what we’re seeing is a lost broadcast where something awful is going to happen. It’s impressive as hell.
Posted Mar 18, 2024
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Dune: Part Two
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Dune: Part Two is a singular vision painted on an enormous cinematic canvas. See it on the biggest screen you can.
Posted Mar 11, 2024
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Love Lies Bleeding
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Glass hasn’t lost a step with Love Lies Bleeding, and her characters are obsessed with power, escape, and control. The film feels grimy, raw, and real when it’s necessary.
Posted Mar 04, 2024
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Mad Props
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Director Juan Pablo Reinoso has made a zippy documentary specifically crafted for cinephiles, film geeks, and movie nerds.
Posted Feb 26, 2024
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The Legionnaire
(2021)
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Tim Brennan
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It’s hard to be nuanced, and movies are no exception. I value The Legionnaire, as it works hard to show people with different perspectives responding to an impossible situation. It’s a well made movie that flirts with greatness
Posted Feb 19, 2024
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Restore Point
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Until American studios get their act together, smart and efficiently budgeted movies like Restore Point will show them how it’s done.
Posted Feb 12, 2024
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Argylle
(2024)
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Tim Brennan
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Argylle is too long, sort of dumb, and less clever than it is “clever.” If you treat it as a fleeting Friday night trifle, and if you definitely ignore me on this one, you’ll be happier.
Posted Feb 05, 2024
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The Boy and the Heron
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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If The Boy and the Heron is the period on the sentence of Miyazaki’s esteemed career, then he will have ended well.
Posted Jan 29, 2024
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Freud's Last Session
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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The script also tells us an enormous amount about these two men, both in what they say and what they don’t. By the conclusion, we have a good idea of what they believe, why they believe it, and how they feel about the other.
Posted Jan 22, 2024
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The Zone of Interest
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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When we think about what happened in places like Auschwitz, the endless atrocities and coldblooded efficiency, it’s easier to think of the Nazis as monsters. The Zone of Interest quietly and inexorably disabuses us of that notion.
Posted Jan 16, 2024
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American Fiction
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Jeffrey Wright carries the entire film, and his performance is more proof that he’s one of the best actors alive. His uncompromising focus on character means that we see Monk’s flaws and see him as a fully three-dimensional character.
Posted Jan 01, 2024
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The Iron Claw
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Perhaps the first among equals in the cast is Zac Efron as Kevin. He’s put on a ton of muscle, and in his performance, he uses it to hide.
Posted Dec 18, 2023
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Godzilla Minus One
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Godzilla Minus One is one of the strongest blockbusters of 2023, a movie I could see easily smashing its way onto my best of the year list.
Posted Dec 11, 2023
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Napoleon
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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We see the raw power of cannonballs, men and horses plunging into a frozen lake, Moscow aflame and much more. Scott has always been adept at depicting both the chaos and tactics of warfare.
Posted Nov 27, 2023
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Poor Things
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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here are moments of wildly disturbing body horror, hilarious comedy, and somber drama, sometimes all in the same scene. It’s frankly astonishing filmmaking, the kind of thing I haven’t seen in quite some time.
Posted Nov 20, 2023
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The Marvels
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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To spell things out for the cheap seats, The Marvels is not a cinematic abomination, an affront against almighty God, a blight on childhoods everywhere. In point of fact, it’s pretty good!
Posted Nov 13, 2023
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Everything Will Be Fine in the End
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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With a smart combination of editing, shot composition, and music choices, Bartone’s feature debut feels like the kind of thing Hunter S. Thompson or Alex Cox would inject into their veins.
Posted Nov 06, 2023
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Night of the Hunted
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Night of the Hunted is a well-made thriller, but it sure ain’t fun. In fact, it’s a nasty piece of work. Director Franck Khalfoun isn’t interested in glorifying the violence or making a fun night at the movies.
Posted Oct 30, 2023
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Killers of the Flower Moon
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Martin Scorsese, along with his talented crew and cast, has made a masterpiece. To be sure, there will be a cavalcade of idiotic takes on his film. Fifty years from now, only his film will matter.
Posted Oct 23, 2023
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Goodbye, Petrushka
(2022)
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Tim Brennan
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Rose has made a charming and fun film that balances real heart with a clear vision of her characters.
Posted Oct 16, 2023
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The Creator
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Its reach certainly exceeds its grasp, but the ambition that Edwards, Washington, and the cast and crew had for this project is meaningful.
Posted Oct 09, 2023
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No One Will Save You
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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The film doesn’t always work, but when it does and when its thrills are woven together with its themes, it hits heights that bigger blockbusters could only dream of.
Posted Oct 03, 2023
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A Haunting in Venice
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Kenneth Branagh’s possibly final entry has an elegance, a grace in how it balances the thematic darkness with the fun of a cracking good murder mystery.
Posted Sep 25, 2023
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Dumb Money
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Dumb Money might not be about a gang of steely-eyed professionals or a movement that stands up for what’s right. Instead, it’s about a moment where mostly the right things happen to mostly the right people.
Posted Sep 18, 2023
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RUB
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Rub doesn’t quite work, but it’s not for lack of trying. Director Christopher Fox has made a true independent film, one with a small budget and large ambitions.
Posted Aug 21, 2023
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The Last Voyage of the Demeter
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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While it has some flaws, it remains a well constructed horror movie that honors its source material. I imagine Stoker would be pleased.
Posted Aug 14, 2023
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LOLA
(2022)
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Tim Brennan
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Lola may have been made with modest resources, but its ambition is enormous. Legge, Martini, Appleton, and the rest of the cast and crew have made a fiendishly clever thriller that explodes with ideas.
Posted Aug 07, 2023
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Barbie
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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The good news is that Barbie is an excellent film and is possibly the cinematic event of the summer. In leading their team, Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig have made a smart and sunny blockbuster with something to say.
Posted Jul 31, 2023
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Oppenheimer
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Oppenheimer is a film of towering brilliance and fearsome power. It focuses on a man who met the moment, and the same man may have doomed us all.
Posted Jul 24, 2023
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Millie Lies Low
(2021)
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Tim Brennan
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Scenes run slightly too long, but too long in the right way. We watch Millie spinning a half truth, then a whole untruth, and by the time she’s gotten to a double untruth, we wonder if the person she’s dealing with believes her.
Posted Jul 17, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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When Ford is a) given the right material and b) challenged by the right director/actors, you remember that he’s something more important than a film icon. He’s a damn good actor.
Posted Jul 10, 2023
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Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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McQuarrie doesn’t just throw things at the screen. He’s controlled, and while his setpieces are massive, they function with the precision of a Swiss watch.
Posted Jul 05, 2023
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Lola
(2019)
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Tim Brennan
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Where Micheli truly excels is as a screenwriter. He focuses on the fraught relationship between Lola and Phillippe, one battered by severe resentment and mistrust. Better yet is that Micheli’s characters are fully formed and fully flawed.
Posted Jun 26, 2023
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The Flash
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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When it works, the film moves like a bullet. When it stumbles? Like the greatest characters in comics, and like life, the one enemy The Flash can’t outrun is itself.
Posted Jun 19, 2023
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Asteroid City
(2023)
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Tim Brennan
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Asteroid City is made with an extraordinary amount of precision. That’s not surprising considering Anderson’s been a filmmaker since the 1990’s.
Posted Jun 13, 2023
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