‘Oh, Canada’ Is Last Thing We Expect from Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada” is a morose, strange and only partially engaging drama that represents a rare misstep in the prolific filmmaker’s career. While Schrader’s films can be hit or miss, he’s been on a roll, with the success of his wild, provocative “First Reformed” and the surprisingly potent “The Card Dealer.” With Schrader, you …
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Don’t Believe ‘The Last Showgirl’ Hype
Gia Coppola’s “The Last Showgirl” is a tribute to old Las Vegas entertainers who made a living as the top-billed acts, their names shining in neon. Specifically, it’s Las Vegas post-Benjamin Siegal, during the Wayne Newton/Tom Jones era. Pop stars singing oldies in a shiny suit, surrounded by dancers adorning glitter and feathers (for starters) …
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‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ Is 2024’s Funniest Film
Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham’s “Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” is the second “Wallace and Gromit” movie from Aardman Animations, the brilliant factory that creates wonderful comedies by utilizing stop-motion, clay-animated figures. The other distringuishing feature of Aardman Animations is that they’re absolutely hilarious. I knew their new movie was off to a great …
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You’re Welcome: ‘Moana 2’ Delivers More Charm than Expected
I was hesitant to see “Moana 2,” as the response I kept hearing is that the story and songs are subpar and that its another sequel that doesn’t measure up to what proceeded it. After a month of discovering every screening was sold out, this wound up being my last theatergoing experience of 2024, along …
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‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ – Watch the Original ‘King’ Instead
Barry Jenkins’ “Mufasa: The Lion King” is a visually splendid but overly familiar semi-sequel, mostly prequel to Jon Favreau’s CGI motion-capture 2019 remake. I’m not fond of either of the new photorealistic versions but still find the 1994 animated original to be enthralling. There’s a lot of nostalgia in “Mufusa,” which basically tells a near-identical …
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‘The Fire Inside’ Avoids ‘Rocky’ Template at Every Turn
Rachel Morrison’s “The Fire Inside” arrives at the same time as the smaller but also accomplished boxing sleeper, “Day of the Fight.” Morrison’s film takes the opposite approach to that film in terms of presenting its big matches – whereas “Day of the Fight” is a long build up to a great boxing match, “The …
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‘Nosferatu’ Refuses to Hold Anything Back
Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” is the real deal, a faithful remake of the landmark silent film, a passionate love letter to horror films as an artform, and a terrifying, intense ride that will rattle even those comfortable with the genre. You have been warned. For everyone else, keep your hands inside the rollercoaster, make sure you’re …
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‘The Brutalist’ – A Flawed but Fascinating Epic
Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” opens with a knockout sequence. Toth, an architect (Adrien Brody) who fled his country and arrives in America by boat, emerges outside the seacraft and sees, at a cockeyed angle, the Statue of Liberty. The image also graces the film’s poster. Corbet, who reportedly directed this epic-scaled period drama for around …
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‘The Room Next Door’ May Surprise Almodovar Fans
Pedro Almodovar’s “The Room Next Door” immediately sets up its premise. We meet Ingrid (Julianne Moore) signing copies of her new book. Ingrid learns that her dear friend Martha (Tilda Swinton) has been diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer. The two rekindle their friendship (some time has passed since they last saw one another) and …
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‘A Complete Unknown’ Shreds Biopic Formula
James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown” is one of those musical biopics that gives you what you expect, if not demand, but also manages to be better than the formula typically allows. What formula am I referring to? The one where we meet our down-and-out musician who gets an opportunity to shine before a potential handler …
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