17 March
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In Movie Reviews

THE OUTFIT Director: Graham MooreStarring: Mark Rylance, Dylan O’Brien, Johnny Flynn, Zoey Deutch Oscar and Tony winner Mark Rylance is always a reliable actor which is evident in the taught new thriller The Outfit. It’s Chicago 1956 and Rylance stars as Leonard who is quick to remind you that he’s a cutter, not a tailor. His narration provides double duty and his work making suits is one of fine precision and quality as he reminds you that you must understand who you’re making it for. There’s a drop box in the back of his store where mysteries envelopes are dropped off and picked up. TwoRead More →

17 December
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In Movie Reviews

DON’T LOOK UP Writer/Director: Adam McKayStarring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Jonah Hill, Ariana Grande, Mark Rylance, Timothée Chalamet, Scott Mescudi Leo, Meryl, Jennifer Lawrence, Jonah Hill, Ariana Grande all in the same movie? Writer/director Adam McKay is bringing all these forces together for his star-studded satire Don’t Look Up. The poster says that its based on truly possible events as Adam McKay uses the climate change crisis as the mirror for this story. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Kate an astronomy grad student who believes a comet is barreling toward Earth. She informs her professor Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio) andRead More →

15 October
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In Movie Reviews

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Writer/Director: Aaron SorkinStarring: Eddie Redmayne, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mark Rylance, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Frank Langella, John Carroll Lynch Aaron Sorkin is best known for high-powered courtroom dramas and politically charged stories like A Few Good Men, The West Wing, and The Newsroom. His latest, The Trial of the Chicago 7, is now streaming on Netflix and couldn’t come at a better time. A legal battle between peaceful protestors and an aggressive Chicago police force is what is at stake. No, it’s not 2020 but rather the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The peaceful protestorsRead More →

26 March
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In Movie Reviews

READY PLAYER ONE Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Mark Rylance, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, Hannah John-Kramer, Win Morisaki, Philip Zhao, Simon Pegg One of this year’s most highly anticipated movies is Ready Player One, the latest from Steven Spielberg. It’s the big screen adaptation of Ernest Cline’s beloved novel. There’s as much riding on this film due to its fan base as there is with a new Star Wars or Marvel movie. In Columbus, Ohio in 2045, reality is a real bummer. The need to escape to a different world is paramount for so many people. The OASIS is a virtual realityRead More →

20 July
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In Movie Reviews

DUNKIRK Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Styles, Jack Lowden Dunkirk is yet another example of how Christopher Nolan can masterfully tackle any genre. Over the past decade, we’ve seen him go through space and time continuums with Interstellar, a superhero saga with The Dark Knight Trilogy, and dive deep into our dreams and subconscious with Inception. All of his films tell vastly different stories, yet are unmistakably his movies. With Dunkirk, he turns to the harrowing World War II battle in France between the Allies and the Germans. The British and French armies have beenRead More →

30 June
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In Movie Reviews

THE BFG Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Mark Rylance, Rebecca Hall, Bill Hader, Ruby Barnhill, Jemaine Clement, Rafe Spall, Penelope Wilton There’s something nostalgic about seeing a Steven Spielberg film with the Amblin Entertainment studio logo playing before it starts. Spielberg and his crew composing of producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, trusty DP Janusz Kaminski and composer John Williams are back together again. This time the team takes on one of Roald Dahl’s beloved creations, The BFG. For a little girl named Sophie (Barnhill), the witching hour is that time in the middle of the night when the boogeyman comes out and people go missing.Read More →

29 February
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In Award Ceremonies

THE 88th ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS The Complete List of Winners…and some commentary BEST PICTURE Spotlight BEST DIRECTOR Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, The Revenant BEST ACTOR Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant BEST ACTRESS Brie Larson, Room BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy, Spotlight BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Charles Randolph, Adam McKay, The Big Short BEST EDITING Margaret Sixel, Mad Max Fury Road BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM Son of Saul, Hungary BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki,The Revenant First to win three back to back Oscars in this category. Previously won for Gravity andRead More →

18 February
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In Award Ceremonies

OSCAR! OSCAR! REVIEWS OF NOMINATED FILMS We are merely days away from Oscar night, and I still can’t predict who will go home the winner of the coveted Best Picture Oscar. I can’t even predict Best Director at this point. I thought I would share links to my reviews for some of the nominated films for those who may be feeling behind or need to narrow down their “must watch” list. Just click on the film’s title to go to the reviews. Plus, I’ve listed the nominations it received. The Big Short – 5 nominations Picture Director – Adam McKay Supporting Actor – Christian Bale AdaptedRead More →

19 October
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In Movie Reviews

BRIDGE OF SPIES Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Austin Stowell, Jesse Plemons, Billy Magnussen, Will Rogers Steven Spielberg has tackled many war stories before with Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln, and War Horse. His latest film, Bridge of Spies, focuses in on the height of the Cold War in 1957. Tom Hanks stars as James Donovan, a Brooklyn insurance lawyer who is asked to defend Rudolf Abel (Rylance). He’s a Soviet spy who’s been captured and arrested for conspiracy to commit espionage. While most people would like to see him found guilty, Donovan believes he deserves a fair defense.Read More →

05 June
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In Movie Trailers

BRIDGE OF SPIES Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, Billy Magnussen You all know how much I love Steven Spielberg and his accomplishments to the silver screen. My childhood was shaped by films like Jurassic Park, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, and Jaws. As an adult, it’s hard not to be moved by films like Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. His latest film is another collaboration with Tom Hanks, who has previously starred in three of his films (SPR, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal). Hanks plays James Donovan, a Brooklyn insurance lawyer who has been tasked byRead More →