Honor Thy Father (Matti, 2015)
The first hour of Erik Matti's Honor Thy Father (★★★★) is so good, so steeped in its time and place, that one can't help but feel a little disappointed that it's second half becomes a fairly...
View ArticleActor for Hire (Mizelle, 2015)
Jesse is a young, average-looking, bald guy trying to make it in Hollywood.
View ArticleBoiling Pot (Ashmawey, 2015)
While it is not as accomplished and polished as Do The Right Thing, The Sixth Sense, or Reservoir Dogs--films that announced the arrival of a major new talent--Boiling Pot is certainly good enough to...
View ArticleThe Walk (Zemeckis, 2015)
I will confess, too, that the last act of The Walk, when Philippe Petit finally executes his tight wire trip between the two towers of the World Trade Center has some swell special effects.
View ArticleFinding Noah (Baum, 2015)
To those who are like me, who were always taught that God does not intend for the Ark to be found and any attempt to locate it is a challenge to God, there is a surprise in how much enjoyment and...
View ArticleSleeping with Other People (Headland, 2015)
I started to write that it took me a week to decide whether or not I liked Sleeping with Other People (★★), Leslye Headland's Millenial riff on When Harry Met Sally, but that wasn't true. It took me a...
View ArticleIn My Father’s House (Stern and Sundberg, 2015)
"I want my dad in my life, but I grew up with addicts..."
View ArticleThe Ballet Boys (Elvebakk, 2015)
The Ballet Boys (★★½) doesn’t quite hold our attention as strongly as First Position, but it should nevertheless please its target audience. The film focuses on the high-school experiences of three...
View ArticleBridge of Spies (Spielberg, 2015)
The first half of Bridge of Spies is Spielberg at his finest.
View ArticleSex, Death and Bowling (Walker, 2015)
Adrian Grenier almost always charms in charming movies.
View ArticleSpectre (Mendes, 2015)
Spectre (★★★) starts strong, overstays its welcome, overshoots its marks, and ends up a big mess. There is enough good here to make it enjoyable, especially if you like these sorts of movies. But the...
View ArticleMy All American (Pizzo, 2015)
I'm not giving Freddie Steinmark a "C." I'm giving the movie about his life and death a "C."
View ArticleArts & Faith Ecumenical Jury Nominee — Spotlight (McCarthy, 2015)
Director Tom McCarthy delivers a somber, sobering film which denies any character (or the viewer) the feeling of moral superiority.
View ArticleFeel “Better” Movies — What to Watch When the News is Bleak
Here are five films that make me feel better when I'm feeling bad about...everything else.
View ArticleHarold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (Raim, 2015)
One of the truly educational things about Raim's films is that they help document how movies actually get made; they help those of us who watch films appreciate them more by understanding how they are...
View ArticleFinding Noah (Baum, 2015)
To those who are like me, who were always taught that God does not intend for the Ark to be found and any attempt to locate it is a challenge to God, there is a surprise in how much enjoyment and...
View ArticleHarold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story (Raim, 2015)
One of the truly educational things about Raim's films is that they help document how movies actually get made; they help those of us who watch films appreciate them more by understanding how they are...
View Article“Feel Better” Movies — Josh Wartel’s List
Nothing makes me feel better than the truth, and in their own ways, all five films that I chose are refreshingly honest.
View ArticleJanis: Little Girl Blue (Berg, 2015)
A great introduction to the life of Janis Joplin, but some will wish it probed deeper.
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