Drama

“Berlin Alexanderplatz”

There’s not a lot about Burhan Qurbani’s updating of “Berlin Alexanderplatz” that declares itself “adapted from one of the greatest novels of the 20th century.” It’s stately and long — nearly three hours. But Rainer Werner Fassbender’s definitive 1980 version, for German TV, ran for over 15 hours and was shown in theaters over multiple […]

Movie Review: Updating a classic — “Berlin Alexanderplatz”

Drama

Hereditary (2018)

When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying to outrun the sinister fate they have inherited. This is a film that had always been on the edge of my awareness especially as reviews came up when the film […]

Hereditary (2018)

Action

First Glance: “Riders of Justice”

Mads Mikkelsen? Sold! That’s all I needed to be interested in the upcoming film “Riders of Justice”. This Danish action-black comedy mix comes from writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen who previously worked with Mikkelsen on the underrated Western “The Salvation” and the astutely titled “Men & Chicken”. With “Riders” Jensen looks to be pulling from both […]

First Glance: “Riders of Justice”

Comedy

Golden Voices

Director Evgeny Ruman Staring Mariya Belkina, Vladimir Friedman, Evelin Hagoel Rated M Score 4/6 Victor and Raya Frenkel were the golden voices of the Soviet film dubbing for decades. All the western movies that reached Soviet screens were dubbed by them. In 1990, with the collapse of Soviet Union, the Frenkels decided to do Aliyah […]

Golden Voices

Drama

The Riot Club (2014)

Two first-year students (Sam Claflin, Max Irons) at Oxford University join a secret society – loosely based on the real life Bullingdon Club – and learn that their reputations can be made or destroyed over the course of one evening. This is another of those films where the premise sounded interesting. I also noticed they […]

The Riot Club (2014)

Drama

Movie Review: Irish lads Come of Age in a Toxic Time — “Here Are all the Young Men”

It takes a few minutes to get past the feeling that “Here Are the Young Men” isn’t a simplistic “Trainspotting” homage, some sort of boys-come-of-age, generationally-indulgent wank with an Irish accent. The characters are “types” — the rebellious lad entering the workforce with lust in his heart and a mouth always open for whatever pill […]

Movie Review: Irish lads Come of Age in a Toxic Time — “Here Are all the Young Men”

Action

SNOWPIERCER Season 2 is elevated by edge-of-seat thrills and the phenomenal presence of Sean Bean!

After dropping the more familiar narrative constraints of its first season and delving into more unknown territory, Snowpiercer manages to form its own riveting path through the snow. Through this season, the narrative and characters are propelled into so many unexpected directions that it makes this season a much more surprising and engaging watch. Right […]

SNOWPIERCER Season 2 is elevated by edge-of-seat thrills and the phenomenal presence of Sean Bean!

Drama

Movie Review: French learn that love is stained with “The Salt of Tears (Le Sel des larmes)”

There’s no ennui like French ennui, a message given another big screen treatment in “The Salt of Tears,” a tale of a young cabinet-maker apprentice who cannot find love to fill the void in his empty soul. The latest from French baby boomer filmmaker Philippe Garrel (“In the Shadow of Women,” “Wild Innocence”) is a […]

Movie Review: French learn that love is stained with “The Salt of Tears (Le Sel des larmes)”