Crime

Movie Review: Purple Noon

This is the first post in The Cinematic Mr. Ripley, a series for the MovieThoughts category of my blog that considers moral themes in Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels and the film adaptations of those books. This post looks at Purple Noon, the 1960 French adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, starring Alain Delon. It…

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Crime

Le Cercle Rouge

Gliding almost without speech down the dawn streets of a wet Paris winter, these men in trench coats and fedoras perform a ballet of crime, hoping to win and fearing to die. Some are cops and some are robbers. To smoke for them is as natural as breathing. They use guns, lies, clout, greed and nerve with the skill of a magician who no longer even thinks about the cards. They share a code of honor which is not about what side of the law they are on, but about how a man must behave to win the respect of those few others who understand the code.

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Comedy

REVIEW: “Coup de Chance” (2024) |

Woody Allen’s 50th film, “Coup de Chance” made a pretty good impression after premiering at last year’s Venice International Film Festival and then in France a short time later. Since then it has been finding its way to screens including here in the States courtesy of MPI Media Group. It’s Allen’s first French-language feature. And…

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Drama

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE

I feel like I should start out this review by saying I was a big fan of the 2 previous A Quiet Place movies. You can read my reviews here and here. They did a great job establishing atmosphere and creating compelling characters I could breathe with for the moment. However, they are not movies…

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Documentary

Maestro (2023)

Maestro (2023) is a biographical drama film from sophomore writer-director Bradley Cooper. Cooper also stars in the film as Leonard Bernstein, renowned Broadway composer, following his life and relationships, particularly with his wife Felicia (Carey Mulligan). The film debuted at the Venice Film Festival to strong reviews, and releases in theaters and on Netflix this December.…

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Movie Reviews

The Holdovers (2023)

All in all, THE HOLDOVERS is a paramount feel-good promulgator of empathy and understanding, everyone has their own problems (whether it is trimethylaminuria or possible hereditary mental disease), life is full of unexpected happenstances (whether it is a disconsolate bereavement or a seemingly promising romance going the way of the buffalo) and horrible individuals (whether…

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Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Iron Claw

MOVIE REVIEW! The Iron Claw (2023) Starring: Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Lily James, Holt McCallany Directed By: Sean Durkin The world of professional wrestling is not unlike the world of big budget blockbusters: there’s colorful characters, high drama, and lots of conflict. But underneath all of that bravado and high emotion, there’s a real…

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Movie Reviews

Oppenheimer review | The movie and me

Director: Christopher NolanCast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Dylan Arnold, Jack Quaid, Gustaf Skarsgård, Josh Peck, Dane DeHaan, Olivia ThirlbyGenre: Biography/ThrillerRun Time: 180 minOpens: 20 June 2023Rating: M18 A three-hour-long biopic about a scientist released during summer movie season…

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