Take Two: “Sharper” (R)
Julianne Moore ("Still Alice") and Sebastian Stan ("Pam & Tommy") lead a sharp cast in a twisty Apple TV+ con artist drama, "Sharper."
Freeze Frame: “Emancipation” (R), “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (PG), “Aftersun” (R)
Oscar-winner Will Smith returns for yet another powerful performance in the harrowing historical drama "Emancipation," now in theaters and on Apple TV+. While somewhat fictionalized, "Emancipation" tells the heart-wrenching story of Peter, a Louisiana slave who escaped his brutal masters in 1863. When photos of his whip-scarred back were published...
Freeze Frame: “She Said” (R), “Spirited” (PG-13), “Disenchanted” (PG), “The Menu” (R), “A Christmas Story Christmas” (PG)
"She Said" is a timely journalist procedural in the fashion of "All the President's Men" and "Spotlight." It depicts the efforts of two New York Times reporters, played by Carrie Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, to expose the sexual misconduct allegations surrounding movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Their discoveries helped spark the...
Freeze Frame: The Banshees of Inisherin” (R), “Enola Holmes 2” (PG-13), “Causeway” (R), “Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues”
Watching the pitch-black comedy of writer/director Martin McDonough can sometimes feel like an assault. His latest effort, “The Banshees of Inisherin” is no exception. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson give compelling performances as two friends living on an isolated island off the coast of Ireland. Things degenerate violently when one...
Freeze Frame: “Don’t Worry, Darling” (R), “A Jazzman’s Blues” (R), “Lou” (R), “Sidney” (Not rated)
Olivia Wilde's feminist sci-fi thriller "Don't Worry Darling" has generated outsized interest due to the headlines involving the backstage turmoil during and after filming. I just wish the movie were as interesting. Florence Pugh gives an electric performance as a 50s-era housewife whose life unravels when she figures out that things...
Freeze Frame: “Lightyear” (PG), “Spiderhead” (R), “Cha Cha Real Smooth” (R)
Buzz Lightyear, the Space Ranger who inspired the fabled action figure from "Toy Story," gets an origin story with "Lightyear." Chis Evans provides the voice of our hero who battles the evil Emperor Zurg and his robot army while attempting to protect fellow space travelers on a remote planet millions of...
Take Two:”CODA” (PG-13)
This year's Oscar-winner for Best Picture is the little indie that could. Susan and Russ review the comic drama, "CODA."
Freeze Frame: “Eternals” (PG-13), “The Harder The Fall” (R), “Finch” (PG-13)
What would an Academy Award-winning director do with a Marvel movie? “Eternals” provides the answer: More of the same. Chloé Zhao, who won the Oscar for the low-key drama “Nomadland,” mounts an impressive two-and-a-half-hour spectacle with all the over-the-top action one would expect from a Marvel opus. The problem with...
