Take Two: “A Jazzman’s Blues”
Filmmaker Tyler Perry ("Madea") offers an old school melodrama, "A Jazzman's Blues." It's a murder mystery romance set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South. It's now on Netflix.
Freeze Frame: “Blonde” (NC-17), “Bros” (R), “Smile” (R), “The Good House” (R)
A heartfelt and empathetic performance by Ana de Armas as troubled Hollywood superstar Marilyn Monroe isn't quite enough to elevate the excessively depressing NC-17 drama, "Blonde, " now on Netflix. This fictionalized account based on the novel by Joyce Carol Oates has flashes of brilliance, but dramatically it's a one-note...
Take Two: “Lou” (R)
Oscar-winner Allison Janney ("I, Tonya") stars in the Netflix action thriller, "Lou."
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...
Take Two: “The Woman King” (PG-13)
Viola Davis ("The Help") stars in the historical epic "The Woman King," the tale of female warriors who defend their African kingdom in the 1800s.
Freeze Frame: “The Woman King” (PG-13), “Pearl” (R), “Confess, Fletch” (R), “See How They Run” (PG-13)
"The Woman King" should be a contender for a gold crown come Oscar time. Viola Davis leads a stellar cast in this action-packed historical epic about an elite unit of female warriors who protect the West African Dahomey kingdom in the 1820s. It's a rousing, crowd-pleasing saga that benefits from terrific...
Take Two: “End of the Road” (R)
Queen Latifah and Ludacris star in a Netflix action thriller called "End of the Road."
Freeze Frame: “Pinocchio” (PG), “End of the Road” (R)
America's dad wants to be a real dad. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto in the Disney Plus live-action remake of the 1940 animated masterpiece, "Pinocchio." Cynthia Erivo plays the Blue Fairy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt provides the voice of Jiminy Cricket and Keegan-Michael Key is the duplicitous Honest John. Hanks re-teams here...
