Rating of
3/4
Midway (2019)
Chris Kavan - wrote on 02/18/20
Shock and Awe-Inspiring
I know when I think of Roland Emmerich, I think of big, bombastic world-ending, special-effects laden films. Explosions. Aliens. Climate change. And, yes, Emmerich has done war before - but I'm not going to lie, I was not a fan of The Patriot. Thus, going into Midway, I was expecting something along the lines of Pearl Harbor (great effects, weak story) as opposed to, say, Saving Private Ryan (great effects, better story). Yet Midway managed to exceed my expectations - it still has Emmerich's …
Rating of
3/4
Black and Blue
Indyfreak - wrote on 02/10/20
Tense relentlessly paced cop movie. Naomi Harris gives a standout performance as a well meaning officer caught between dirty cops and street gangs in New Orleans. Frank Grillo plays a great love-to-hate villain whilst Tyrese Gibson gives a rare nuanced performance as an unlikely ally of Harris.
Rating of
0.5/4
Parasite ( Gisaengchung )
Dominick Fernandez - wrote on 02/10/20
It was horrible as fuck
Rating of
3/4
Jojo Rabbit
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 02/07/20
I can't help but think "Jojo Rabbit" works better in theory than in actuality. It's tonally overcrowded, more jokes fall flat than land on target, and the production mostly feels like imitation Wes Anderson. Despite all these faults, it's a daring satire that takes a well-meaning shot at modern day nationalism.
Rating of
2/4
Harriet
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 02/07/20
Harriet Tubman is a historical figures who has been owed a biopic for some time now. Sadly, she's had her important life legacy as a savior and freedom fighter caked over with Oscar-bait mundaneness.
Rating of
3.5/4
Waves (2019)
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 02/06/20
Like the family it centers itself around, "Waves" is a movie that's broken in two, and by the end, both of those halves make a powerful whole.
Rating of
4/4
Parasite ( Gisaengchung )
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 01/31/20
In spite of its deceptive name, "Parasite" isn't one of Joon-ho's monster flicks. However, it is a razor-sharp satire on the contrasting lives of those struggling to survive and those who aren't, with shocking twists and surprising bursts of violence and dark humor sprinkled throughout.
Rating of
4/4
Pain and Glory ( Dolor y gloria )
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 01/22/20
Neither a vain love letter to himself nor a wallow in self-pity, Pedro Almodóvar borrows from his own life and career to make an absolutely beautiful drama that surveys all the themes and characteristics his long collection of films are known for.
Rating of
0.5/4
Jexi
Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 01/21/20
While 2013's "Her" was a well-thought out movie about our dependence on technology and what it would be like if AI could learn to love, "Jexi" is a sorry comedy skit lengthened to almost 90 minutes. Where Spike Jonze used sex as a way of exploring the need for human connection, the screenwriters and filmmakers behind this slipshod shitshow uses it to point out how charger cords kind of fit together like male and female genitals. How very clever and observant.
Rating of
2.5/4
Jexi
Chris Kavan - wrote on 01/10/20
Turn On, Tune Out, Get Help
I fully admit I went into this film with pretty low expectations. Modern comedies are a tough sell for me - let alone any that try to shoehorn romance into it. But thanks to the genial goofiness of Adam Devine, the deadpan technical assistant delivery from Rose Byrne and some major scene-stealing from Michael Peña and Wanda Sykes, Jexi manages to be a pretty fun ride.
Technology run amuk can be used for both horror or comedy - and Jexi is kind of a mix of both. The horror aspect is …
