This charming film is exceptionally British in that it draws much of its comedy from awkwardness. Tom Basden gives a fantastic performance, ably supported by Tim Key and Carey Mulligan. And the original folk music is absolutely great. For a film that basically has a five-person cast, it's incredibly rich and deep with characters that feel truly lived-in.
At first I thought this was a horror movie, due to the poster design, but once I read Vulture's Alison Willmore describe it as as cross between The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Idea of You (accurate!), and found out it stars Archie Madekwe, I knew I had to see it. This film is so well made and the story feels very of-the-moment, making the sinister undertones all the more unsettling. Théodore Pellerin's performance as Matthew is masterful in its hidden, calculating menace. Lurker is a powerful commentary on what fame is in today's world and the ecosystem, including social media, that surrounds it.
This is an incredibly powerful film, not least because it includes real Concentration Camp footage, which is absolutely heart-wrenching to watch, shown during the trial scenes. The first half of the film actually has some quite amusing lines, mostly courtesy of Michael Shannon, and then the second half is highly sobering. Russell Crowe's performance as Hermann Göring is astounding: he captures the menace and the charm of this man and conveys how easily Göring was able to manipulate people. I know Crowe is a great actor, but this is on a whole other level. Leo Woodall is also very good as a quiet character who turns out to have a powerful story arc. Nuremberg kept me riveted the whole time, and its relevancy to events going on in the US today shouldn't be overlooked.
Griffin Dunne and James Norton capably lead this sweet, touching, and funny film about father-son relationships. Dunne, Norton, and Miles Heizer give wonderful performances as believably dysfunctional characters, with New York City and Mexico both playing important supporting roles.
This movie stressed me out so much. It's excellent and terrifying for its apparent realism in presenting a thought experiment of 'what would you do if a nuclear missile were going to hit the US?' (and further, what would the current government do?). I loved the structure of the film: seeing the same event unfold in real time from three intertwined, but slightly different perspectives. The film has a huge, stacked cast, and everyone steps up, though Rebecca Ferguson, Tracy Letts, and Gabriel Basso are especially good.
This gentle, meditative documentary about a Scottish hermit reminded of a real-world version of Perfect Days. It's interesting that the filmmaker is very much a caring presence and part of the story, rather than holding herself at a distance. It was lovely to see that the filmmaker and social services were able to help Ken Smith continue to live on his own in a remote cabin even after having a stroke; I feel like that wouldn't happen with such compassion in America. While I would have liked to know more about Ken's younger years, it was fascinating to see how he approaches life off the grid at around 80 years old.
Once you get past the slow, flashback-heavy first hour of Final Reckoning, it presents some of the best stunts in the franchise. While I'm not sure that anything can ever top Ghost Protocol for me, Cruise and McQuarrie really gave it their all with the underwater abandoned submarine and up-in-the-air biplane stunts. Not only are these stunts pulse-pounding and high-stakes, but also Tom is acting the whole time. He's not just doing stunts; he's doing stunts in character as Ethan Hunt, which is what has kept this franchise going for nearly 30 years. Despite plot holes and clunky dialog, the nuclear armageddon stakes feel like they carry a little more weight in today's world, and Tramell Tillman as a submarine captain with perfect line delivery and great chemistry with Tom is a nice little bonus.
This is the sexiest film I saw this year thanks to the chemistry between Brett Goldstein (playing a hot guy who is genuinely sweet and caring!) and Imogen Poots (always excellent). It's a bittersweet romance that at first glance may seem to not have much substance, but the emotional undercurrents run deep.
Ana Sophia Heger's performance is the reason to see this heartbreaking, tragic film about a young girl put in horrific circumstances. Heger's performance is wise beyond her years, and she is well matched with Taron Egerton as her father. She is mesmerizing to watch, and my heart went out to her character so much as she humanized what could have been just another violent drug / crime thriller.
The script and Denzel Washington are both excellent, New York City looks amazing and glorious, and Spike Lee did not sleep on making the most of Dean Winters' presence with subtle and genius SVU and Allstate Mayhem jokes. While the film could feel a bit goofy or unpolished at times, that somehow made it feel more authentic and relatable. And of course, as a movie centering on a music business executive, it has a killer soundtrack.
This is such a cute and fun movie that just happens to be animated. Zootopia 2 doesn't even really feel like a kid's movie because the Chinatown-like story is so solid and well thought-out with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep the action moving. The world of Zootopia is so richly imagined and brought to life, with plenty of clever easter eggs in the best Disney tradition, and all of the voicework is outstanding.
Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc takes a back seat to Josh O'Connor's Father Jud, and that is more than okay, as Josh totally steals the show. I just wish Thomas Haden Church had been given more to do. Wake Up Dead Man is a hilarious and entertaining film with lots of great actors all doing their thing, and sometimes that's all you need. (The Thursday Murder Club also does this nicely.)
The unique viewpoint this film takes to showing a soldier's life after service and how difficult it can be to come to terms with PTSD has really stuck with me. I also appreciate that the film takes a female perspective and gives the protagonist a full life beyond her service and PTSD, allowing her to find purpose and community on her own terms.
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