“Shirley,” the 2024 film written and directed by John Ridley(“12 Years A Slave”), astutely pays tribute to the trailblazing legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to the United States Congress and the first Black major-party candidate for President of the United States. Like last year’s film “Rustin,” we have another historically accurate […]
You don’t have to know much about Shia LeBeouf to recognize him as the character Lucas Hedges is portraying in the opening montage. “Honey Boy,” is penned by LeBeouf, is about his difficult childhood with his father. The kicker is LeBeouf is playing his dad in one of the most gut-wringing supporting male performances this
“Waves” first act is a roller coaster of emotion. It’s the editing that lifts you very high on this ride as you wait for the inevitable fall. Houston filmmaker Trey Edward Shults (“Krisha,” “It Comes At Night”), returns in his most solid film yet. The trailer is selling you “Moonlight,” but “Waves” is offering you
Peter Hedges’ (“Pieces of April”) new film has a genius teaser trailer showing Julia Roberts emotionally embracing her son, played by Lucas Hedges. The rest of the film and its many surprise narrative turns you will have to see for yourself. A string of films debuted about families dealing with addiction. “Ben is Back” is
Calling “Boy Erased” an emotional or powerful film doesn’t do it justice. Actor, writer, director, and producer Joel Edgerton (“The Gift,” “Loving”) delivers the type of film that can permanently change lives. “Boy Erased” takes a devastating look at conversion therapy as a “cure” for homosexuality. It’s a hard film to watch, but the remarkable
Jonah Hill is now a filmmaker. The Oscar-nominated actor (The Wolf of Wall Street) has joined the slew of young actors sliding into the director’s chair. The vile, immature antics we’ve come to expect from Hill on screen (Superbad, 21 Jump Street) are still here in this skateboarding nostalgia trip appropriately titled Mid 90’s. It doesn’t
What the trailer makes look like a comedy is surprisingly very sad. From writer/director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths) comes another ambitiously vulgar, sarcastically brilliant script that audience’s familiar with his work will admire. His screenplays are always the highlight of the film, due to their provocative language, and I don’t just mean curse
After her relentless on-screen presence, playing the same characters in every movie, Greta Gerwig makes her directorial debut. The original screenplay based on her love of home in Sacramento, is what you would expect from the “Mistress America” actress. Yet, somehow with Oscar nominated Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn”) playing a version of Gerwig, it’s far more
Some films have the disadvantage of being hailed an awards contender as early as January when they debut at The Sundance Film Festival. Meaning, they must carry that stigma, which turns into hype, raising expectations to an unattainable level. Manchester By the Sea is the third film from writer/director Kenneth Lonergan (You Can Count on