ANOTHER INDIE SLEEPER: CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH
I wasn’t sure what to make of a movie called Cha Cha Real Smooth, but when I learned that it won the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival it earned my attention. Now I’m a proselytizer for the…
‘JERRY AND MARGE GO LARGE’ MADE ME SMILE
Not every movie can be, or should be, the equivalent of Top Gun: Maverick. Jerry and Marge Go Large may not win awards or earn a fortune, but it made me smile—and I don’t take that for granted, especially nowadays. Bravo to…
‘IT AIN’T OVER’: YOGI FINALLY GETS HIS DUE
Hey folks! I’m reposting this review because ‘It Ain’t Over’ is finally available for your viewing pleasure. In keeping with its long-standing policy, Sony Pictures Classics is opening the film in theaters only. If you’ve been reluctant to go…
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN: FOR OPTIMISTS ONLY
If you have a taste for offbeat British films (like The Duke) you’ll want to take note of The Phantom of the Open. The story is slim but sweet, and its leading actors capture the quirky sensibility of its unlikely protagonists. When…
JURASSIC WORLD: BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
I am a wimp, especially when it comes to “jump scares.” They get me every time—even the false alarms and fake-outs. There are enough of them in Jurassic World: Dominion to fill several films, which is just one reason the movie…
TOP GUN MAVERICK: THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
Why would anyone in today’s desirable moviegoing demo want to see a sequel to a 1986 film—even one as popular as Top Gun? The question becomes academic, if not downright moot, after watching this superior film. It’s hard to…
EMERGENCY: A MUST-SEE SUMMER SLEEPER
I’ve been hesitant to write anything about Emergency because I wish everyone could see the film as I did, knowing absolutely nothing about it ahead of time. Given that it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award and was nominated…
