‘AIR’ GIVES MATT DAMON ROOM TO BREATHE
The only problem facing Air is that people may be expecting a bigger movie, as one might assume given that the ostensible subject is basketball superstar Michael Jordan. Here’s the truth: although the story revolves around him, Jordan isn’t really in the…
‘THE LOST KING’ IS A MOVIE WORTH SEEING
The line has been uttered more than once over the decades and it still holds true, no matter who first said it: there’s nothing wrong with the movie business that can’t be fixed by good movies. The industry cannot…
TURN EVERY PAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBERT GOTTLIEB AND ROBERT CARO
Speaking as a writer who has worked in the publishing world for decades, I view Turn Every Page as a true-life Superhero movie. This portrait of two legends—veteran book editor Bob Gottlieb and venerable biographer Robert Caro—offers a closeup look at…
CATCHING UP WITH RECENT MOVIES
December is the busiest month of the year for me, as it’s when I have to catch up with as many movies as possible. I vote in several year-end awards and polls and I want to make good choices,…
BABYLON: AN ELEPHANTINE TIME TRIP
Give Damien Chazelle credit for loving movies and Hollywood history. That’s what led him down the long and winding road to Babylon. But we all know what the road to hell is paved with, and this movie is a shining…
WOMEN TALKING: ONE OF A KIND
Sarah Polley has carved her own path, first as an actress and now as a filmmaker, having piloted a highly personal documentary (Stories We Tell) and two frank observational pieces about marriage (Take This Waltz, Away from Her). But…
AVATAR: ON THE CUTTING EDGE
I surrender. It’s easy to poke holes in James Cameron’s films because of awkward dialogue or glib characterizations or his propensity for staging climaxes to his climaxes. But I was completely taken in by Avatar: The Way of Water and overwhelmed…
