Directed by Phil Morrison The walls are very thin in the North Carolina home where much of Junebug takes place. It's a quietly crowded place, welcoming home the prodigal son, George (Alessandro Nivola) and his new wife, Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz). George's younger brother, Johnny (Ben McKenzie) remains at home with his pregnant wife, the effervescent, tragic … Continue reading Junebug (2005)
For All Mankind (1989)
Directed by Al Reinert For All Mankind is a different kind of space movie. It's as awe-inspiring as movies like Apollo 13 (of which Al Reinert was a co-writer) and the recent documentary Apollo 11, but where so much of those movies were instilled with the inherent drama of traveling through the vacuum of space, this one … Continue reading For All Mankind (1989)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Directed by Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck For some reason the appeal behind superhero origin stories finally clicked while watching this movie. It's obligatory at this point, the hero discovers or learns to harness his/her powers, they defeat the villain, and they probably make a few new friends along the way. It's essentially a coming of … Continue reading Captain Marvel (2019)
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Directed by John Madden Shakespeare in Love plays like a Shakespearean play, namely Romeo & Juliet. There's the central love story, the forces that work against them (like a suitor, old English mafia, the playwright's rival) and then the bitter, tragic end. Knowing what the film was trying to do makes it, to me, a … Continue reading Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Directed by Tim Burton When you think of a Tim Burton film you might be picturing Sleepy Hollow. It's maybe not his most noteworthy film, but the autumn landscape of this movie is decidedly, uniquely Tim Burton. It's gothic and dark but not as scary as such things would usually seem to be. This has the … Continue reading Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Fighting With My Family (2019)
Directed by Stephen Merchant Fighting With My Family lets you know right up front that it's based on a true story, something I promptly forgot until we see footage of those real people alongside the end credits. It's the story of a working class family from Norwich, England who loves wrestling. Brother and sister Zak … Continue reading Fighting With My Family (2019)
Apollo 13 (1995)
Directed by Ron Howard Around halfway through Apollo 13 there is an unexpected dream sequence. Astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) looks longingly at the moon as he, Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) orbit, seemingly close enough to reach out and tough the cold surface though unable to complete the planned descent to … Continue reading Apollo 13 (1995)
Apollo 11 (2019)
Directed by Todd Douglas Miller Apollo 11 is a riveting, a cinematic documentary that does away with talking heads, narration and outsider perspectives. This is a movie that, thanks to previously unseen footage, puts us right there on the ground floor with the astronauts, observers and mission control during the entirety of the Apollo 11 mission, … Continue reading Apollo 11 (2019)
Greta (2018)
Directed by Neil Jordan Greta is a modern, dark fairytale as well as a stylish stalker-thriller, though maybe those things now go hand in hand. It's pulpy, sensational, absurd and all around pretty wonderful, a genre movie with modest ambitions that delivers on what is promised. It starts bright and beautiful, with two friends, Frances … Continue reading Greta (2018)
Cast Away (2000)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis Because of its simplicity, performance and the relative restraint on the part of director Robert Zemeckis, Cast Away is a remarkable film. It tells the story of Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks), a FedEx worker who finds himself stranded on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, for over four years. The best … Continue reading Cast Away (2000)
