Today’s the end of the road of 2016 movies I never reviewed earlier… Miles Ahead…Don Cheadle used Kickstarter to get his labor-of-love film financed (something people apparently do even when they can afford to finance it themselves), and I wish this Miles Davis biopic had done a better job of explaining why Miles was such a jazz…
Category: Monday Morning Movie Reviewer
Why “Weiner” is the Best Film of 2016 (and “Hacksaw Ridge” the Worst)
Following up on my “Best of 2016” rankings, I didn’t post proper reviews of “Weiner” or “Hacksaw Ridge” before the listings in order to keep things a surprise. I thought I would expand a little bit on both… Hacksaw Ridge: It’s true that I may stand alone among critics in listing this as one of…
Every 2016 Movie From Worst to Best
It’s a proud Alabama Liberal tradition to rank all of a completed year’s movies from worst to best—beat that paid-critics with your limited “Top 10” lists—and as always there’s just a few qualifiers: 1. Just because movies share the same letter grade (like a C grade) doesn’t mean they’re equal, and the rankings reflect which movies of…
Movie Review: Why “Loving” Succeeds
People know my feelings on interracial relationships and Hollywood’s usually dismal representation of them. And so they may look at the headline of this article and say “Really? ‘Loving’ is better than ‘Moonlight’ and a lot better than ’13th?’ We knew you were going to love it, but you honestly think it’s better than any…
Movie Review: Why “Moonlight” Mostly Succeeds
“Moonlight” is about a young, gay boy growing up in Miami around a scene of drug dealers and drug addicts. Some have nicknamed it “Brokeback in the Hood” but that may take away from just what kind-of movie it is and how little actual homosexual content is in it. What Works: Mahershala Ali continues his great…
Movie Review: Why “13th” Mostly Fails
Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) seems to be building a solid career out of wildly-overrated civil-rights centric movies. But the same way “Selma” was a little too artificial and naggingly self-conscious of how important it is, “13th” never lets you forget that it’s supposed to be important, even as it’s actually kind-of a step backwards in how we talk…
Movie Review: The Arrival
Have you ever wanted to see an alien invasion film not much less soothing than a commercial for candles? “The Arrival” is your surest bet, and I know that sounds like a slam but it’s hands-down the most satisfying aliens movie in years. What Works: Every Fall for the last few years, there’s a “thinking person’s” sci-fi film…
Movie Reviews: Hologram for the King, How to be Single, Sing Street
Three very different 2016 comedies that kick off “7 reviews in 7 minutes” day… A Hologram for the King…A movie I loved because of the very things that may alienate some viewers: it’s quiet and non-flashy and the best moments happen so subtly that you may miss what really makes them work. Tom Hanks has been in…
Movie Reviews: Dark Horse, Into the Inferno, The Ivory Trade
Three very different documentaries centered around nature or animals and the last grouping of my “30 reviews in 30 minutes” (woo-hoo! My hands can rest!)… Dark Horse…A working-class British lot go in together and buy a racing horse, cracking into the upper-crust world of competitive horse racing. A beautiful and stirring film that may be…
Movie Reviews: Free State of Jones, I Saw the Light, Genius
Three very different biopics… Free State of Jones…The most misunderstood movie of 2016. “Jones” wants to really get at the “What’s the Matter with [Red State]?” question in a contemporary way by exploring a Southern rebellion against the confederacy. If you hate Trickle Down Economics, and want to see the seeds of it in “Plantation…
Movie Reviews: The Hollars, Other People
Two very different takes on similar material (a guy living in NYC has to go back to his parents house when his mom gets sick). The Hollars…A very generic script gets immediate life with the terrific performance of Margo Martindale as the dying mother. She almost single-handedly elevates the material (which is hampered by every…
Movie Reviews: The Wild Life, Angry Birds, Moana
Some animated films that range from terrific to terrible… The Wild Life…One of the worst mainstream animated films I’ve seen in a long time. The film’s climax—in which an army of feral army cats try to eat the rest of the main cast—is endless and nearly unwatchable. Grade: D Angry Birds…A movie I thought would be…
Movie Reviews: Barry, The Do-Over, Spectral, Blue Jay, Memoirs of an Assassin
Netflix is making a big push into the original films game, but judging by this crop they may want to rethink that… The Do-Over…Pretty much unwatchable. The first third is the best part, but even that’s only below average. Once Sandler and Spade have teamed up with Paula Patton (gee, do you think wm/bw couples…