Tag: Drama

Oppenheimer Explores Guilt, Crisis of Conscience in Fusion of Biopic and Tense Procedural Drama

A three-hour biographical drama shot partially in black-and-white does not usually sound like a recipe for a mid-summer theatrical release, but the formula for blockbuster success changes when director Christopher Nolan is involved. His latest film seeks to…

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Earth Mama Has an Important Story but Can Be a Tedious Watch (Sundance Film Festival)

Earth Mama tells the tale of Gia (Tia Nomore), a single mother who has lost her two children Trey (Ca’Ron Coleman) and Shaynah (Alexis Rivas) to foster care amidst her drug addiction and struggle with poverty. Gia seeks…

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Past Lives Powerfully Brings Love to the Big Screen, in All Its Glory and Pain

“If you leave something behind, you gain something too.” Past Lives follows the connection between Na Young (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo), two children who befriend each other in South Korea but lose contact with each…

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Flamin’ Hot is a Classic Feel Good Movie, For Better or Worse

Flamin’ Hot is an autobiographical look at the story of Richard Montanez (Jesse Garcia), the son of a Mexican immigrant, who becomes a janitor at Frito-Lay after his wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez) becomes pregnant with their first child…

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L’Immensita’s Story Fails to Match the Strength of Its Themes (Sundance Film Festival)

Set in 1970s Rome, L’Immensita tells the tale of Adriana (Luana Giuliani), the oldest daughter of Felice (Vincenzo Amaro) and Clara (Penélope Cruz) who are a couple in an unhappy and abusive marriage. As her parents struggle Adriana…

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You Hurt My Feelings Review (Sundance Film Festival)

You Hurt My Feelings follows novelist Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who is in the process of writing a new novel after her previous effort failed to make a big splash. Beth’s psychiatrist husband, Don (Tobias Menzies) supports his wife’s…

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Chevalier is a By-The-Numbers Biopic Saved By Its Cast

Chevalier sets out to tell the true tale of Joseph Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the illegitimate son of an African slave named Nanon (Ronke Adekoluejo) and French plantation owner George Bologne (Jim High). After his father recognizes his…

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Air is an Old School Crowd Pleasure about Shooting for the Stars

Air retells the story of the endorsement deal that changed fashion and sports when Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) worked within the running shoe athletic company Nike to put all their chips on the table in pursuit of incoming NBA…

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A Thousand and One is an Impressive, Twisty Look at Family Amidst Poverty and Struggle (Sundance Film Festival)

A Thousand and One finds us alongside Inez (Teyana Taylor), a young woman moving from shelter to shelter in mid-1990s New York City. As a result of her situation, she has lost her 6-year-old son Terry (portrayed as…

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Knock at the Cabin is an Engrossing Thriller That Asks Some Existential Questions

Director M. Night Shyamalan returns to the big screen with his latest film Knock at the Cabin. While couple Andrew (Ben Aldridge) and Eric (Jonathan Groff) are vacationing at a remote cabin in the woods with their young…

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