Tag: Social Commentary
Nickel Boys is Impeccably Crafted and Emotional
Nickel Boys tells the story of Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse), a young man in Florida who dreams of going to technical school while being raised by his grandmother Hattie (Aunjanue Ellis). His dreams are shattered after accepting a…
Read More »The Substance Uses the Grotesque to Question Our Vanity
Human beings have long pondered their vitality and how to deal with aging. This goes doubly so for women due to the pressures they face to remain physically attractive for as long as possible, with their worth often…
Read More »Nicole Kidman Shines in Babygirl’s Tale of Power and Vulnerability
The erotic thriller has been a critically endangered species in modern cinema, with the once prolific genre almost completely disappearing from movie theaters. Writer/director Halina Reijn is looking to change this with her latest effort. Babygirl introduces us…
Read More »Wicked Mostly Hits Its Marks
Following decades of popularity after its Broadway debut, the stage play Wicked, based on a 1995 novel, is finally making its way to the big screen courtesy of Crazy Rich Asians director John M. Chu. Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo)…
Read More »The Order is Topical but a Bit By The Numbers (Middleburg Film Festival)
Real life events are used to power a new crime thriller hitting cineplexes. Based on the 1989 book entitled The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, The Order places us alongside FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) who after…
Read More »Nightbitch is an Entertaining, Revelatory Exploration of the Pressures of Motherhood (Middleburg Film Festival)
Following lots of hype surrounding Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel coming to the big screen and the potential of a performance from Amy Adams finally garnering her an Oscar, the trailer for Marielle Heller’s new film Nightbitch deflated a…
Read More »Emilia Pérez is a Pleasant Surprise That Effectively Melds Social Commentary, Drama, and Music Together (Middleburg Film Festival)
Multiplexes have been riddled with the remnants of musicals past in recent years with some having succeeded, like 2023’s Wonka, and others crashing and burning like Joker Folie á Deux earlier this year. Audiences have had mixed reactions…
Read More »Conclave Is an Engrossing Political Thriller That Also Deftly Explores Religion (Middleburg Film Festival)
Coming off of the success of 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front, director Edward Berger returns to cinema with the adaptation of a 2016 novel. Conclave finds us alongside Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) following the sudden…
Read More »Anora Mixes Comedy and Drama to Explore The Psyche of Dancers (Middleburg Film Festival)
Winter/director Sean Baker is back with a new film that stays close to his trademark penchant for realistic portrayals of working class segments of society not often explored that has been buzzing on the film festival circuit. Anora is…
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Pamela Anderson Shines in The Last Showgirl (Middleburg Film Festival)
The passage of time, particularly for women, has been a theme in 2024’s film slate and the movies that explore this have been buoyed by notable performances from star actress past who have moved onto their latter life…
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