M. Night Shyamalan Is Back with the Box-Office Hit “Split”
FEBRUARY 21, 2017 It’s early in 2017, but we’ve already got a box-office story, and that story is “Split.’ January releases are usually dismissed to the trash heap as…
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The Civil Rights Struggle As Told Through the Voice of James Baldwin in the Bracing “I Am Not Your Negro”
FEBRUARY 15, 2017 I envy any moviegoer who sees writer James Baldwin on screen for the very first time. The esteemed writer had a presence when speaking before a…
The 10 Best Films of 2016
FEBRUARY 13, 2017 All right, I know we’re well into 2017, but sometimes it takes a while for ALL of the 2016 films to reach us here in the…
Oscar Front-Runner “Toni Erdmann” — Can Buck Teeth and a Fright Wig Bring a Family Together?
FEBRUARY 9, 2017 It’s the current favorite to win the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. Interested? Good. It’s from Germany. Still fine? It’s a comedy. Wait a minute. A…
In “20th Century Women,” Mike Mills Writes Great Characters But Doesn’t Know What to Do With Them
FEBRUARY 7, 2017 It’s a dictum heard in creative writing classes around the world. Whenever an aspiring writer asks “What should I write about?” the answer is always the…
After Seeing “Elle,” You’ll Never Forget Isabelle Huppert
FEBRUARY 2, 2017 Don’t let the nice lady with the kitty cat fool you. She is a woman with whom you do not want to mess. In fact, that…
Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch — How Worried Should We Be?
FEBRUARY 1, 2017 Photo: AP With showmanship that stopped just shy of including dancing Miss Universe contestants, President Trump on Tuesday unveiled his first pick to the U.S. Supreme…
“Hidden Figures” — A Crowd-Pleaser That’s Actually Pretty Good
JANUARY 31, 2017 crowd-pleas·er noun noun: crowd-pleaser; plural noun: crowd-pleasers; noun: crowdpleaser; plural noun: crowdpleasers a person or thing with great popular appeal. Unless you’ve been living in an…
Think It’s Bad Now? Trump’s Just Getting Started
JANUARY 30, 2017 Photo: Getty For the second weekend in a row, Americans poured out of their homes and into the streets to say “No!” to yet another action…
Natalie Portman in “Jackie,” A Film That Has Balls of Steel
JANUARY 25, 2017 As Tuesday’s Academy Awards nominations demonstrated, there are a number of 2016 films that have definitely taken some chances. Best Documentary nominee “O.J.: Made in America”…
