He wanted Spectre to be his last. In a 2015 interview with Britain’s Time Out, Daniel Craig memorably did not mince words when asked about the prospects of making another James Bond film under Eon Productions. “I’m over it at … Continue reading “No Time to Die” has No Time to Waste
It seems like a tall order to premiere one year after The Crown Season Four. That season introduced Lady Diana to the series, from her assimilation into the Royal Family to the media frenzy that hounded her marriage with Prince … Continue reading Princess on the Edge: A Review of “Spencer”
To reveal the final line won’t really be a spoiler. It’s technically a mirroring of fact. Aside from the film being subtitled “Part One”, it was also revealed to cover only the first two-thirds of the book. So, even with … Continue reading Sandwalking in the Right Direction: A Review of “Dune: Part One”
A Review of Marvel Entertainment’s Black Widow Anyone who knows what transpired in Avengers: End Game is bound to wonder: “Why now?” or “Why start Phase Four with this?” Then again, it’s quite obvious. This is Scarlett Johansson’s final hurrah … Continue reading The Perils of Family Espionage
A Review of “A Quiet Place Part II” We didn’t really ask for a sequel. Apparently, neither did John Krasinski, who was content with his 2018 directorial debut being a one-off. Well, obviously, studio wishes prevailed and Krasinski’s sentiments soon … Continue reading Of Sustained Muffled Terrors
A Review of Amazon Studios’ “Cinderella“. From growing up in Havana (Oh-Na-Na) to storming the pop charts, Camila Cabello’s life can be categorized as a Cinderella story itself. It feels apt for her to be top-billing one, and it also … Continue reading Cinderella Adaptation Fatigue
A Review of “Stillwater” It’s hard not to be swayed by the controversy. Tom McCarthy’s Stillwater purports to be loosely based on Amanda Knox, a student imprisoned in Italy for four years after being accused of the 2007 murder of … Continue reading The Downside of “Loosely Based”
A Review of A24’s The Green Knight. Sir Gawain is an underrated Knight. He’s not as popular as the queen-snatching Lancelot or the grail-spotting Galahad, but he was always closest to King Arthur in both affinity and blood. In that … Continue reading How to Twist an Arthurian Epic
A Review of Disney’s Jungle Cruise. It’s futile to nitpick the prevalence of CGI in this movie, given how the ride relies greatly on fake fauna. In the first place, it’s what makes the attraction so popular. It’s the illusion … Continue reading Cruising in Circles
A Review of Disney’s Cruella D: Craig GillespieS: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Kayvan Novak, Kirby Howell Baptiste, Mark Strong, John McCrea Of course, this isn’t the first time a Disney villain headlined a live action … Continue reading Spotty But Worthwhile
Much as it bodes well to see Amanda Seyfried in a new movie soon after her Oscar run, herein lies the gamble. Anything that follows her career-defining turn in Mank is bound to pale in comparison. And that’s exactly what … Continue reading “Things Heard and Seen” in a Tepid Horror
It’s only natural for fans of Stranger Things to wonder what the kids have been up to, especially with Season Four still languishing in the Upside Down. Well, obviously, they’re no longer kids. So, it remains to be seen how … Continue reading “Concrete Cowboy” is Compelling Counterculture Yarn
PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, PERSONIFIED. Regina King nailed her description of newbie feature director Emerald Fennell as a “Promising Young Woman”. That, of course, is the title of Fennell’s film, which would win Best Original Screenplay minutes later. And in a … Continue reading Highlights from the 93rd Oscars
BEST SOUNDGreyhoundMankNews of the WorldSoulSound of Metal In case you missed it, the Sound categories are merged again this year. Last time that happened was 1981, with The Empire Strikes Back winning the award. 40 years later, it’s interesting to … Continue reading My Oscars 2021 Wish List, Part Two
After a two-month delay, which resulted to the eligibility period being stretched up to February, the Oscars is finally pushing through. This year’s ceremony promises to feel different for reasons we all know by now, especially with Steven Soderbergh (himself … Continue reading My Oscars 2021 Wish List, Part One
There’s a reason Florian Zeller wanted only Anthony Hopkins for the part. Had it gone another way, this film wouldn’t even exist. And it goes beyond the protagonist also being named Anthony and also being born one day shy of … Continue reading “The Father” Thrives in Disjointed Nuance
The word “moxie” is synonymous to spunk, courage, and strength of character. It is for that reason it became the title of a 2015 chick-lit novel by Jennifer Mathieu. That book was only a moderate hit. But that was enough … Continue reading “Moxie”: Muddled Woke-ness
It’s not that the workaround can still be considered novel, since many studios have followed suit. But just the same, it warrants the distinction. Malcolm & Marie is among the first American films to be conceptualized, produced, and completed entirely … Continue reading “Malcolm & Marie”: Defies Restrictions, Goes Overboard
ICE CREAM AND THE SOUND OF RAINDROPS (Feature/Tokyo International Film Festival). When their staging of Simon Stephens’ “Morning” gets shelved, a young theater troupe continues with rehearsals and starts internalizing their characters in real life. This one-take wonder feels like … Continue reading FilmFest Log: We Are One, Days 7 -10
TICKET OF NO RETURN (Feature/Berlin International Film Festival). Anyone who’s seen, or has attempted to see, Holy Motors might be inclined to check out this underrated 1979 classic, the first of German director Ulrike Ottinger‘s Berlin Trilogy. It follows a lonely and enigmatic woman, known only … Continue reading FilmFest Log: We Are One, Days 4-6
Planet Chuckie 