Lee Daniels chooses to open his biopic on Billie Holiday’s life provocatively – with an image of grotesque violence and inhumanity. A lynching. A horrifying act of hatred that Holiday lyricized in the song “Strange Fruit.” In 1937, the year where a bill to ban the lynching of African Americans
Movie Reviews
Sundance 2021 Reviews: Passing, The World to Come
PASSING As the daughter of a light-skinned biracial woman, and whose African American maternal side had been passing as white for generations, it’s fitting that Rebecca Hall chose Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel, Passing, to both adapt to screen and make her directorial debut. Racial passing was a way for African Americans
Promising Young Woman Review: Emerald Fennell’s Debut Feature Veers From the Sweet Tale of Revenge It Promises
In Charles Laughton’s, The Night of the Hunter, the film’s misogynistic serial killer protagonist, Rev. Harry Powell, says, “Not that you mind the killings. Your book is full of killings. But there are things you do hate, Lord. Perfume-smelling things. Lacy things. Things with curly hair.” Writer-director Emerald Fennell perfectly
Wolfwalkers Review: The Best And Most Beautiful Animated Movie Of The Year
The search for the next Studio Ghibli is neverending. Though the answer is not one you can pinpoint easily, the latest film from the acclaimed Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, Wolfwalkers, feels like a strong contender. Taking visual cues from The Tale of Princess Kaguya and with a narrative that feels
Safety Review: A Heartwarming Tale of Brotherly Love
Black Bear Review: A Hilariously Chaotic, Gripping, Shocking, and Emotional Story of Artist and Muse
The sound of water moving to the gentle kiss of wind normally signals tranquillity. Our favorite lake, favorite beach, the place we want to run to for respite. But in an introduction with a score resembling Tibetan meditation music rising to create something much more piercing, and Aubrey Plaza’s blank
Mank Review: A Gorgeous Movie About Legacy And Failure That’s Devoid Of Emotion
Happiest Season Review: Director Clea DuVall Makes History and the Yuletide Gay With the Best Rom-Com of the Year
Run Review: Aneesh Chaganty’s New Thriller Sets the Standard for Disability Representation in Film
The Witches Review: The Robert Zemeckis Re-Imagining Is a Hot, Camp Mess
When Roald Dahl saw the film adaptation of his novel, The Witches, in 1990, he called it “utterly appalling.” With a roster of world-class artists like director Robert Zemeckis taking a crack at adapting the classic work to film alongside Guillermo del Toro and Black-ish writer Kenya Barris, also with
FAREWELL AMOR Review: A Family Drama That Comes Full Circle!
Farewell Amor takes a delicate look at an immigrant family that is reunited after being separated for 17 years and find themselves forever changed. Written and directed by Ekwa Msangi (Dollar Van), I screened it at the 2020 Urbanworld Film Festival. Farewell Amor is a story broken down into the three perspectives of our main
‘The Devil All the Time’ Is an Explosive But Laborious Tale of Generational Violence
ENOLA HOLMES Review: Slow Build Pays off in surprisingly rewarding ways!
Enola Holmes, the anticipated film based on The Enola Holmes Mysteries book series from author Nancy Springer, centers the youngest Holmes sibling, Enola (Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things), on a quest to find their mother, Eudoria (Helena Bohnam Carter, The Crown). On Enola’s 16th birthday, Eudoria disappears, forcing Enola to reunite with her big
DEFINITION PLEASE Review: Sujata Day’s Debut Feature Is A Must See Film!
Written, directed, and starring Sujata Day (Insecure), Definition Please follows Day’s Monica Chowdry, 15 years after winning the 2005 Scribbs national spelling bee. Monica stays in her hometown of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to care for her ailing mother, Jaya (Anna Khaja, The Good Place), after the untimely death of her father.
Chemical Hearts Review: Follows Familiar Tropes for Introspective Resonance
“You’re never more alive than when you’re a teenager,” a voice over offers. In the past, teenage angst followed the John Hughes formula: a bevvy of teens with different personalities melding together with explosive results. The teens usually harbored dreams of rebellion against the uptight authority figures domineering over their
I Used to Go Here Review: Kris Rey’s Latest Comedy Tackles Millennial Trials
Fatal Affair Review: Gives Us Hollywood Royalty Without Unconventional Twists
Fatal Affair is the story of a torrid make-out session and an almost sexual encounter turned deadly obsession. A thriller that follows brilliant and successful lawyer Ellie Warren (Nia Long, Love Jones), and her architect husband Marcus (Stephen Bishop, Being Mary Jane), who has just moved from San Francisco to Oceancrest,
The Old Guard Review: A Cookie-Cutter Action Thriller That Is Saved By A Kick-Ass Charlize Theron And Intriguing Mythology
Relic Review: Relic Is Morbidly Gripping, Yet Ruminatively Poignant
Kay (Emily Mortimer) arrives with her daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) to her family home in search of Kay’s missing mother Edna (Robyn Nevin). Set in Australia, and surrounded by forest, mother-and-daughter discover a house in disrepair. Filled with rotting fruit; cryptic post-it notes; and disused tennis court, the now once
“Miss Juneteenth Authentically Tackles the Complexities, Expectations, and Sacrifices of Black Motherhood”
Written and directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples (Writer, Queen Sugar), Miss Juneteenth debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and I was lucky enough to attend the premiere. From its deeply complex performances to some of the beautifully lit imagery choices and the rich scenes that eloquently depict the struggles
Shirley Review: Elisabeth Moss Fights for Her Spot at the Oscars in a Spellbinding Tribute to Shirley Jackson
How to Build a Girl Review: Beanie Feldstein Is Exuberant in a Coming-Of-Age Tale That’s Flattened By Its Message
Based on the best selling semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Caitlin Moran, director Coky Giedroyc, mostly known for her work in television, brings How to Build a Girl to screen. It’s the story of Johanna Morrigan, a British teenager growing up in 1990s Wolverhampton who reinvents herself as
Beastie Boys Story Documentary Review
I had the opportunity to watch Apple TV+ new documentary Beastie Boys Story. The documentary covers one of the highest-selling rap bands in the early 90s but most importantly the 40-year friendship between the members of Beastie Boys. Directed by Academy Award winner Spike Jonze, this live documentary voiced by
