Movie Reviews

The Story: Between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, current Ant-Man Scott Lang reteams with new Wasp Hope Van Dyne and original Ant-Man Hank Pym to rescue original Wasp Janet Van Dyne from the Quantum Realm. The Lowdown: A fun — and funny — superhero spectacle that tactfully avoids getting bogged down in mythology and epic…

The Story: A young woman must save her teen brother from violent civilians and government goons as the first experiment in temporary lawlessness gets underway. The Lowdown: A tepid prequel that contributes color — but not much else — to the popular politically minded torture porn franchise.

In Brief: Considering the recent recension of Saudi Arabia's ban on female drivers, it seems like a good time to revisit writer/director Haifaa Al-Mansour's Wadjda. The first feature film shot in Saudi Arabia, as well as the first to be directed by a woman, this story of a rebellious young Saudi girl trying to buy a bicycle easily…

In Brief: Easily the best-known work of Swedish silent-era auteur Victor Sjöström, 1921's The Phantom Carriage still packs a punch. Although most notable for its innovative special effects work, courtesy of cinematographer Julius Jaenzon (credited here under as “J. Julius”), The Phantom Carriage is no slouch in the narrative department. Jaenzon's use of double exposure perfectly captures the otherworldly, supernatural elements of…

The Story: The life story of superstar Whitney Houston, as told by her friends, family and music industry insiders. The Lowdown: A loving tribute to the late singer that never truly gets to the heart of who she really was, relying on the almost Rashomon-like memories of those closest to her.

The Story: The story of prominent street artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's early career is told from perspective of those who knew him. The Lowdown: A solid but slight documentary that provides breadth but not depth in its examination of an influential artist.

The Story: In early 20th-century Russia, an affluent family deals with desire and jealousy. The Lowdown: A beautifully shot and stylish film that suffers from a certain amount of unevenness in its acting.

The Story: A lovelorn man attempts to track down the love of his life after they're separated, but not everything is as it seems. The Lowdown: A chronically confused Coen brothers knockoff that starts out strong but fizzles fast.

The Story: A government agent is tasked with starting a war between Mexican drug cartels in the wake of a terrorist attack by kidnapping the daughter of one syndicate's scion and pinning it on the other. The Lowdown: An overwrought and unnecessary sequel lacking the ideological nuance of its predecessor.

The Story: An elderly street-ball legend comes out of obscurity to get his old team back together for a tournament. The Lowdown: A chintzy comedy with surprisingly assured performances and a kind center to it.

In Brief: Writer-actress Agnes Jaoui’s directorial debut is a deliciously funny and insightful comedy about people’s varied tastes and perceptions, especially perceptions of other people. There’s scarcely a false note in the film, which is impeccably photographed and directed in an unusual (for an essentially intimate film) yet intelligent use of wide-screen. The Taste of Others is…

In Brief: Clocking in at a tight 81 minutes, John Sturges' Bad Day at Black Rock (1954) is everything you don't expect from a John Sturges movie. It's taut, tense, and it doesn't dawdle. The film is an expression of the increasingly leftist slant that MGM had taken after Dore Schary had managed to oust…

The Story: A lionizing look at the life and legacy of PBS children's show host Fred Rogers. The Lowdown: An emotionally evocative tribute to a man who dedicated his career to selflessly helping children cope with an increasingly intimidating world, rendering an intimate portrait of a human being every inch as genuine as his public persona would…

The Story: Four Kentucky college students plan to rob the campus library, with the scheme quickly spiraling out of control faster than than the first-time criminals can handle. The Lowdown: The best quasi-docu-comedy of the year so far about a gang of not-quite criminal masterminds stealing rare books.

The Story: A young Rinpoche and his caretaker undertake a perilous journey to Tibet in the hopes of reuniting the boy with the monastery he led in a previous incarnation. The Lowdown: An emotionally stirring character study that shows admirable restraint on the part of its documentarians but also stubbornly defies expectations.

The Story: A single dad tries to reconnect with his daughter before she leaves for college by starting a band with her. The Lowdown: While the performances are solid, a lack of real, earned emotion and an airlessness in its musical side hurt a nice little film.

The Story: The dinosaurs of Isla Nublar must be rescued from a volcanic eruption, but the financiers of the operation may have motives that are not altogether altruistic. The Lowdown: A distinctly strange but not particularly compelling entry in a franchise that seems to have better chances of surviving extinction than the dinosaurs ever did.

In Brief: Francis Ford Coppola’s feature directing debut, Dementia 13, may not be perfect, but it is essential viewing for the horror completist. Co-written by Coppola with pre-eminent schlockmeister Jack Hill (Spider Baby, Foxy Brown) and produced by the venerable Roger Corman, this film is arguably the genesis of the slasher subgenre. Sure, it’s got its…

In Brief: Roman Polanski's little-seen — and much-maligned — 1972 film, What?, is undeniably one of the director's strangest works. In essence, it's a variation on Alice in Wonderland — except played out in surrealistic terms as a sex comedy. It's no wonder that no one seemed to know what to do with it or how…

In Brief: Frank Capra was no stranger to screwball comedy, and It Happened One Night (1934) is considered by some to be the progenitor of the subgenre. Potentially the best-known — if not necessarily the best — of Capra's comedic works, it's as charming and breezy as it is silly and cynical. Neither as outright funny as Capra's later comedies or as…

The Story: The Parr family, also known as the superhero team The Incredibles, fight to regain the legality of their collective avocation as a mysterious villain known as Screenslaver threatens to undermine their efforts. The Lowdown: Visually stunning but narratively regressive, director Brad Bird's return to Pixar lacks the punch of its predecessor.