Movie Reviews

In Brief: The great Frank Capra’s most ambitious and disturbing film, Meet John Doe is possibly more relevant today than when it first appeared in 1941. The idea of a completely media-fabricated celebrity — raised almost to the level of deity and used as a tool for political gain — probably seemed pretty fantastic then. Of…

The Story: The mother of a murdered child throws her small town into chaos when she rents three billboards on a rural stretch of road to prod the local authorities into prioritizing her daughter's case. The Lowdown: An improbably compelling and complex character study that may be Martin McDonagh's first true must-see movie.

The Story: A young aspiring musician finds himself cast into the land of the dead on a quest to reunite with the spirit of his great-great-grandfather. The Lowdown: A touching story told with remarkable visual flair that imparts important lessons about death and family while exposing kids to Mexican cultural traditions.

The Story: An idealistic lawyer finds his ideals challenged when the death of his law partner forces him into a world of moral turpitude. The Lowdown: A good film that never reaches the heights of which it was capable, tackling important issues without successfully addressing them due to a bloated script and frustrating conclusion.

In Brief: Merry Christmas from the Asheville Film Society with Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (yes, the same Bob Clark who made A Christmas Story). What better way to celebrate the season than with the original “slasher” picture? Yes, Black Christmas pretty much started it all — predating Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980) and A Nightmare…

The Story: A teen struggles to define her identity as she navigates the social pressures of late adolescence. The Lowdown: An utterly beguiling portrait of early adulthood that avoids the saccharine navel-gazing so typical of the coming-of-age genre while simultaneously establishing writer/director Greta Gerwig as a cinematic force to be reckoned with.

The Story: A wealthy museum curator sets off a chain of minor disasters when he tries to recover his stolen cellphone and wallet. The Lowdown: An existential cringe comedy that skewers the modern art world while expressing a deeper disdain for the posturing of those who populate it — a black comedy with a social conscience.

The Story: A young boy with facial differences finds himself in public school for the first time and must traverse the difficulties of being different. The Lowdown: While nothing special, here's a gentle, kind little film about understanding that doesn't get too manipulative.

The Story: Batman recruits a team of metahuman superheroes to combat an alien threat to terrestrial life. The Lowdown: A perfunctory and redundant comic book cash grab that fails on multiple levels.

The Story: Bo, a recently escaped mill donkey dreaming of a better life, is adopted by the biblical Mary and Joseph and accompanies them — along with his other animal friends and enemies — to the birth of their son, Jesus. The Lowdown: A weird and off-putting story conceit that doesn't add anything new to…

In Brief: The first of French Avant-garde director Jean Cocteau's films, Le Sange d'un Poete (1932) may not carry the same level of esteem as his later works such as La Belle et la Bête (1946), but it's a fascinating artifact nonetheless. Yes, it may be a little rough around the edges, but Cocteau's literary sensibilities and Surrealist tendencies are…

In Brief: You can probably bump Ingmar Bergman’s 1975 film up a half star if you happen to like the opera by Mozart. I have to admit that I’m not fond of it, and that prevents me from fully enjoying this unquestionably brilliant version of the work. It does not prevent me from admiring Bergman’s handling…

In Brief: As someone who grew under the shadow of Cold War brinksmanship, I was really hoping that the concerns raised in Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) could be relegated to the trash heap of cultural artifacts alongside bellbottoms and disco. Sadly, this was not to…

The Story: In 1927 New York, Rose runs away from home to see her favorite movie star on Broadway, while in 1977, Ben searches the city for details about his long-lost father.  The Lowdown: An underrated master delivers one of the best films of the year.

The Story: Author A.A. Milne creates a cherished series of stories based on his son's toys in an attempt to cope with his own trauma. The Lowdown: Often treacly and superficial but seldom overtly objectionable.

The Story: World-renowned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is confronted with a challenging mystery when a man turns up dead on a train with a dozen compelling suspects. The Lowdown: If you like the original novel or the Sydney Lumet version from the '70s, chances are you'll find this acceptable — if somewhat pointless.

The Story: Two dads try and navigate the holidays when their fathers (both of whom carry wholly different personalities) come to visit. The Lowdown: What should simply be a dumb, forgettable comedy is instead one imbued with the unfortunate task of trying to soften Mel Gibson's image, something that makes the endeavor feel a bit unseemly.

In Brief: The specters of Max Fleischer, Tex Avery, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Jacques Tati hang heavily over Triplets (there’s even a poster for Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday on the wall of an apartment); it’s the mixing of these elements that’s unique, and clearly Chomet’s vision. The director doesn’t merely copy his inspirations; he creates his own takes…

In Brief: Good Night, and Good Luck marked George Clooney's second time as a director — and taken in connection with his first film, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) — it seemed to firmly establish Clooney as a major filmmaker. Then came Leatherheads (2008), The Ides of March (2011) and this year's The Monuments…

In Brief: Curtis Harrington is one of the most overlooked talents of the mid-century cinema, and Night Tide (1961) may well be his masterpiece of movie marginalia. And though it has been marginalized, it’s far from trivial — this evocative mood piece carries the mantle of producer Val Lewton more justifiably than almost any other modern…