Marisa Abela Can’t Save Upsetting ‘Back to Black’ Biopic

Marisa Abela Can’t Save Upsetting ‘Back to Black’ Biopic

By Alex McPherson Featuring excellent performances from Marisa Abela and Jack O’Connell, but otherwise coming across as a surface-level retelling of singer Amy Winehouse’s tumultuous... Details
Midnight Company Assembled A Mighty Fine ‘Spirits to Enforce’

Midnight Company Assembled A Mighty Fine ‘Spirits to Enforce’

By Lynn VenhausA daffy delight, “Spirits to Enforce” is a close encounter of the strange kind even in the make-believe world of theater. This shouldn’t... Details
Gosling and Blunt Elevate Amusing Spectacle in ‘The Fall Guy’

Gosling and Blunt Elevate Amusing Spectacle in ‘The Fall Guy’

By Alex McPherson Fun, charming, and heartfelt, albeit insubstantial, director David Leitch’s “The Fall Guy” is purely entertaining – letting us watch two hot leads... Details
Clever, Snappy ‘The Fall Guy’ Celebrates Unsung Stunt Workers

Clever, Snappy ‘The Fall Guy’ Celebrates Unsung Stunt Workers

By Lynn VenhausIts basket overflowing with clever Easter Eggs, “The Fall Guy” is an enormously entertaining action-packed valentine to moviemaking that gives stunt men a... Details
Martial Arts Mash-Up ‘Boy Kills World’ Has Strong Cast But Too Much Gore

Martial Arts Mash-Up ‘Boy Kills World’ Has Strong Cast But Too Much Gore

By Lynn Venhaus An ultra-violent wild and woolly “Boy Kills World” benefits from a strong cast, wit, and flashy moves, but is hurt by its... Details
Terrific Acting Trio Draws Us Into Upstream Theater’s Enigmatic ‘Don’t Wait for the Marlboro Man’

Terrific Acting Trio Draws Us Into Upstream Theater’s Enigmatic ‘Don’t Wait for the Marlboro Man’

By Lynn Venhaus Perhaps. That one little word changes everything in how we perceive “Don’t Wait for the Marlboro Man,” a cryptic collision of lifestyles... Details
Glossy and Messy, ‘Challengers’ Fumbles With Emotional Connection

Glossy and Messy, ‘Challengers’ Fumbles With Emotional Connection

By Lynn Venhaus Basically, Francois Truffaut’s “Jules and Jim” knockoff set in the highly competitive world of professional tennis, “Challengers” is a baffling vanity exercise... Details
Bodytraffic is a Road Trip Through the American Psyche and Beyond

Bodytraffic is a Road Trip Through the American Psyche and Beyond

By CB Adams The American music journalist, essayist and critic Robert Christgau astutely noted that “When bodies move in relation to a designed space, be... Details
‘Civil War’ is a Riveting Nightmare

‘Civil War’ is a Riveting Nightmare

By Alex McPherson Depicting a frightening near-future scenario, Alex Garland’s “Civil War” is a sincere ode to journalists, a chilling warning to take history seriously,... Details
Exemplary Cast Delivers Emotional Honesty in Prodigious ‘The Whale’

Exemplary Cast Delivers Emotional Honesty in Prodigious ‘The Whale’

By Lynn Venhaus Anyone who has experienced grief knows that moving forward, life is measured by “Before” and “After.” “The Whale” delves into the mental... Details