Where biopics are known to depict their subjects as larger-than-life figures to the detriment of their story and humanization, A Complete Unknown reckons with Bob Dylan’s enigmatic nature. James Mangold, who directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Jay Cocks, seems…
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The enigmatic, elusive genius of The Bard, Bob Dylan, has long fascinated the world, not at least filmmakers, D.A. Pennebaker, Martin Scorsese, Todd Haynes, John Hillcoat, and even the Coen Brothers (what is “Inside Llewyn Davis,” if not a what-if-he-failed…
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As a director, James Mangold is somewhat of a chameleon. When looking at his filmography, it’s hard to nail down what exactly makes a “Mangold movie.” This isn’t a knock on the director, but rather, proof that he’s very good…
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September 5 is a movie that has arrived at an interesting time. We’ve seen films depict the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis before, most notably Steven Spielberg's Munich. However, for obvious reasons, the timing of September 5's release makes it…
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“Motherland” – This 24 minute 21 second short dealt with a couple–an Iranian man and a girl from Iowa— who are meeting the girl’s in-laws for the first time. The Jasmin Mozaffari film is set against the backdrop of the…
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Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 is a testament to the filmmaker’s ability to weave personal morality with systemic dysfunction, delivering a legal thriller that’s as introspective as it is suspenseful. Featuring a nuanced script by Jonathan Abrams and a stellar ensemble…
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“His Mother,” a 13 minute and 39 second short film that is Oscar eligible, stars Jennifer Lawrence look-alike Bethany Anne Lind as the mother of a young man who is threatening violence at his college, Southern Tech. Young Harrison Miller, age…
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It's worth starting this review by saying I have read the Colson Whitehead novel Nickel Boys is based on, and very recently. In fact, it was the rapturous festival reactions to the film, many of which emphasized it as an…
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A valiant, if familiar addition to the “Lord Of The Rings” cinematic canon, the latest Tolkien-inspired film from the LOTR braintrust—Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh—an anime called ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ is in many cut from the…
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When it comes to expansions of The Lord of the Rings franchise, I'm much more inclined to embrace The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim than The Hunt for Gollum. At this stage of Hollywood's IP era,…
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Bobby Farrelly’s Dear Santa is a quirky Christmas comedy that dares to blend the holiday spirit with a dose of mischief, courtesy of a diabolically hilarious performance from Jack Black as Satan. With a unique premise, a spirited young lead,…
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Few films of the current century can claim to have the same-sized industry footprint that Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy has left on the industry. While many have tried, no other series of fantasy films has entirely…
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