The Alternate (movie 2022): Partly set in a seemingly rosier parallel universe, Alrik Bursell’s sci-fi thriller is both clever and gripping. In the cast: Patrice Binaisa and Phillip Caires.
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Sylvie of the Sunshine State (movie 2022) review: Sasha Levinson’s mother and daughter documentary depicts the difficulties of parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic era.
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Pandemic Pillow Talk (series 2022): Summer Moore’s nutty and hilarious nine-episode web series revolves around the difficulties of dating during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Forty-Year-Old Version (movie 2020): Making her directorial feature debut, Radha Blank also stars in midlife-crisis tale that evokes memories of Woody Allen and Paul Mazursky.
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Trouble Is My Business (movie 2018) review: Tongue-in-cheek film noir homage evokes memories of classic Hollywood crime dramas like The Maltese Falcon.
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Detroit (movie 2017) review: Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s skillfull and well-intentioned docudrama is unsatisfying as both cinema and history. John Boyega and Will Poulter star.
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Christian Movies: Religious propaganda or mainstream entertainment? Especially since American cinema has always had major Judeo-Christian slant.
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Don’t Breathe (movie 2016): Don’t wet your seat while watching Stephen Lang and Dylan Minnette in Fede Alvarez’s clever and creepy Detroit-set horror thriller. Jane Levy costars.
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Captain America: Civil War
(movie 2016) review: Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr star in Joe and Anthony Russo’s clever take on superhero warfare. -
Chi-Raq (movie 2015) review: Spike Lee effectively provides a 21st-century setting to Aristophanes’ 2,400-year-old play. Teyonah Parris is Lysistrata.
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Room (movie 2015) review: Starring an effective Brie Larson, Lenny Abrahamson’s psychological drama provides an uncomfortable experience.
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Bread and Butter (movie 2014) review: Indie comedy-drama provides evidence that late-life virginity is detrimental to your emotional health.
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Lord Montagu (movie 2013) review: Real-life victim of British anti-gay bigotry went on to become a successful businessman and popular jet-setter.
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Teacher of the Year (movie 2014) review: Indie comedy presents its views on education in a cleverly humorous manner. Matt Letscher stars.
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Mad Max: Fury Road (movie 2015) review: Charlize Theron is the de facto ‘hero’ in George Miller’s post-apocalyptic actioner. Tom Hardy costars.
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Selma (movie 2014) review: Ava DuVernay’s ‘Martin Luther King Jr. in Alabama’ drama is a reminder that Civil Rights events remain disturbingly relevant. David Oyelowo plays MLK.
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Love Is Strange (movie 2014) review: John Lithgow and Alfred Molina add depth to Ira Sachs’ moving gay romantic drama. Marisa Tomei and Cheyenne Jackson costar.
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Boyhood (movie 2014) review: Richard Linklater brilliantly tackles the effects of the passage of time. Ethan Hawke and Ellar Coltrane costar.
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Jersey Boys (movie 2014) review: Clint Eastwood prosaically tracks the humdrum rise and fall of Frankie Valli (John Lloyd Young) and the Four Seasons.
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Nymphomaniac: Vol. II (movie 2013) review: Lars von Trier delivers sequel that is more daring and philosophical. Charlotte Gainsbourg and Stellan Skarsgård star.
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Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (movie 2013) review: Lars von Trier shows once again his cinematic genius in this starkly funny effort. Shia LaBeouf and Stacy Martin star.
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The Lunchbox (movie 2013) review: Ritesh Batra’s Mumbai-set debut feature weaves an epistolary ‘socio-romantic’ narrative. Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur star.
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Blue Jasmine (movie 2013) review: Woody Allen shows he’s pissed in this mordantly thoughtful and beautifully acted social satire. Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins star.
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Only God Forgives (movie 2013) review: Ryan Gosling and a malevolent Kristin Scott Thomas star in Nicolas Winding Refn’s sadistic thriller.
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Un Flic (movie 1972) review: Alain Delon and Catherine Deneuve deliver first-rate performances in this excellent Jean-Pierre Melville neo-noir. Richard Crenna costars.
Black Panther (movie 2018) review: Chadwick Boseman and Michael B. Jordan star in Ryan Coogler’s history-making entry in the superhero genre. Also in the cast: Angela Bassett.
Barry (movie 2016): Former U.S. President Barack Obama and the author have a number of things in common, as discussed in this film commentary. Devon Terrell stars.
Trumbo (movie 2015) review: Bryan Cranston delivers a phenomenal performance as the blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo.
In Stereo (movie 2015) review: Sharp and well-acted romantic comedy feels like a throwback to edgy American indies of years past.
Whiplash (movie 2014) review: Damien Chazelle directs a visually and aurally accomplished drama that gives J.K. Simmons a devil of a role. Also in the cast: Miles Teller.
Edge of Tomorrow (movie 2014) review: Tom Cruise single-handedly brings to gripping life Doug Liman’s otherwise absurd sci-fi actioner. Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton costar.
Captain Phillips (movie 2013) review: Tom Hanks’ American seaman is the wrong central character in Paul Greengrass’ unsatisfying political thriller. Barkhad Abdi costars.
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