The Holdovers (2023)

When The Holdovers began, I immediately thought I was watching a movie from the 1970s. The film opens with an old-style studio logo and a ratings card featuring a design I recognized from many trips to the drive-in the 70s. Scratches, dust, and imperfections, including crackling sound, were also present.Continue Reading

Sully (2016)

After watching Clint Eastwood’s Sully, two things came to my mind. First, Tom Hanks can play almost anyone and you’ll immediately believe that person is the best in their field, bar none. Secondly, he makes it look effortless. In Sully, Hanks plays Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who landedContinue Reading

The Nines (2007)

When a movie uses flashbacks or flash-forwards, there’s usually a reason. A non-linear timeline can serve many purposes. It can hide sloppy writing. It can remind the viewer of what has happened previously. It can mask a plot twist. Or, as in the case of 2007’s The Nines, it canContinue Reading

Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Prospective renters Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her husband, Guy (John Cassavetes,) are shown an old, elaborately-styled apartment that looks to be much too large for the two of them. They learn that the building’s past occupants have had quite a colorful history. Despite some reservations from close friends, theContinue Reading

Angel of Mine (2019)

From the film’s synopsis, Angel of Mine sounds like it’s a Lifetime movie-of-the-week. But, thanks to a stellar cast, a decent script, and some fine direction, the film is anything but. Lizzie (Noomi Repace,) a recently divorced mother, still grieves for her deceased baby daughter, Rosie. Although seven years haveContinue Reading

Killing Season (2013)

In Killing Season, John Travolta plays Emil Kovac, a member of the Scorpions, a Serbian paramilitary group that committed war crimes during the Bosnian War in the early 1990s. As the film opens, we see American soldiers liberating some of the Bosnian people from one of the Scorpions’ detention camps.Continue Reading