See the New Trailer for Keira Knightley's 'Colette'

Colette opened this last weekend in very limited release (just NY/LA) to very good reviews (92% Rotten Tomatoes) and many saying it’s a career best performance from Keira Knightley. Keep an eye out for it as it expands to more cities over the next few weeks. I love a good period piece and there haven’t been all that many recently, so I’ll be seeing this for sure.

'If Beale Street Could Talk' Gets a New Trailer

The new Barry Jenkins movie based on the James Baldwin novel was a runner-up for the TIFF People’s Choice Award, despite reports that it may have been too inaccessible for mainstream audiences. Apparently not, and that kind of response indicates it may not be just critics who warm to this movie. The trailer is certainly lovely. It comes out on November 30th.

Ralph and Vanellope Explore the Internet in Final Trailer for 'Wreck-it Ralph 2'

Finally some advertising that’s not just about that Disney princess scene. I actually liked the first Wreck-it Ralph and thought it was perfectly made for sequels, but then Zootopia came out and became my favorite Disney movie in the last two decades (and even MORE perfectly engineered for sequels), so I kinda forgot about this one. But this trailer makes it look pretty fun, so I’ll be seeing it.

John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan Take On Laurel & Hardy

This biopic about the legendary duo Laurel and Hardy is set to come out on October 21st, and has me sadly wondering how many people have even heard of the two iconic silent and early sound era screen stars. If you haven’t seen any of their stuff you should really look it up- I recommend the short Big Business in particular. Hilarious.

Brie Larson Crash Lands on Earth in First 'Captain Marvel' Trailer

Hey, this looks kinda good! Finally, after 11 years, we have Marvel Studios’ first film starring a woman superhero, as Brie Larson takes up the mantle of Captain Marvel, in a movie set in the 1990’s (making use of the whole digital de-aging process to bring back Pulp Fiction era Samuel L. Jackson, as you can see here). Have to admit, I might be sort of excited for this one. Can’t believe it took them so long, but it’s finally happening.

Emily Blunt is Mary Poppins for a New Generation in 'Mary Poppins Returns'

Months after the original teaser, and the trailer is finally here for this. Looks like Emily Blunt chose not to do a Julie Andrews imitation, which is probably smart, but I’m not sure. Looks okay, I guess. To me, the 1964 movie is iconic and singular, not something that can be redone in any way, really. And it sounds like they’ve got some new music here, but the best part of this trailer is seeing Dick Van Dyke dancing again. What do you think?

Here’s the retro poster they came up with:

Oscar Season Kicks Off as 'Green Book' Wins the People's Choice Award at TIFF

Well, there you have it. The first big prize of Oscar season is the Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award, which always goes to a movie that ends up being a heavy Oscar contender. Past winners have included Three Billboards, La La Land, Room, The Imitation Game, 12 Years a Slave, Silver Linings Playbook, The King’s Speech, etc. For the past ten years at least, it’s been a pretty reliable bellwether. A lot of people though A Star is Born would win this, but it turns out it wasn’t even one of the runners up. Green Book was so popular with crowds that it probably shouldn’t be that surprising, but the runners up here were Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma and Barry Jenkins’ follow up to Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk, which got quite good reactions from critics a few days ago as well. But this solidifies Green Book as a very strong Oscar favorite going forward, so look out for it.

Crowd Pleaser 'Green Book' is a Showstopper in Toronto

Reports out of TIFF indicated a surprise audience favorite in Green Book, this movie starring Viggo Mortenson and Mahershala Ali, which took the crowds by storm and is set to turn into a huge word of mouth hit around Thanksgiving. Comparisons to Hidden Figures abounded, and you have to admit that it does look crowd pleasing. I hadn’t heard of it before, but I’ll have to keep an eye out now.

I'd call First Reformed the must-see movie of this latest batch — I'd call *First Reformed* the must-see movie of this latest batch

Lightning Round Reviews 2018: July-August

I'm back with five more movies I've seen in the last month. Trying to cram 'em all in here before the fall movie season kicks off and I fall too far behind. Enjoy!

RBG * * * (Dir. Betsy West and Julie Cohen)

The great Ruth Bader Ginsburg was already a liberal and feminist icon, but she’s become even more so in recent years, as the Supreme Court has moved further and further right, and her righteous dissents have taken their place in the pantheon of this dark era in American history. On top of which are the fervent prayers of a terrified nation that the 85-year-old cancer survivor still has a long way to go on the highest bench in the land, or all’s lost (NOT hyperbole). This valentine to the pioneering champion of women’s rights is a slight, but lovely introduction to Ginsburg’s life, recapping her early years at Cornell and as a lawyer arguing sex discrimination cases in the 1970’s, her 54 year marriage to fellow lawyer Marty Ginsburg, who championed her career as much or even more so than she did, her appointment to the appellate and later Supreme Court by presidents Carter and Clinton, and her rise as the fiery advocate for protecting the civil rights of minorities and women in an age when so many long ago, hard won battles seem in danger of being lost all over again. There’s not much in terms of innovation as a documentary, but the inspirational life of Ginsburg, who’s overcome two bouts with cancer and is as great a survivor and a fighter as any American citizen you could name, is a life worth celebrating in all its glory, and it better have a whole other act still to come.

DEADPOOL 2 * * (Dir. David Leitch)

I enjoyed the first Deadpool, but the sequel essentially cuts out everything that gave the original movie something of a core inside the layers of jokes and meta references. Ryan Reynolds returns as the snappy superhero who knows he’s in a superhero movie, but this time it’s all pretty much surface level stuff wrapped around a senseless plot that pretends to hold some depth that it really doesn’t have. Going to have to go into spoiler territory here to really explain what bothered me about this movie, so read no further if you don’t want to know. Deadpool’s girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) is rather shamelessly fridged in the first five minutes, removing the one element of heart underlining the entirety of the first film, so that Deadpool can go off and have manly adventures by himself without the burden of figuring out something to do for the female character that the screenwriters (including Reynolds this time, by the way) clearly had no use for after the last film ended. Another shameless move is the Terminator ripoff plot (knowing and commenting on its derivative nature makes it no less so), toss in a horribly annoying and unlikable child that Deadpool has to save, and finally, supplement the loss of director Tim Miller with the far more generic stylings of David Leitch, and what we’ve got is a movie that rests solely the on the sarcastic remarks of Reynolds himself, who clearly believed that he was ONLY factor that led the success of the original film. Let this be a lesson to the guys out there- it’s not just all about you, even when you’re the star, okay? Get over yourselves.

FIRST REFORMED * * * 1/2 (Dir. Paul Schrader)

Ethan Hawke like you've never seen him before

Ever since writing Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver over 50 years ago, director Paul Schrader has been dealing with existential questions about life and grappling with nihilistic points of view in one way or another. And today the doubts are as strong as ever, this time explored in the story of a reverend (Ethan Hawke), who’s possibly terminally ill and faced with the severe personal issues of one very troubled parishioner. We live in a time where things seem grim every day, a myriad of problems facing us that all look bleak and are mostly caused by our own self-destruction, perhaps none more so than climate change and the refusal to accept or act on it. Reverend Ernst Toller struggles with inevitable feelings of doom in what he feels is an increasingly pessimistic world where humanity may not be worth saving, despite his Christian theology. The debate stirred up in this film is intelligent and thought-provoking, causing you to question your own beliefs and worth to the world, as Toller simultaneously forms a moving connection with his young parishioner’s wife (Amanda Seyfried), while his own faith seems to be slipping away. Hawke is surprisingly superb in this movie, revealing a depth of performance previously unseen in his career, while the impact of the emotional and surreal final moments leave you shattered.

HEREDITARY * * 1/2 (Dir. Ari Aster)

Toni Collette is terrorized by death in her own home

A recent wave of original horror films from various independent studios has left a string of worthy additions to the canon in the eyes of genre enthusiasts, with particular favorites being The Witch, It Follows and The Babadook. Hereditary is undoubtedly another fine example of this successful streak, but it left me feeling more uncomfortable than thrilled by the experience, especially as the final moments reveal a much more conventional plot than was promised by the bewildering air of mystery surrounding the majority of the film. Not that there aren’t many good things to recommend here- Toni Collette being the biggest. Collette is astonishing actually, as a woman grieving the death of her mother, whose disturbing family history of psychosis is laid out early enough to make you question the reality of what you’re seeing onscreen, especially as the plot veers off in rather shocking directions. It’s difficult to talk about this movie without getting deep into spoiler territory, so suffice it too say that a particularly devastating plot development sends the movie in one direction, then jerks it towards another before barreling back on itself, never once allowing the audience a chance to figure out the truth of what may or may not be happening in this story. Some may find that unpredictability itself a thrill, and the discomfort and scares aroused in the audience are genuine and earned, through the uncertainty and the psychological torture being unloaded on this family. But the ultimate reveal is less creative than you might have seen coming and something of a disappointment, while the feeling of being jerked around through the plot is rather unpleasant, given the extremely gruesome setup. Still, writer-director Ari Aster shows real skill in his feature debut, and gets a remarkable performance out of Toni Collette, who may be the best reason to see the film.

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? * * * (Dir. Morgan Neville)

Filmmaker Morgan Neville (director of the Oscar winning 20 Feet From Stardom) has tackled the singular life of Fred Rogers in his tribute to the American icon who dedicated his life to public television and educational programming for children with his Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, which ran for over four decades. This documentary runs through the history of the landmark series and Rogers’ full blown commitment to it for the sake of the moral and intellectual development of American children, the primary cause of the Presbyterian minister’s life. Interviews with family members, co-workers and employees showcase the unique nature of a man like Rogers, who really did stand out as a public figure for his truly singular personality and somewhat mysterious (perhaps because it was so singular) aura that was somewhat inimitable in the pantheon of American celebrities. This is a glowing love letter to Rogers’ goodness and spiritual devotion to the spread of love as the only philosophy worth living by- nearly Jesus-like in its positive messaging. However, the narrower focus on the show itself leaves out the larger life of the man and tends to leave one with more questions about who he was and how exactly he came to be this messenger, especially as you get occasional insights into the fragility of his various alter egos within the characters that populated the long-running program. The contrast between Rogers’ message and what we are experiencing in the country today however, is pointed and necessary, a stark reminder of the power of both goodness and the existence of genuinely good people, who practiced what they preached and only wanted to make this world better. They do exist and they are out there- losing hope and giving in cannot be an option.

Orson Welles Returns With 'The Other Side of the Wind'

Yes, you read that right. The legendary Orson Welles is back! Or at least, this is his final film, finished after all these years with the help of a new post-production team assembling all the footage that was filmed back in the 70's along with Welles' own editing notes. How cool is that, right? This is definitely one of the most anticipated films of the fall season for any true film buffs out there. Netflix is releasing it on November 2nd and it's premiering at Venice tomorrow.

Hugh Jackman Takes on Gary Hart in 'The Front Runner'

Jason Reitman's new movie is premiering at Telluride tomorrow and we're getting the first trailer for it today. It actually looks pretty interesting- I would have thought a sex scandal taking down a presidential candidate in 1988 would seem quaint by today's standards, but the movie looks to be making the argument that this particular story was what began the tabloid-esque obsession with gossip in politics from that point forward. Hugh Jackman could be an Oscar contender for this as well. It comes out on November 7th.

Another Look at 'First Man' Ahead of Venice Premiere

Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong biopic First Man kicks off the Venice Film Festival today, and the reviews seem pretty strong so far (early scores have it at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 81 on Metacritic). This is definitely a better trailer than the last one, but I just can't manage to muster up much interest in this film, to tell you the truth. Not sure why exactly- maybe because I'm not the biggest Chazelle fan (didn't like La La Land or Whiplash all that much). I'm glad it appears to be good, and I'll certainly see it, but the whole subject matter leaves me cold for some reason.