The best movies of 2016 flew under the radar
They said 2016 was the worst year for movies in recent memory. But for every Batman v Superman: Yawn of Justice, there were at least two amazing works of genius […]
Movie review: Jackie explores a new point of view
The myth of the Kennedys and Camelot is so interwoven in the fabric of American history and identity that we often forget how intentionally it was constructed to be just […]
Movie review: Collateral Beauty falls short of its full potential
Normally when a film comes out in mid-December with a cast full of movie stars and a vaguely philosophical name, it’s either a Christmas movie or an Oscar bid. Collateral […]
Manchester by the Sea sails on love and loss
Tragedy and comedy are, in fact, bedfellows when both are taken very seriously, and rarely is this relationship captured as well as it is in Manchester by the Sea. Writer-director […]
The rare quality of A Man Called Ove
Leave it to the Swedes to make a comedy-drama about an elderly widower’s unsuccessful attempts at suicide into the feel-good movie of 2016. A Man Called Ove strikes a rare […]
Warren Beatty takes on the legend of Howard Hughes
The great Warren Beatty returns after a 15-year hiatus with Rules Don’t Apply, a Howard Hughes-centered passion project that has existed in the Hollywood icon’s mind since the early 1970s. […]
Six films that break through at the Virginia Film Festival
Always Shine Writer-director Sophia Takal’s psychological thriller Always Shine is a thoughtful exploration of the performative nature of all social interactions, whether between actor and director, business and customer, individual […]
Jack Reacher sequel hits the wall
No one expected a sequel to 2012’s Jack Reacher, a somewhat successful yet not terribly memorable franchise starter for Tom Cruise. Even more surprised by the announcement of a sequel, […]
The Accountant banks on simpler times
Who knew a straightforward, predictable, high-concept action mystery starring Batman on his off-season would be just the palate cleanser we needed this year? Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant harkens back to […]
Movie review: ‘The Birth of a Nation’ carries two stories
A work of art is no more separate from the artist who created it than a historical event is from the individuals who shaped its outcome. To tell the story of […]