(2018—Director: Marielle Heller) — by Renard N. Bansale — ★★★½ (out of 5 stars) “I’ll have you know, I’m a better Dorothy Parker than Dorothy Parker!” — Lee Israel (Melissa McCarthy) to Jack Hock (Richard E. Grant) Potential spoilers below Money—or, more specifically, the lack of it—tends to twist the lives of many. It is common to observe this phenomenon …
‘Mid90s’: Teen Spirit Thrives in Jonah Hill’s Directorial Debut
(2018—Director: Jonah Hill) — by Renard N. Bansale — ★★★½ (out of 5 stars) “You literally take the hardest hits out of anybody I’ve ever seen in my life. You know you don’t have to do that, right?” — Ray (Na-kel Smith) to Stevie (Sunny Suljic) Potential spoilers below A common adage heard in every writing class is “Write what …
Ryan Gosling Becomes America’s Reluctant Hero in ‘First Man’
(2018—Director: Damien Chazelle) — by Renard N. Bansale — ★★★★ (out of 5 stars) “We need to fail. We need to fail down here so we don’t fail up there.” — Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) to Manned Spaceflight Center director Bob Gilruth (Ciarán Hinds) and Astronaut Office chief Deke Slayton (Kyle Chandler) Potential spoilers below The bio found at the …
The Pressures of a Confined Protector in ‘The Guilty’
(2018—Director: Gustav Möller) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★½ (out of 5 stars) “No one is going to kill your mom, okay?” “Do you promise?” “I promise.” — Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) and Mathilde Østergård (voiced by Katinka Evers-Jahnsen) “Was it snakes?” “Yes…Yes, it was snakes.” — Iben Østergård (voiced by Jessica Dinnage) and Asger Holm (Jakob Cedergren) …
Gaga & Cooper Bring the Grit & the Pipes in ‘A Star Is Born’
(2018—Director: Bradley Cooper) — by Renard N. Bansale — ★★★★ (out of 5 stars) “Hey.” “What?” “I just wanted to take another look at you.” — Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) and Ally (Lady Gaga) Potential spoilers below A Star Is Born—the story of a crossroads romance between a fading and alcoholic male star and a woman whose stardom lies just …
A Kid-Friendly Tug of War Between Reality & Myth in ‘Smallfoot’
(2018—Directors: Karey Kirkpatrick) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★ (out of 5 stars) “The only thing stronger than fear is curiosity.” — The Stonekeeper (Common), rapping to Migo (Channing Tatum) in the song “Let It Lie” Potential spoilers below Despite the presence of two current animated occupants in my yearly top ten films list, 2018 in cinema has …
The Ambitious ‘White Boy Rick’ Bites Off More Than It Can Chew
(2018—Director: Yann Demange) — by Renard N. Bansale — Low ★★★½ (out of 5 stars) “It was good, wasn’t it? When we were kids, for a little while?” “You still are a kid, Ricky.” — Brother Richard “White Boy Rick” Wershe, Jr. (Richie Merritt) and sister Dawn Wershe (Bel Powley) Potential spoilers below Time once again for me to invest …
The Furry Leading the Blind in ‘Pick of the Litter’
(2018—Directors: Don Hardy, Jr. & Dana Nachman) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★ (out of 5 stars) “Yes, a cane can help, but it’s not as great as a fuzzy face with a wet nose.” — Janet Gearhart, featured client of Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) Potential spoilers below When I was a child, out and about …
Glenn Close Reaches Her “Nobel” Limit in ‘The Wife’
(2018—Director: Björn L. Runge) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★½ (out of 5 stars) “Please don’t paint me as a victim; I am much more interesting than that.” — Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) to Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater) Potential spoilers below While the cinematic medium honors its origins in photography twenty-four times per second, it also takes much …
‘Searching’: The Best Film the Screen POV Gimmick Will Ever Produce
(2018—Director: Aneesh Chaganty) — by Renard N. Bansale — Low ★★★★ (out of 5 stars) “I didn’t know her. I didn’t know my daughter.” — David Kim (John Cho) to Det. Sgt. Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing) “As a parent myself, I can only imagine what you’re feeling.” — Det. Sgt. Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing) to David Kim (John Cho) Potential …