(2018—Director: Lynne Ramsay) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★★ (out of 5 stars)  “McCleary said you were brutal.” (beat) “I can be.” — Sen. Albert Votto (Alex Manette) and Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) Potential spoilers below In the opening for my review for The Beguiled last summer, I described writer-director Sofia Coppola as one of modern cinema’s formidable female …

(2018—Director: Brad Anderson) — by Renard N. Bansale — Low ★★1/2 (out of 5 stars)  “Right now, we’re not ruling out anyone. Everything’s in play.” “What is it you want me to do?” “You’re an experienced negotiator. Negotiate.” — Gary Ruzak (Shea Whigham) and Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm)  Potential spoilers below One would think, in a medium that requires an …

(2018—Director: John Curran) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★1/2 (out of 5 stars)  “President Kennedy cast a very long shadow, and he still does. I’m walking in it every day.” “What’s it like walking in that shadow?” — Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy (Jason Clarke) and ABC Reporter (Gary Tanguay), Interview recorded July 17, 1969  “Sometimes the path you’re …

(2018—Director: Steven Spielberg) —by Renard N. Bansale — Low ★★★1/2 (out of 5 stars) “A real Gunter would risk everything to save the Oasis from I.O.I.” “Who said that?” “Me.” — Samantha “Art3mis” Cook (Olivia Cooke) and Wade “Parzival” Watts (Tye Sheridan) Potential spoilers below Between late 1992 and 1993, two vastly different film projects stretched the creative limits of director …

(2018—Director: Steven Soderbergh) —by Renard N. Bansale — ★★1/2 (out of 5 stars) “There’s some more forms you need to fill out; it’s just routine.” — Highland Creek Counselor (Myra Lucretia Taylor) to Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy)  Potential spoilers below August 2017’s Logan Lucky marked the return of Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh after a four-year hiatus. At first it underwhelmed that …

(2018—Director: Roar Uthaug) — by Renard N. Bansale — Low ★★½ (out of 5 stars) “Come on, it’ll be an adventure.” “Death is not an adventure.” — Lara Croft (Alicia Vikander) and Lu Ren (Daniel Wu) Potential spoilers below Since its debut in 1996, the Tomb Raider franchise has become a mainstay in action adventure gaming, selling 63 million copies …

(2018—Director: Ava DuVernay) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★ (out of 5 stars) “You just have to find the right frequency, and have faith in who you are.” — Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) to Meg Murry (Storm Reid) Potential spoilers below For the past decade or so, director Ava DuVernay has honed her craft on documentaries and independent …

(2018—Director: Alex Garland) — by Renard N. Bansale — High ★★★★ (out of 5 stars) “Almost none of us commit suicide, and almost all of us self-destruct.” — Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to Lena (Natalie Portman) Potential spoilers below Few writers have demonstrated versatility with regards to artistic medium like Alex Garland. The English writer had three novels and …

— by Renard N. Bansale — Potential spoilers below The 90th Academy Awards take place this Sunday. Betting contests on who will win and debates on who should win rage until the moment each category’s presenter reads the card from the sealed envelope. I prefer to just stick by my personal picks (strictly from the final list of nominees), accept …