1st Reviews

  All hail James Cameron - King of the Box Office! Fire and Ash will likely be the highest grossing movie of the year, and could be Cameron’s fourth to crack 2 billion. This isn’t just a blockbuster - it’s a cinematic event. This sequel isn’t short on flaws, but Cameron has delivered another truly epic theatrical experience that overshadows the film’s shortcomings.  Here’s where my inner critic and fun-loving moviegoer clash. I can’t ignore how frequently the film recycles elements from the previous instalments. It’s another iteration of “Evil human military wants to mine a foreign planet for resources, while native species must fight back”. The final battle is damn near identical to Way of Water’s climax. The dialogue is also really cringy at times (I lost count of how many times I heard the word bro). On the other hand, I can’t deny what a blast I had on a purely visceral level. I saw this in D-Box 3D, giddy as a kid on Christmas, being whipped around in my seat for 3 hours....

  There’s something pure in seeing the healing nature of art and how it helps people through tough times — but watching a character embrace stand-up comedy means both the audience within the movie and the audience of the film, as in us, gets to laugh, if the movie’s well-written enough.   Is This Thing On?  hits all the right notes thanks to its funny and vulnerable script and pitch-perfect casting of its two leads. Will Arnett gives far and away the most wonderful performance of his career, never letting his signature goofiness get in the way of something raw and delicate. The way he finds joy through a new hobby, and many who find that comedy puts just a little beneath his wings, feels so cinematic. Laura Dern is terrific and gives so much to the character’s complexity, and at times the story is very much her own. Cooper’s direction knows when to be showy and when to close in very intimately, while the script does a great job portraying the complexities of love, even as...

  After a year and a half, Fallout is back and heading to New Vegas!   Season 2 episode 1 serves as a strong re-entry into the Wasteland, picking up the story’s momentum with all of its man characters while expanding its scope in a new direction fans have already been teased about. The episode focuses on the consequences of past choices, with a new fresh direction in its backstory before the nukes went off. When we last saw Lucy and The Ghoul, they were on a journey together which continues in this first episode. Their balance of dark and light humour continue to be central to the stories writing.  The premiere prioritizes atmosphere and setup but fans will be eager to see something new. If you were jumping into this episode, expecting to see New Vegas right away, you will have to wait as this episode does play a bit of catchup and many familiar elements we saw in season 1.  Though it does not offer much outside of the familiar just yet,, it is great to see Lucy, The...

  While it certainly doesn’t reinvent the Christmas romance genre, Champagne Problems coasts merrily on the backs of its loveable cast and the magical chemistry between its two leads. Despite my usual disposition towards movies like this, I was charmed, and dare I say… I actually enjoyed watching it. That’s reason enough to pop a bottle and celebrate.  It still plays into the worn out handbook of tricks the genre has become synonymous with, but the writing is sharper and the characters are more thoughtfully constructed than you’d expect. I spent less time rolling my eyes and more time laughing, smiling and being appropriately swooned by the central whirlwind romance. The narrative beats are very predictable, but I was having a good time just watching this group of characters, so it didn’t bother me like it should’ve. Who knows, maybe my heart has grown three times, and I’ve developed a soft spot for romantic holiday mush. Minka Kelly and Tom Wozniczka will sweep you off your ...

  One More Shot (2025) is an Australian fantasy-comedy set on New Year’s Eve 1999. The film stars Emily Browning as Minnie Vernon, a young woman dissatisfied with the direction of her life as the new millennium approaches. After Minnie discovers a mysterious bottle of tequila that resets the night each time she takes a shot, she gets trapped in a time loop that forces her to repeat the night over and over, well technically she could stop at any moment but where is the fun in that? With each reset, she attempts to undo past regrets, repair strained relationships, and rekindle a lost romance, believing that a perfect sequence of choices might finally bring her happiness. Who hasn’t done something so dumb that they drink tequila to forget everything that happened?  Following a fairly standard approach to the time loop film, One More Shot introduces us to a group of friends and slowly allows us to get to know them through the format of the story. Minnie is also out of th...

  The term “Oscar Bait” seems to get tossed around as a lazy non-argument for why someone doesn’t like a certain type of movie. Hamnet is the latest film to be given this label, but what exactly does it mean? Is it the award-worthy, career best performances? Maybe the gorgeous cinematography and stunning score? Or, perhaps it’s that this is an emotionally resonant, profoundly affecting and faithful adaptation of an award winning novel. Whatever the reason, if this is Oscar Bait, consider me hooked and reeled in.  Coming off of her divisive venture into big budget blockbuster territory, Chloe Zhao returns to her more intimate roots with this stunning adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best selling novel. This fictional account of a young William Shakespeare’s life is steeped in true events, but fills in the missing details to tremendous emotional effect. The rumours of the inspiration behind Shakespeare’s Hamlet are explored to new depths. Shakespeare buffs will take a lot away f...

  Lynne Ramsay's uncomfortable and provocative film about motherhood and postpartum depressions is anchored by a uniquely powerful style and central performance. Jennifer Lawrence brings an anger, frustration, and distance that not even her character Grace can make sense of the root of, but finds herself lashing out and unable to fill a growing hole inside of her. Grace finds herself losing her sense of self and having surrendered her ambitions for her own future, while constantly impatient and unhappy with her surroundings, but there's also a deep sympathy that can be felt beneath her awful decisions. The film's visual language is quiet yet aggressive, cryptic yet melancholic. There's much food for thought in this interestingly paced and structured character study with some unforgettable moments and one of Lawrence's best performances. Rating:  ★★★★ Review by:  Gal Balaban 

  All you need to craft a winning holiday rom-com is a pair of charismatic leads, the magic of the Christmas season and hey, throwing in an adorably rambunctious dog doesn’t hurt either. Amazon Prime’s “Merv” starts off on a strong note by seemingly promising all of these things and more. Seriously, it only takes seeing Merv the dog onscreen for approximately 0.5 seconds in his little winter outfit to fall in love with him.  Falling in love with this movie should be just as easy but sadly it is so dull and inconsequential that even a hotel full of playful pups aren’t enough to stop a viewer from repeatedly asking, “why should I care about anything happening in this movie?” That may sound harsh but come on: The stakes / plot of this movie are quite literally, “if we don’t cheer up our dog he will have to be medicated.” Not taken away, not put down, just medicated. Christmas doesn’t even have to do with anything! Remember when rom-coms were filled with big ideas, fantasy, and ma...

  Moms are often the unsung heroes of the household, especially when it comes to the Holiday season. The message behind Oh What Fun is really thoughtful, but its incredibly misguided execution makes for a frustrating experience devoid of Christmas cheer.  The major thing that drew me into this movie was its impressive cast (and my wife forcing me at gunpoint to watch it with her). Michelle Pfeiffer, Jason Shwartzman, Chloe Moretz, Felicity Jones and breakout Star Dominic Sessa - this is a solid roster of talent who are almost all wasted in this underbaked holiday “treat”. There are some good performances here, but those aren’t enough to make up for lazy writing and uninteresting characters. It’s not that anything here is offensively bad. No, it’s worse than that - it’s all so bland and uninspired. Coming from Michael Showalter, I really expected a little more ingenuity. There’s a romantic subplot with Dominic Sessa and Havana Rose Liu that did spark a little bit of magic, but ...

  Noah Baumbach's largest film in cast and scale isn't his best work or even close, but certainly one of his most ambitious. George Clooney stars as the titular Hollywood actor seeking to reconcile with his daughters as he is about to be given a lifetime achievement honor in Europe. Jay's relationship with his manager Ron is the film's real heart here, with Adam Sandler not only stealing the entire film but giving one of the best performances of his entire career. Ron is torn between his devotion to his client and dear friend, and the heartache of missing out on time with his wife and kids. Sandler gives the character a dimensional charm, conflict, and vulnerability. Laura Dern is also outstanding as Jay's publicist, also frustrated as she's desperately trying to fulfill the impossible role of chasing Jay around and covering for him. Many other familiar faces give very strong performances here, although Baumbach's directing here stands out even more than his...

  Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc follows Denji as his life briefly shifts away from nonstop Devil-hunting when he meets Reze, a kind and intriguing girl who seems to genuinely understand him. Their growing connection gives Denji a glimpse of the normal, peaceful life he has always wanted, but the film slowly reveals a darker tension beneath their calm moments together.  Denji is a simple man but also a dumb teen. when a woman shows him attention, he jumps at the change to start any sort of relationship. Although he has tried to get with every female in his path up to this point, this is the most intimate and emotional connection he makes which makes it drastically different that any interaction that came before.  The film also sets up a brand new dynamic in the team of Denji and Beam, the Shark Fiend. Power is great but it is a refreshing change from her crazy antics to get more of a buddy cop relationship for this adventure.  Visually, the movie contrasts soft, ...

  In 2023, Rick Riordan’s classic young adult series   Percy Jackson & the Olympians  was adapted into a television series. Season one of the popular series was incredibly well done and set the tone for how the seasons would develop the novels. Each book would fill an eight-episode season, and that is enough time to retell each story.   Percy Jackson  has always been popular because of Greek mythology and Riordan’s own golden trio of characters: Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell), Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries) and Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri).  Season two of  Percy Jackson & the Olympians  adapts the second novel in the series,  The Sea of Monsters.  Over the school year, Percy has written to his friends, Grover and Annabeth, and even made a new friend at home named Tyson. Once he gets to Camp Half Blood, he discovers that they’re in trouble and the magical borders - which protect Half Blood Hill- have been poisoned by a m...

When we are born, we are clueless about the journey ahead. What we seek as humans, even from a young age, is a purpose. We are told to pursue a path we are passionate about, but no one warns us how challenging it may be. Whether it’s struggling through medical school or struggling to write words on a page, everyone has their own Everest to overcome, not only to prove to others who may doubt them, but to prove to oneself that it is possible to achieve that goal. We believe we have to be great at any given dream or else we’re failures. But what we don’t realize is that life comes with many failures; it’s more important how we overcome them to achieve new goals. In a year notable directors have demonstrated why they’re so highly regarded (Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloe Zhao and Ryan Coogler), Josh Safdie debuts his solo directorial feature Marty Supreme. This year, his brother, Benny Safdie, went solo with the biopic, The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson. The Safdies...