Here are some reviews of films coming out at the theater this week as well as others that may be in theaters or newly on home video.
Opening: Sep. 11, 2020
Wide (United States)
The Broken Hearts Gallery
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Limited (United States)
I Am Woman
Rich Cline @ Shadows on the Wall
- Excerpt: Energetic and engaging, this biopic about singer Helen Reddy carefully highlights the larger issues that drove her career and inspired her bigger hits, even as it sidelines major elements of her life
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: A reasonably entertaining film for people who remember Helen Reddy and the way her signature song inspired millions of American woman in their fight for equality.
Rent-A-Pal
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: A sharp, unsettling portrait of the psychological damage extended periods of loneliness and isolation can inflict on a person.
2020 Films In Theaters Now In Select Areas
Bill & Ted Face the Music
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Mulan
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
The Personal History of David Copperfield
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Project Power
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Tenet
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
#Alive
Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum
- Excerpt: #Alive’s two leads provide a lovable set of characters that are easy to root for. While it doesn’t break the mold of the zombie movie, nor does it dig into the social commentary inherit to the genre, but what makes it engaging is the willingness of filmmakers to take a more subdued and deeply human approach.
#Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump
MaryAnn Johanson @ FlickFilosopher.com
- Excerpt: Mental-health professionals, bound by ethics to point out danger, discuss how President Donald Trump is uniquely dangerous, a literal menace to society. Nay, not “discuss”: they are screaming it.
Anelka: Missunderstood
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
The F***-It List
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
Fatima
Dennis Schwartz @ Dennis Schwartz Reviews
- Excerpt: The reverential film will not change the minds of either believers or doubters.
Gutterbug
- Excerpt: Bug is a homeless junkie whose life has no meaning, until he meets a girl the day of his 21st birthday when he also decides to find his way home.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Mark Hobin @ Fast Film Reviews
- Excerpt: I thought about “ending” this movie many times while watching it.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Rich Cline @ Shadows on the Wall
- Excerpt: As the story meanders along, it becomes a mind-bending exploration of life’s biggest questions, a movie we feel without fully understanding
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Alan Mattli @ Maximum Cinema [German]
- Excerpt: With “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” Charlie Kaufman further cements himself as an uncategorizable force to be reckoned with – something cinema can never have enough of.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: Once you accept that you’re never going to understand its rhythms, this Netflix production reveals itself to be incredibly substantive.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
- Excerpt: We’re trying to describe this Charlie Kaufman movie without spoiling it. Pray for us.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
Love Guaranteed
Rich Cline @ Shadows on the Wall
- Excerpt: The beautiful cast and settings, plus the easy mechanics of the genre, make it irresistibly charming, even when it takes a shameless trip into gloopy sentimentality
Measure for Measure
Rich Cline @ Shadows on the Wall
- Excerpt: Shakespeare’s dialog and plot have been reimagined, which is a bit gimmicky. But the film is packed with snappy wordplay, sharp attitudes and dark currents of emotion
Mulan
Rich Cline @ Shadows on the Wall
- Excerpt: Director Niki Caro expertly balances the drama, humour, adventure and action, creating a thrilling big-screen epic with potent emotional resonance and lots of female power
Mulan
Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum
- Excerpt: It’s perfectly watchable, and at times, quite enjoyable, but in moments where it seemed like they had the opportunity to do something new and interesting with the material, they decide not to. Instead, relying too heavily on the animated film that already has the audience’s affection.
Mulan
Sarah Gopaul @ Digital Journal
- Excerpt: [It] improves on the story in some ways, but falls short in presenting a masterful, wire-fu epic.
Mulan
Mark Hobin @ Fast Film Reviews
- Excerpt: Feels more like a meticulously recreated piece of product from the Disney factory and not a stirring legend based on centuries-old folklore.
Mulan
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: Mulan is the first time I’ve seen one of these remakes and thought it kind of, maybe had a reason to exist.
My Little Sister
Alan Mattli @ Maximum Cinema [German]
- Excerpt: My Little Sister is a solid enough drama, but it feels like a French or German arthouse film from 2011, illustrating just how out of step Swiss cinema is with the rest of the world.
Offering to the Storm
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
The Owners
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: A picture that keeps you guessing.
The Owners
C.H. Newell @ Father Son Holy Gore
- Excerpt: The Owners is eerie and exciting in equal measure. All the thrills and the horror compliment the story’s themes, bringing out terror based in issues of class, family, and masculinity.
The Owners
Betty Jo Tucker @ ReelTalk Movie Reviews
- Excerpt: Not for scaredy cats, no siree. Almost too frightening for me!
Raat Akeli Hai
Herman Dhaliwal @ Cinema Sanctum
- Excerpt: The film risks overstaying its welcome, but the story, the characters, and the craftsmanship makes for a very riveting Indian whodunit.
Robin’s Wish
Mike McGranaghan @ The Aisle Seat
- Excerpt: A heartbreaking “setting the record straight” documentary about the death of Robin Williams..
Shakuntala Devi
Kathy Gibson @ Access Bollywood
Think Like a Dog
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
2019 Films
Avengers: Endgame
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
1BR
Federico Furzan @ Cinelipsis.com
- Excerpt: When Sarah moves to an ideal place in Los Angeles, she realizes things are not exactly what they seem.
The Collini Case
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
Judy & Punch
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
Sunburn
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
2018 Films
Time Trap
João Pinto @ Portal Cinema [Portuguese]
Upstate Story
Josh Taylor @ www.forgetfulfilmcritic.com
- Excerpt: The movie suffers from solipsism, with no meaningful dialog coming from any character other than Ellis. Defying a cardinal rule of cinema – show, don’t tell – the entirety of Ellis’s dialog is delivered in voice over, making Upstate Story a kind of visual novel.
