Freeze Frame Archiv

The life of feminist icon Gloria Steinem is given the art house treatment in Julie Taymor’s overambitious biography, “The Glorias.” Four actresses play Steinem in various stages of her life, including Oscar winners Alicia Vikander and Julianne Moore. While it’s illuminating and relevant, the film skims the surface while indulging in some unnecessary and pretentious sequences of surrealism. Still, “The Glorias” is a modestly involving experiment.   “The Boys in the Band” is a Netflix adaptation of the famous 1968 Broadway play about a birthday party amongst a group of gay men that devolves into an ugly session of self-loathing and bickering. Jim Parsons leads a strong cast in this wicked comic drama that isn’t nearly as shocking as it would have been 50 years ago, but still packs a punch.   The documentary “Herb Alpert Is” provides a sweeping overview of the life of the phenomenally successful musician, artist, philanthropist and founder of A&M Records. For those unfamiliar with his work, it’s an involving primer. For those old enough to remember the heyday of the Tijuana Brass, it’s downright nostalgic.   “A Call to Spy” is a WWII drama about England’s spy agency that sent women to Nazi occupied…

If nothing else, you’ll have to admit that the comic drama “Kajillionaire” is not the same old thing. This quirky and gentle movie stars Evan Rachel Wood as an emotionally stunted young woman who works as a petty scam artist with her parents, Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger. Things get complicated when they invite a stranger, played by Gina Rodriguez, into one of their schemes. “Kajillionaire” has a sweet and eccentric vibe that viewers will find either refreshing or annoying. In either case, “Kajillionaire” unique.   Millie Bobbi Brown of “Stranger Things” fame is terrific as Sherlock Holmes’ teenage sister in the lighthearted Netflix mystery thriller, “Enola Holmes.” When her mom disappears, Enola attempts to find her by deciphering clues her tricky mother left behind. The story is told with a wink and a nod and never really amounts to much, but Brown carries the day in “Enola Holmes,” the probable first installment of a wannabe franchise.   “Secret Society of Second Born Royals” is a Disney+ fantasy aimed at preteens. It seems that some folks with royal blood have unusual superpowers and they’re recruited to save their kingdoms from an evil villain. It’s very pat and predictable, but the…

Pop superstar and Kansas City native Janelle Monáe stars in “Antebellum,” a bizarre horror entry with significant social overtones. Monáe plays a slave on a plantation in the Civil War South…or is she a renowned author living today? This well acted but enigmatic film doesn’t make much sense until the final scenes when the film starts to look like a project that M. Night Shyamalan might have started…and rejected.   Sitting through the Netflix drama “The Devil All the Time,” based on the novel by Donald Ray Pollock, may be a certified form of torture. The beautifully acted and lensed drama stars Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson in a sweeping story spanning two generations dealing with religiously conflicted rednecks in post- WWII rural Ohio. It’s unrelentingly ugly and violent, filled with loathsome characters. “The Devil All the Time” falls well short of its lofty thematic aims.   Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslett and Sam Neill lead a potent cast in the talky family drama, “Blackbird.” Dying of ALS, Sarandon decides to get the family together for one last sendoff before she commits suicide. It’s hard to knock the cast and the filmmakers’ intent, but the dialogue goes over like fingernails on…

“The Broken Hearts Gallery” is a cute, maybe too cute romantic comedy for millennials that exists in an otherworldly rom-com dimension. Geraldine Viswanathan plays a young woman who saves mementos from her many failed romances and turns them into a gallery exhibit. Can she ever find true love? What do you think? The cast is affable and there are some hearty laughs, although the amusing dialogue often sounds like it’s all coming from the same voice.   Seventies pop music star Helen Reddy gets the biopic treatment in “I Am Woman.” Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays the singer who went through many personal struggles before hitting it big and writing the number one hit “I Am Woman” that became the anthem for the women’s movement. It’s slickly produced and features many of Reddy’s hit songs, but it suffers somewhat due to its formulaic and melodramatic execution. The feminist angle of “I Am Woman” may, however, strike a chord with viewers in the “Me Too” era.   “All In: The Fight for Democracy” is a compelling documentary about contemporary voter suppression efforts in the run-up to the 2020 Presidential election. A number of expert talking heads weigh in on the subject…

Christopher Nolan’s mind-boggling sci-fi action thriller “Tenet” begs to be seen on the big screen. It also begs to have subtitles. While it’s involving and visually dazzling, the confounding time-inversion plotline is further muddled by an obtrusive soundtrack and heavy accents. John David Washington and Kevin Branagh do an impressive job of navigating their tricky roles. “Tenet” is virtuoso filmmaking and frustrating storytelling in equal measure.   “Mulan,” the live-action, non-musical adaptation of its 1998 animated hit is now on Disney+. Liu Yifei takes the title role of a Chinese girl who poses as a man to enter the Imperial Army and defend against Northern invaders in 620AD. It’s a beautifully produced and involving action fantasy, with considerably more violence than we’re used to seeing from Disney. Little girls everywhere will be inspired.   Charlie Kaufman, Hollywood’s most acclaimed eccentric stays true to form with the mind-bending and soul-chilling metaphysical horror film, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things.” A young woman travels to her boyfriend’s childhood farm to meet the parents, which serves as an excuse for Kaufman to comment on a number of existential subjects. Jessie Buckley is nothing short of brilliant in a movie brimming with terrific performances. It’s…

  “The Personal History of David Copperfield” is a fanciful reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic novel. Dev Patel takes the title role in this quirky adaptation, an offbeat but fresh, exuberant and mostly comic take from writer/director Armando Iannucci, the man behind TV’s “Veep.” Purists may balk, but many viewers will be captivated by this version’s unconventional casting and upbeat whimsy.   “Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies” is a documentary that’s true to its title. While there are plenty of naked bodies on display, if your interests are prurient, you may be disappointed. The expert talking heads offer a clinical examination of censorship and the role of nudity in mainstream Hollywood, porn excluded. It’s not erotic, it’s academic.   “Cut Throat City” is a very dark, gritty and violent gangster thriller set in New Orleans, the third film directed by rap star RZA. It’s all very familiar, often doesn’t ring true and could have used some tightening in the editing bay. But “Cut Throat City” is involving and has a relevant social undercurrent that makes it hard to dismiss.   “Desert One” is a comprehensive and informative documentary about the courageous but ill-fated special ops attempt to…

Oscar winning filmmaker Kevin Willmott’s drama “The 24th” is a harrowing depiction of the intolerable racism that led to the 1917 mutiny of an all-black US infantry division. Trai Byers leads a solid cast in this true story that ably illuminates a dark episode in American history.   Russell Crowe’s bloodcurdling performance fuels “Unhinged,” a sadistic thriller about a psycho with road rage. It’s tense and well made, but the wheels fall off due to some improbable plot elements.   Plot absurdities also plague “The Vanished,” an unnerving thriller starring Thomas Jane and Anne Heche about a couple whose daughter goes missing during a camping vacation. If you stick it out until the end, your eyes will be rolling.   Taylor Russell and Charlie Plummer are excellent in the YA drama “Words on Bathroom Walls,” a sympathetic look at a teen with schizophrenia. It’s modestly effective thanks to its unique visual approach.   “The Sleepover” is Netflix family comedy about kids who embark on an adventure when they discover that their mom is a black ops-trained international jewel thief. It’s wacky, but surprisingly funny and powered by an amusing cast.   “The One and Only Ivan” is a sweet-natured DisneyPlus…

The star power of Jamie Foxx and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the only thing powering Netflix’s “Project Power,” a silly, overblown sci-fi action flick about a street drug that provides short-lived superpowers. The premise showed promise, but the plot gets goofier as it goes along. Try not to laugh.   “Endless” is a morose paranormal romance that plays like a dull reworking of the 1990 film “Ghost.” Alexandra Shipp plays a teen whose boyfriend, who was killed in a car wreck she caused, comes back in spirit to console her. Shipp’s presence helps, but not enough to console viewers.   “Sputnik” is a genuinely chilling and extremely well-made sci-fi horror offering from Russia about a cosmonaut who brings back a malevolent parasite from space. This grisly thriller has more intelligence and thematic depth than you might expect. Just be prepared to be creeped out.   “Day 13” on the other hand, is a boring horror flick about a teenage who notices strange goings on by new neighbors across the street. Nothing happens until the movie’s final moments, and then it devolves into a laughable avalanche of bad special effects.   “What We Found” is a suspense thriller about middle school kids…

“An American Pickle” is a ‘stranger-in-a-strange-land’ comic fantasy starring Seth Rogan in dual roles. He plays an immigrant worker accidentally brined in a pickle vat 100 years in ago. When he miraculously awakens, he meets his only living descendant, his great-grandson, also played by Rogan. “An American Pickle” is a surprisingly sentimental look at the ups and downs of family ties.   “Work It” is a Netflix musical comedy about misfit dancers. Sabrina Carpenter and Liza Koshy lead an appealing and talented cast as high school seniors who form a competitive dance group to further their post-school ambitions. It’s goofy and predictable but “Work It” should prove to be engaging for fans of contemporary dance.   “The Secret Garden” is at least the seventh adaptation of the classic children’s novel. Colin Firth and Dixie Egerickx star in a well-produced and workmanlike version that doesn’t avoid the story’s dark themes. However, it relies heavily on visual dynamics and doesn’t quite achieve the emotional catharsis it aims for. For a better rendition, seek out the film version of “The Secret Garden” that was released in 1993.   “She Dies Tomorrow” is an original, high-concept horror film that couldn’t be timelier. For unexplained…

“Upside-Down Magic” is a “Harry Potter” wannabe aimed at an even younger demographic. This Disney Channel movie, based on the Scholastic book series, is about students who attend a school for kids with the gift of magic, but the story concentrates on the struggles of four misfits who are ostracized because their magical powers don’t conform to magical norms. The production values are fine, and the cast is likable, but the movie’s execution is so pedestrian that it will appeal only to the very young. It has cool special effects, but not much movie magic.   “Summerland” is an easy-going British import set during WWII. Gemma Arterton plays an ill-tempered, antisocial writer living alone in a small seaside village who is forced by authorities to board a young boy whose parents are tied up in the war effort. Her hard-kept secrets are slowly revealed as she reluctantly bonds with the lad. While the cast is fine, the story lacks the hard edges necessary to give the drama a real spark. Still, “Summerland” is a sweet-natured and sentimental trifle.   Ron Howard, who directed the firefighter drama “Backdraft” almost 30 years ago, turns his attention to the aftermath of a real-life…

Rosamund Pike’s solid performance is the main attraction of the arthouse biopic, “Radioactive,” the story of Madame Curie and her discovery of radium. Scenes that jump forward in time to illustrate the ultimate effects of her pioneering work are awkward and heavy handed. But “Radioactive” still serves as an informative primer about the world’s first female Noble Prize winner.   “The Rental” is a genuinely creepy horror effort that marks the directorial debut of actor Dave Franco. Dan Stevens and Alison Brie star in this story about two couples on a weekend retreat who are stalked by a video-savvy peeping tom. The territory it covers is all-too familiar, but “The Rental” is a well-acted thriller that manages to effectively ratchet up the tension.   “The Big Ugly” is a film noir opus that feels like a 1970s drive-in throwback. Vinnie Jones, Malcom MacDowell and Ron Perlman star in the story of a British mobster whose bodyguard goes on a bloody quest for revenge when his girlfriend is murdered in rural Appalachia. It’s atmospheric…and sadistic.   Natalia Dyer from “Stranger Things” stars in the coming-of-age comic drama, “Yes, God, Yes, “ about a Catholic teenager, guilt-ridden because of her self-pleasuring. She…

Nia Long and Omar Epps star in the predictable and overly familiar Netflix thriller, “Fatal Affair.” Long plays a lawyer who becomes the unwilling object of obsession for the smart but psychologically disturbed Epps. While shamefully derivative, the earnest performances from Long and Epps make “Fatal Affair” a moderately tense little time waster. Search the words “Fatal” and “Affair” and you’ll find a lot of better movies that cover this territory.   The fine performances of Kelly MacDonald and Garret Hedlund are also the main attraction for the romantic drama from down under, “Dirt Music.” MacDonald is an unhappy housewife who begins an affair with a lonely seafood poacher, played by Hedlund, unaware of the fact that his melancholy state is a result of a tragedy that involved her husband. The unfamiliar Australian setting adds a bit of interest to this otherwise sluggish and morose movie.   “Blessed Child” is a documentary by Cara Jones that tells her own story. She is a once devout member of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church who broke free of that religion while attempting to maintain ties with her beloved family. “Blessed Child” is a touching and heartfelt account of a painful…

“Greyhound” is a fast-paced WWII Naval battle flick starring and written by Tom Hanks. He plays the captain of a destroyer assigned to escort commercial vessels through parts of the Atlantic teeming with Nazi subs. The tension is derived from cat-and-mouse skirmishes with invisible enemies. While no dog, “Greyhound” is at best a modest, workmanlike thriller.   Charlize Theron is the best thing about the comic book action movie, “The Old Guard.” This bloody fantasy is about a small band of soldiers for hire who are virtually immortal. There is some terrific stunt work on display, but most of the story’s themes seem borrowed from dozens of movies we’ve seen before.   Andy Samberg’s fantasy “Palm Springs” wants to be “Groundhog Day” for Millennials. It’s a raunchy romantic farce about a guy who is keeps living the same day over and over and accidentally draws a young woman into his curse. The bawdy material is somewhat redeemed by its unexpected sweetness and an appealing performance by Christin Milioti.   “Never Too Late” is a middling comic import from down under aimed squarely at a geriatric audience. It plays a bit like “Grumpy Old Men” meets “The Great Escape.” James Cromwell…

“Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop history lesson about a founding father may be the most unlikely hit musical of all time. The Disney+ ‘live capture’ version of the original Broadway production more than lives up to the hype. While no filmed play can capture the electricity of a live performance, “Hamilton” comes close. Miranda and director Thomas Kail present Alexander Hamilton’s warts-and-all life in a clever, absorbing and inventive way and the diverse, top-notch cast delivers the material as well as can be imagined. Remarkably timely, “Hamilton” is ‘must-see’ viewing.   “The Outpost” tells the gripping true story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan where 50 American soldiers were ambushed by nearly 400 Taliban insurgents. Scott Eastwood and Orlando Bloom lead the cast in this involving tale, based on the book by Jake Tapper. Director Rod Lurie has created a harrowing war film that’s so immersive that you might be tempted to take cover. “The Outpost” is an apolitical tribute to remarkable heroism.   French superstars Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche co-star for the first time in “The Truth,” a backstage drama of family conflict. Deneuve plays an aging, self-absorbed actress and Binoche is her estranged daughter who attempts…