Search for Michael

Nine represents director Rob Marshall's second big-screen musical spectacle. His previous effort, Chicago, won an Oscar; although Nine is likely to win its share of praise, it probably won't come close to achieving the same level of acclaim. Alth...

With only a previous pair of features on his resume, Jordan Peele has become one of the most interesting filmmakers working today. His directorial debut, Get Out, took the cinematic world by storm. The follow-up, Us, was less crisply written a...

In the tradition of Norma Rae and Silkwood, North Country is the story of one woman's struggle against an inflexible corporation. Despite some third-act flaws that weaken the conclusion, North Country does what it sets out to do: inspire and uplif...

Last year, when I heard about a film on the way called Notorious, I was concerned that there would be an "updating" of Alfred Hitchcock's film of the same name. Thankfully, this is not the case. Notorious is not an example of a remake, but it is ...

In Western culture, we are obsessed by the concept of celebrity. How else can one explain the plague of paparazzi that descends on public figures when they make appearances, or the popularity of gossip magazines and TV shows? Celebrities are l...

The November Man feels like just about every B-grade spy thriller that has ever been committed to the silver screen. With a slipshod narrative that could be mistaken for diluted Ludlum, Deighton, or Le Carre, The November Man provides us with an op...

Three years after the modest 2013 hit Now You See Me, the filmmakers decided to make an ill-advised sequel, even though the original had all the earmarks of a stand-alone film. Sure enough, the second installment underwhelmed, shedding nearly ever...

We don't get many idea-based science fiction films these days so, when one comes along, it represents a welcome change of pace from the fantasy space opera that has co-opted the genre. Despite being tarted up with enough action to stave off boredom...

It's probably just a coincidence, but the two Bond films that Maud Adams appeared in -- The Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy -- are easily the silliest entries in the long-running series (not counting the intentional spoof Casino Royale). In...

For a horror movie, Oculus is surprisingly lean on the scares. It's more interested in playing tricks with perception and bending reality. Ambitious material for director/editor Mike Flanagan (expanding from his award-winning short) and, if he does...