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21 is a perfect example of how something that's "based" on a true story can nevertheless exist mainly in the realm of fiction. While it's true that the source material for the movie, Ben Mezrich's Bringing Down the House relates events that actuall...

Writer/director Paul Schrader has always been fascinated by the line between sanity and madness, and what it takes to push a man over the edge. This theme stands out in two of Schrader's best known scripts, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, both of whi...

By cannibalizing the casts of his previous two movies, director David O. Russell has come up with his third consecutive winner. American Hustle, very loosely based on late 1970s "ABSCAM" sting, takes its cues from Boogie Nights both in terms of how...

With its whiplash-inducing tonal inconsistencies and sloppily assembled narrative, Amsterdam often feels like a pastiche of (take your pick) Monty Python, The Coen Brothers, or Wes Anderson grafted onto a crime caper/espionage thriller with a ...

A breath of fresh air? Or a pretentious mess? Perhaps a little of both. It’s easy to see why a mainstream viewer might quickly lose patience with Annette but I found the film’s embrace of unconventionality to be bracing and energizing…at...

Ant-Man, as obscure a superhero title as has been released since the inception of the so-called "MCU" (Marvel Cinematic Universe), may test the perception that Marvel can do no wrong. The general public knows Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain A...

The build-up for Avatar: Fire and Ash wasn’t quite as intense as the one between the original Avatar and its first sequel, Avatar: The Way of Water, due in large part to the shorter span between releases (three years versus thirteen). As was true...

It’s finally here. After years of missed release dates related to postproduction issues, James Cameron’s oft-delayed sequel to 2009’s Avatar has finally arrived. Was it worth the 13-year wait? Unquestionably. It’s difficult to overstate ho...

As is often true of "high concept" movies like this one, the most interesting aspect - the hook that gets us into the theater - does little more than add some color. Awake, the writing/directing debut of Joby Harold (who might not be given another...