A rough similarity to previous Coen movies is about all Drive-Away Dolls has going for it. Time and again, the movie provoked more “Huh?” and “What?” moments than laughs. The movie seems like it’s referencing a genre or influence that isn’t quite clear, leaving you wondering if you’re missing some important context.
Read MoreIt’s a funny and occasionally touching story about male friendship and Cage’s character learning when to put his art aside for his family. But Unbearable Weight, for all its dedication to its gonzo subject, sometimes pulls its punches.
Read MoreIt’s nice to get a reprieve from some of China’s big-budget films laden with special effects. Zhang’s films had grown to be more commercial than ever, reaching an unforgettable low point with The Great Wall (2016), but One Second is definitely worth your time
Read MoreCopshop is a cops-and-criminals thriller with a funny streak that features a number of recognizable talents: Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo onscreen, and Joe Carnahan behind the camera. But more than anyone, it’s co-lead Alexis Louder who grabs your attention.
Read MoreFennell thus sweeps us along into a film that follows many of the beats of a traditional revenge film, but none of the violence. As cathartic as it may be to want Cassie’s enemies to get served more painful justice than they do, it’s clear that Fennell (who also wrote the screenplay) doesn’t want to tip her heroine into the kind of villainy she’s supposed to be fighting against.
Read MoreThe movie delivers a series of slapstick scenes with increasingly frantic stakes, and it’s a lot of fun to watch the fictional acting troupe carrying out their plans. But despite how often the film focuses on Kazuto and his condition, the bare sketch of its origins makes it hard to sympathize with him.
Read MoreThankfully, there’s no hammer-over-the-head moment that blasts what the four buddies have done, but their overindulgence does extract a fairly heavy cost. Credit goes to Vinterberg, who finds the right balance in showing how drinking can reduce barriers and bring people together, but also how much destruction it can cause.
Read MoreSome credit has to be given to the filmmakers for the constraints they worked under: tight spaces, entry-level equipment, stringent health and safety protocols. But most of the stories still feel overly rushed, with unconvincing characters and scenarios that don’t rise beyond what’s been posted on platforms like TikTok or Twitter during this time.
Read MoreA Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic is a funny and touching look at what happens when self-destruction pulls everyone down. Based on a semi-autobiographical web comic by Mariko Kikuchi, director Kenji Katagiri’s sensitive touch and ability to mix humour with the dark depths of human emotion elevates this film above your usual melodramatic fare.
Read MoreWe’re treated (or perhaps subjected) to 60 minutes of non-stop social tension; think of the most intense moments of cringe comedy from a season or two of The Office, lined up into one wince-inducing package. No matter where Danielle goes at the gathering, she struggles to stay a step ahead of every fib she needs to tell - about her whereabouts that morning, her fake job as a babysitter, her program at school. The deeper the hole Danielle digs for herself, the more embarrassed we feel for her.
Read MoreIt is easy to root for Angie, whose characterization departs drastically from the usual East Asian trope of the meek daughter of a domineering father who needs a Romeo to save her. In Triad Princess, Angie is Romeo and Xu Yi Hang the more passive and obedient Juliet.
Read MoreNora fares a bit better. She’s the heart of the show, as someone who both loves and hates the idea of digital afterlife; she believes in the ideals that the tech is based on, but hates how corporate culture has infected it with predatory policies. Nora is someone who struggles to connect with people in the real world, and when she finally finds someone she truly cares about, he’s tragically both already dead and a professional client.
Read MoreIt feels oddly disjointed; unlike The Office or Community in which any episode could take place on any weekday, Space Force has to follow a linear timeline of events, but at times it’s difficult to make heads or tails of what is actually going on and it never really focuses on one conflict long enough before moving on.
Read MoreI can live with all of these things, if only to watch Kendrick charismatically tumble through her love life, but meaningful relationships condensed into 30-minute episodes feel like a disservice to such supposedly seminal points in Darby’s life.
Read MoreWe’ve seen both Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon - or rather, the amplified versions of themselves that they play in this series - struggle with satisfaction in their careers, happiness in their romantic relationships, and bonds with their children. Now The Trip to Greece pits Coogan against one the toughest challenges a man of his age could face: the illness of an elderly parent.
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