1st Reviews

  Paul Greengrass is truly a master of suspense, and of creating massive events and sequences that feel like a ticking time bomb that might not end until the film does. The Lost Bus is no exception, and proves his love yet again for humans’ cooperation and resilience in the face of unimaginable fear and adversity.  The film is set during the horrific 2018 fires in Paradise, California, which may still feel fresh for many Californians and even more so due to this last year’s events. The movie focuses on the area’s fire department wide efforts to fight the fires and save lives, while also zooming on Matthew McConaughey (giving an amazing performance) as bus driver Kevin McCay, trying to rescue 22 children from the fast-spreading inferno, together with a teacher of theirs, Mary Ludwig, also played wonderfully by the terrific America Ferrera. The movie does an excellent job bringing you into the terror of the events faced by the characters, including from the perspective of a chil...

  David Michod’s boxing biopic doesn’t have the same kinetic energy his other works may have, and follows similar beats we’re used to from biopics time and time again. Sydney Sweeney impresses as an athlete with a hard exterior and a vulnerability we come to discover later, while her poisonous dynamic with Ben Foster as Christy’s husband Jim Martin is the key to the film. Supporting players such as Katy O’Brian and Merritt Wever also have a lot to give the film, but especially in the middle part, the movie loses momentum while covering these familiar beats. Michod offers the film a very clean and boring look compared to his past works such as Animal Kingdom and The King, though the score is quite strong. The film’s pace and overall impact are heightened by a final act which offers a shock that will surely resonate with many audiences in a visceral way. Though it doesn’t always rise above many of its genre’s cliches, it packs a punch in its end that does justice to its subject mater...

  Have politics and art always been inseparable? And what happens when the pressure one puts on the other threatens to collapse an industry, and more importantly, one man’s code? Fares Fares gives an excellent performance as a famous Egyptian actor forced into a propaganda film by the regime. There’s a desire to do good hidden underneath the arrogance and ego that he carelessly emulates, despite his many errors. The film continues to thrill as you’re left guessing what will topple this man and in what direction, as well as the far-reaching ruthlessness of dictatorships who censor dissent and punish it with even death. It presents interesting themes about cinema’s ability when weaponized by artists to rebel, or worse, an authoritarian government to enslave and deceive its people endlessly. 4/5 Review by: Gal Balaban 

  Quietly, deeply and often profoundly moving, Sentimental Value is yet another triumph for Joachim Trier. This film will resonate in your bones even when you can’t feel it affecting you. Brick by brick, Trier effortlessly pieces together a thematically rich story with beautifully flawed characters to populate it.  The film centres on sisters Nora and Agnes (Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), and their estranged father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård) who re-enters their lives after their mother’s - and his ex-wife’s - death. Gustav is an acclaimed filmmaker who’s written a film he wants Nora to star in, but their strained relationship leads to him pursuing rising Hollywood actress Rachel (Elle Fanning) for the role instead. The plot delves into themes surrounding generational trauma, the emotional traits we pass down to our children, the passage of time, and the non-traditional ways we attempt to mend broken relationships. These ideas are explored so naturalistically, as Tri...

  Darren Aronofsky goes for a tone that’s a lot more entertaining and less devastating or frightening than his last few films, though it’s still very violent, unpredictably so. Austin Butler gives a fantastic performance as a bartender whose dreams of baseball glory were crushed after a tragedy, and now finds himself in the crosshairs of a dangerous plot involving numerous crime leaders. Butler’s character is serious but not quite strong, driven more by his fear of harm coming his way. His character is flawed, vulnerable, and plagued by his past, but doesn’t have some violent dark side — he’s simply caught in the crosshairs of a plot involving his neighbor. Regina King also shines greatly, and Zoe Kravitz shares wonderful chemistry with Butler. The best part of  Caught Stealing  is how unpredictable it is. The story itself is so fresh that there isn’t a way to guess quite where it’s going or will end up. The violence is very dark but also provides for moments of humor, ev...

Life finds a way, and once again, Universal finds a way to leave me disappointed in another Jurassic World movie. There was so much potential here - A back to basics premise, an A-list cast, the original Jurassic Park screenwriter returning, and a director who specializes in immersive VFX. Rebirth shows constant glimpses of a good or even great movie, but the final product is far less than the sum of its parts.  The setup is solid, paving a potential path for an exciting survival thriller, but it’s not long before the film bogs us down with generic character backstories and bland dialogue in a transparent attempt to get us invested in the new cast. Actually, backstories aside, the characters themselves are mostly dull and unlikable. I have no shortage of problems with the last two JW movies, but at least the characters were kind of interesting. Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali do what they can with their stock characters and underwhelming dialogue, but no amou...