Freeze Frame

  “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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

“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 […]

Comedian and commentator Jon Stewart steps behind the camera for the second time with the political satire, “Irresistible.” Steve Carell stars as a big time Democratic strategist who gets involved in a small-town mayoral race. The oversized role of money in politics is the movie’s main target. While it generates some laughs, “Irresistible” lacks the […]

If a claustrophobic thriller is what you’re looking for, the airline hijack movie “7500” fills the bill. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a mild-mannered pilot fending off terrorists wielding glass knives. All of the action takes place in the  plane’s cockpit. Gordon-Levitt is solid and the filmmakers strive for realism over melodrama. While tense and well […]

Oscar winners Spike Lee and Kevin Willmott reunite for an intriguing and timely drama, “Da 5 Bloods.” This Netflix movie is about aging African American Vietnam vets who return to that country to retrieve the remains of a fallen brother and a fortune in gold they left behind. Delroy Lindo and Chadwick Boseman lead a […]

As our local cinemas are still temporarily closed, this week’s Freeze Frame will concentrate on NEW movies that can be streamed at home. Elisabeth Moss, easily one of the best actresses working today, turns in yet another impressive portrayal the drama “Shirley.” This fictionalized biopic focuses on a difficult period in the life of acclaimed […]

In the new Netflix romantic comedy “The High Note” Dakota Johnson portrays the hardworking assistant of a famous and demanding pop star. Tracee Ellis Ross plays the music diva in a role that might -or might not- be inspired by her famous mom, Diana Ross. Ice Cube is the hard-as-nails manager. “The High Note” is […]

The last time that actor Kumail Nanjiani teamed with director Michael Showalter, the result was the brilliant and moving 2017 comic drama, “The Big Sick.” Their new collaboration, “The Lovebirds,” is a Netflix romantic comedy-slash-action flick that isn’t nearly as successful. Nanjiani and Issa Rae play a couple in a tenuous relationship whose bickering takes […]

Tom Hardy’s gonzo performance is the main draw for “Capone,” now available on Amazon Prime. This experimental movie concentrates on the last hellish year of the infamous mobster’s life when he was suffering from dementia and his body was wracked with syphilis. Did he actually hide millions in cash? That’s what his family, associates and […]

“Becoming” is a new Netflix documentary featuring former First Lady Michelle Obama. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at her 2018 34-city book tour promoting her memoir, “Becoming.” The film consists of snippets from her appearances at sold-out arenas, mixed with interview clips, scenes from her meetings with community organizations, book signings and occasional personal asides.   […]

As our local cinemas are still temporarily closed, this week’s Freeze Frame will concentrate on NEW movies that can be streamed at home.   Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney give terrific performances in the strange but true HBO film, “Bad Education.” Jackman plays a popular Long Island school superintendent who was in charge when millions […]

Chris Hemsworth is a conflicted action hero in the excessively violent Netflix thriller, “Extraction.” Hemsworth plays a super skillful mercenary who is hired to rescue the kidnapped son of an Indian gangster who has been spirited off to Bangladesh. Heralded stuntman Sam Hargrave makes his directorial debut and brings some jaw-dropping stunt sequences to vivid […]

The Netflix original drama “Tigertail” is a low-key family drama about a strained father-daughter relationship. Chinese-American actor Tzi Ma, who may be best known for his recent role in “The Farewell,” plays Grover, an immigrant from Taiwan who can’t seem to make an emotional connection with his adult daughter Angela, played by Kristine Ko. In […]

As our local cinemas are still temporarily closed, this week’s Freeze Frame will concentrate on new movies that can be streamed at home.   “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always” now available through video on demand platforms like Amazon Prime, is one of those quiet human dramas that critics rave about and general audiences often scratch their […]

As our local cinemas are still temporarily closed, this week’s Freeze Frame will concentrate on new movies that can be streamed at home. The raunchy Netflix original comedy “Coffee & Kareem” is shamefully wrong-headed and beneath the talent and dignity of its able cast. Ed Helms plays Officer James Coffee, a bungling Detroit cop who’s […]

Since most of our local cinemas are temporarily closed, this week’s Freeze Frame will focus on three “feel good” films currently available to stream at home, ones that can provide some uplift in trying times.   Available on Amazon Prime, “The Big Sick” might, at first blush, sound like something from the Lifetime Network, but […]

Due to the fact that most of our local cinemas are temporarily closing in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak, this week’s Freeze Frame will focus on brand new movies that are available to stream on home streaming services. “Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker” is a 3-hour Netflix miniseries about America’s […]

“The Hunt” is an ultra-violent, pitch black satire that’s trying to tap into the zeitgeist. In a contemporary reworking of “The Most Dangerous Game,” a group of wealthy liberal elites entrap citizens with hard right political beliefs and then hunt them down like game. Betty Gilpin from “GLOW” leads the cast as an Afghan War […]