Take Two

Kate Winslet (“Blackbird”) and Saoirse Ronan (“Little Women”) star in “Ammonite,” a tale of forbidden romance set in 1800s England. Winslet portrays palaeontologist Mary Anning and Ronan is geologist Charlotte Murchinson in this speculative bit of historical fiction from director Francis Lee (“God’s Own Country”).

Kevin Costner (“Yellowstone”) and Diane Lane (“Paris Can Wait”) reunite for a big screen revenge thriller, “Let Him Go.” It’s based on the Neo-Western novel by Larry Watson and has been adapted to film by Thomas Bezucha (“The Family Stone”).

Filmmaker Alexendra Pelosi takes a snapshot of a divided America in the unnerving Showtime documentary “American Selfie.”

“Radium Girls” is a very well meaning period drama, but it takes a rather bland approach to a topic that should have been riveting. Actress Joey King (“The Kissing Booth”) leads a likable cast in this tale about the young women who brought suit against their employer in the 1920s when they were exposed to […]

Oscar winning filmmaker Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network”) turns his attention to a notorious legal case. The cast of “The Trial of the Chicago 7” includes Sacha Baron Cohen (“Borat”) as Abby Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) as Tom Hayden, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“Watchmen”) as Bobby Seale and Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) […]

A young Philippine-American girl evades Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents while trying to break into the Austin, Texas country music scene. Broadway star Eva Nobelzada makes her movie debut in this coming of age comic drama.

British actress Sally Hawkins (“The Shape of Water”) plays a woman suffering from schizophrenia in the offbeat comic drama, “Eternal Beauty.” The cast also includes David Thewlis (“I’m Thinking of Ending Things”) and Penelope Wilton (“Downton Abbey”). It was written and directed by actor Craig Roberts (“The Current War”).

“Kajillionaire” is comic drama from filmmaker Miranda July (“Me, You and Everyone We Know”). Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”) leads the cast in the story of a young woman who works with her parents as petty scam artists. The ensemble also includes Richard Jenkins (“The Shape of Water”), Debra Winger (“The Lovers”) and Gina Rodriguez (“Miss […]

“All In: The Fight for Democracy” is a new documentary about voter suppression, both in the past and in the present. Susan and Russ review this new film that focuses on Stacey Abrams and the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race.

Susan and Russ cover “The Broken Hearts Gallery.” Does this romantic comedy for millennials speak to all generations? Geraldine Viswanathan (“Bad Education”) and Dacre Montgomery star in the first feature film from writer/director Natalie Krinsky.

“Words on Bathroom Walls” is a comic drama about teen schizophrenia, adapted from a popular YA novel by Julia Walton. Charlie Plummer (“All the Money in the World”), Taylor Russell (“Waves”) and Andy Garcia (“Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again”) lead the cast. Thor Freudenthal (“Diary of a Wimpy Kid”) directs.

Susan and Russ share very different opinions about the latest big screen adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel, “David Copperfield.” Dev Patel (“Slumdog Millionaire”), Hugh Laurie (TV’s “House”) and Tilda Swinton (“Suspiria”) star in this new version from writer/director Armando Iannucci, the man behind HBO’s “Veep.”

Susan and Russ cover (uncover?) a new documentary that lives up to its title.

A new documentary from KC-based director Dan Wayne focuses on World Champion taxidermist Ken Walker and his efforts to ‘re-create’ a creature he’s convinced actually exists…a Sasquatch. This movie works because it’s as likably quirky as its subject.

Alexandra Shipp (“Love, Simon”) and Nicholas Hamilton (“It”) star in a romantic paranormal fantasy called “Endless.” It’s the latest film for young audiences from filmmaker Scott Speer (“Midnight Sun”). Susan and Russ are of one mind on this one.

Susan and Russ review what is at least the seventh movie or TV adaptation of the beloved children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett (“The Little Princess”). The cast features Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) and Julie Walters (“Mamma Mia!”) and newcomer Dixie Egerickx (“Watcher in the Woods”). Marc Munden (“Mirand”) handles the directing chores.

The well known novel by Austrian writer Robert Seethaler provides the basis for the pre-WWII drama, “The Tobacconist” (Der Trafikant ). The film version is directed by Nikolaus Leytner and features one of the final performances from the late Swiss actor Bruno Ganz (“The Manchurian Candidate.”)

A family drama starring Sterling K. Brown, Taylor Russell and Kelvin Harrison, Jr. merits a big agreement between Russ and Susan. “Waves” is the third feature film written and directed by Trey Edward Shults.

“Never Too Late” is a comic import from down under starring James Cromwell and Jacki Weaver. Russ and Susan are on the same page on this one.

The documentary “Denise Ho: Becoming the Song” focuses on a famous pop star from Hong Kong who used her fame to take a stand on the democracy movement. This comes as the prevailing compromise known as “One country, two systems” was approaching its end.

Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”), Jon Hamm (“Richard Jewell”) and Ellen Burstyn (“Interstellar”) star in “Lucy in the Sky,” a drama about an astronaut’s emotional difficulties. Directed by Noah Hawley (TV’s “Fargo”), it is loosely based on an infamous incident that involved astronaut Lisa Nowak who attempted to kidnap a romantic rival. Susan and Russ don’t […]

Matt Damon (“Jason Bourne”) and Christian Bale (“Vice”) star in the action biopic, “Ford v Ferrari,” directed by James Mangold (“Walk the Line”). Damon plays legendary race car designer Carroll Shelby and Bale plays driver Ken Miles. The story involves the efforts of the Ford team to upset perennial champion Ferrari in the 1966 Le […]

The sci-fi epic “Ad Astra” involves an astronaut sent on a mission to find his long lost father on a space station in a remote part of the solar system. Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) stars along with Tommy Lee Jones (“Jason Bourne”). Writer/director James Gray is best known for his crime […]

Keira Knightly (“The Aftermath) and Ralph Fiennes (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”) start in the true life whistleblower drama, “Official Secrets.” It’s the story of Katherine Gun, a British intelligence specialist who had to decide whether or not to risk her life by exposing incriminating evidence leading up to the invasion of Iraq. Fiennes plays noted […]

Daisy Ridley (“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”), Naomi Watts (“The Loudest Voice”), Clive Owen (“Gemini Man”) and George MacKay (“1917”) star in an unusual spin on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” With the story told from Ophelia’s point of view, the tale gets a feminist spin from filmmaker Claire McCarthy (“The Turning”).