Vice: satirical biopic is as empty as the man it lampoons
Adam McKay, “Vice” (2018) A rather patchy satirical study of the life of former US Vice-President Dick Cheney, “Vice” shows how an unscrupulous individual can attain…
Hollywood Films
The Invisible Man’s Revenge: a messy plot and flat uninteresting characters underline this cheap film
Ford Beebe, “The Invisible Man’s Revenge” (1944) It could have been an interesting character study about various individuals’ motivations and greed, and how far they’re prepared…
Bohemian Rhapsody: a boring and forgettable film fails to address its lead character’s complexities
Bryan Singer, “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) Astonishingly, given the rich source material and the fact that so many people are knowledgeable (or fancy themselves to be) about…
A sense of Cold War paranoia and self-righteous American exceptionalism in “Espionage Target – You!”
“Espionage Target – You!” (1964) Commissioned by the United States Department of Defense for training US military and civilian personnel sent abroad, this film is an…
The Seagull (dir. Michael Mayer): a film adaptation of Chekhov’s play lacking good characters and direction
Michael Mayer, “The Seagull” (2018) Quite why this film adaptation of the famous play by Anton Chekhov couldn’t have been set in the United States in…
British Films, North American Films
Equus: a psychodrama of outstanding performances and troubling philosophical questions about individuality and creativity
Sidney Lumet, “Equus” (1977) He never won an individual Academy Award for Best Movie or Best Director but surely Sidney Lumet is one of the greatest…
BlacKkKlansman: use of race politics demeans the achievement of a black police officer in exposing the Ku Klux Klan’s evil
Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman” (2018) Filmed as a blaxsploitation-styled comedy drama, this work revolves around a real scenario in which a black American police officer in Colorado…
Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 1: Adam Ruins Pregnancy): why so much pressure on new parents and mothers in particular?
Matthew Pollock, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 1: Adam Ruins Pregnancy)” (2017) Appropriately for a first episode of a new season, the topic covered is…
Japanese Films, North American Films
A stale and confusing plot and dreary characters in “Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars”
Shinji Aramaki, “Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars” (2017) Multiplying not quite as fast as the enemy Arachnids did in the original Paul Verhoeven “Starship Troopers” film…
North American Films, Northern European Films
The Wife: a solid film notable for its lead performances but little else
Bjorn Runge, “The Wife” (2017) As films go, “The Wife” is enjoyable mainly for Glenn Close’s understated performance as the title character: for the most part,…