My Oscar Best Picture preview

My preview of the 2018 Oscar Best Picture nominees was published in the March ISSUE magazine. Pocket reviews of each of the nine nominees and my favorite film of the year. The eventual winner was "The Shape of Water" which I liked very much, but "Phantom Thread" would have been my choice. I think I …

Review: ‘Black Panther’ great entertainment for all

The latest entry is the Marvel Comic Universe is the highly anticipated “Black Panther.” While the character does not have the history of other high-powered entries such as Iron Man, Spiderman and Thor, its central hero is the first black superhero to take center stage. It is hard to imagine the pressure that director Ryan …

Review: ‘Call Me By Your Name’ is a languid romance

May contain spoilers “Call Me By Your Name” is supposed to come to Beaumont the first week in March, just in time for the Oscars, where it is nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Timothée Chalomet’s performance as 17-year-old Elio. This coming of age love story is set in early-1980s …

Review: ‘Phantom Thread’ is beautifully constructed cinematic garment

Warning; May contain some spoilers The world of fashion is, by its very nature, a thing of beauty and elegance, which also perfectly describes “Phantom Thread,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest masterpiece. Set in the world of 1950s London haute couture, the film revolves around Reynolds Woodcock, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, a celebrated designer with a …

Review: ‘I, Tonya’ a tale of white trash, white ice

Warning: May contain spoilers. The latest based-on-a-true-story movie to hit Beaumont’s screens is “I, Tonya,” the sordid tale of Olympic ice-skating gone bad. Tonya Harding, wonderfully played by Margot Robbie, is not your typical waif-like, adorable teenager that one normally sees on the ice. She is muscular and athletic, with a somewhat abrasive personality. The …

Review: ‘The Shape of Water’ is ‘must-sea’ romantic thriller

Warning: This review may contain spoilers Can one really call a film a classic love story when the romance involves a mute orphan and a sea creature? Guillermo Del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” makes the case in favor in magnificent style. Set in Cold War-era 1962, the movie is a sumptuous visual affair with …

Review: ‘The Post’ is a nostalgic love story

I am a sucker for a good love story, but not the sappy boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-and-girl-end-up-together type of love story. I mean the boy-finds-government-secrets, boy-gets-government-secrets-to-the-press, press-saves-democracy type. Make no mistake, “The Post” is a love story. Steven Spielberg’s latest film is clearly written to remind us all that despite cries of “fake news” and continual …

Review: ‘Disaster Artist’ finds heart in tale of ineptitude

What if one has a dream and the means to make that dream a reality? Does it matter if the skills one might need are absent? Is the pursuit and realization of the dream all that matters? That seems to be the central question of “The Disaster Artist.” The film centers on Tommy Wiseau, played …

Review: Oldman gives Oscar-worthy turn as Churchill in ‘Darkest Hour’

I have lived in the United States for more than 35 years, well over half my life. I like to think I have assimilated well to the American lifestyle. Yet, for all that, there are moments when my Englishness rises to the fore. “Darkest Hour,” which is a terrific complement to Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk," is …

Review: ‘Lady Bird’ resonates according to life experience

Why do films resonate with some people and not with others? There are films — and books, music, etc. — that I hated when I was young but came to appreciate later. Life does that, it constantly shapes and re-shapes perception. “Lady Bird” is that sort of film. Set in 2002, it follows Christine McPherson …