Category: New Releases
Black Widow: Filling in the gaps
by Matt Ward
Marvel has taken a two-year hiatus from the big screen following the climatic events of Avengers: Endgame. Although the studio has produced several successful miniseries in the meantime for Disney+, fans had to wait an extra year for Phase IV of Marvel’s feature film franchise to begin with the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the release of Black Widow, expected to be the final entry in … Read More Black Widow: Filling in the gaps
No Sudden Move: A crime thriller for Steven
by Matt Ward
Steven Soderbergh makes movies with only one audience in mind: Steven Soderbergh. The filmmaker behind classics like Erin Brockovich, the Ocean’s Eleven trilogy and Traffic is well into a point in his career where he has a clear vision for what he wants to do, can do it quickly and loves to experiment with the visual form as his own personal art project. It’s … Read More No Sudden Move: A crime thriller for Steven
F9: Drive fast, make things go boom
by Matt Ward
It’s time to call a spade a spade. The Fast and the Furious series, now nine films and one spinoff deep in a 20-year period, isn’t in the action-adventure genre anymore. The Vin Diesel-led F9, which debuted in theaters Friday after sitting on the shelf due to the coronavirus pandemic for over a year, cements the legacy of the franchise as comic-book level superhero … Read More F9: Drive fast, make things go boom
12 Mighty Orphans: Feel-good fumble
by Matt Ward
Inspirational sports films have practically become a tradition on par with events like the World Series, Super Bowl or Kentucky Derby. Without fail, it’s expected – almost demanded – that there will be one every year. Texas director Ty Roberts has brought audiences an emotional drama based on a true story from his home state, putting viewers on the sidelines with an underdog football … Read More 12 Mighty Orphans: Feel-good fumble
All These Sons: Tribeca At Home review
by Matt Ward
Gun violence is senseless. Nowhere in the United States is it more prevalent than Chicago, where more people are shot and killed than in New York City and Los Angeles combined. For filmmakers Joshua Altman and Bing Liu’s latest documentary All These Sons, approaching the sensitive subject meant dealing with the trauma and emotional scars that linger long after bullet wounds have healed. Their … Read More All These Sons: Tribeca At Home review
In The Heights: Capturing the spirit of community
by Matt Ward
Much of great filmmaking comes down to proper world building, creating a community within the narrative to help bring the audience into an unfamiliar, unique place. Filmmakers often showcase the worlds in which they come from, which makes authentic portrayals of diverse communities rarer than they should be. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway smash hit took audiences into his community, a melting pot of Latino … Read More In The Heights: Capturing the spirit of community
The Courier: Unlikely assets, improbable odds
by Matt Ward
British period dramas often have a reserved, stuffy quality to them that keeps the audience at a distance. While viewers get to know the characters and feel for their plight, it’s hard to connect as an audience member to the genre. Director Dominic Cooke keeps his latest feature in this standoffish distance, but it becomes something more with compelling characters and intriguing spy-craft at … Read More The Courier: Unlikely assets, improbable odds
Cruella: Is there redemption for villainy?
by Matt Ward
Growing up on animated films, there are any number of terrifying villains that easily scare young children with their wicked and cruel nature. One such baddie with a demonic last name and a penchant for turning puppies into fashion statements felt especially repulsive and scary to adolescent cinephiles. After two Angelina Jolie-led features putting the antagonist of Sleeping Beauty at the center of the … Read More Cruella: Is there redemption for villainy?
Those Who Wish Me Dead: Mild danger in the woods
by Matt Ward
Taylor Sheridan has a mind for creating thoughtful, tense cinema based in the harsh realities of open country. The screenwriter world building around West Texas bank robbers in Hell or High Water and Mexican drug cartels for a pair of Sicario films successfully transition to the director’s chair in 2017, adapting his own script with his debut feature Wind River, a cold, blistering murder … Read More Those Who Wish Me Dead: Mild danger in the woods
Wrath of Man: No saints, only sinners
by Matt Ward
As theaters begin the arduous process of trying to bring audiences back on a regular basis after more than a year away, it’s imperative that studios deliver signature films that represent the best of what cinema can do in every genre. Wrath of Man, the first film pairing action star Jason Statham with British auteur Guy Ritchie in over 15 years, is without question … Read More Wrath of Man: No saints, only sinners
Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse: Vengeance served ice cold
by Matt Ward
Somber can be a valuable emotion in espionage thrillers. Cold, calculated violence from an agent infiltrating behind enemy lines to extract a target, steal intelligence or disrupt the opposition at any cost is often engaging, entertaining drama ripe for cinema. Amazon’s attempt to get into the spy genre, however, is so emotionless that it becomes a stale, forgettable journey across the globe featuring faceless … Read More Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse: Vengeance served ice cold
The Father: Waging war on aging
by Matt Ward
First time filmmakers delivering quality debut features has been a staple of this year’s award season with Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman and Regina King’s One Night in Miami… as standouts. Dramatist Florian Zeller has also become a name to watch in cinema, adapting his critically acclaimed stage play for the big screen and earning five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, two acting … Read More The Father: Waging war on aging
Cinematic Considerations 