Hollywood

Edmond Rostand’s (1867-1918) 1897 play “Cyrano de Bergerac” loosely based on fact, romanticizing one cousin’s fatal attraction for another has assaulted the most hardened of hearts, leaving them weakened by its poetic effulgence. Director Joe Wright’s 2021 spin on the pungently prestigious tale is a masterful metaphor on idioms: “don’t judge a book by its cover”, “looks can be deceiving”, …

Kenneth Branagh’s second venture into Agatha Christie’s world of wealthy, smarmy miscreants as “Hercule Poirot”, a savant sleuth, whose flawless deductive reasoning is on full throttle; Branagh’s characterization of the brilliant, damaged, singularly virginal, mustached detective is starched perfection. Poirot has the meatiest role supported by a super cast on a flimsy diet of glamour, jewels and jazz: handsome reprobate, …

Director Clint Bentley’s flawlessly compelling film pulsates with refinement as did 2017’s “The Rider”; there is nothing more satiating, or fulfilling than viewing a mistake-free movie as it races to its finality; “Jockey” with knowledge, sensitivity and truth gifts viewers the “inside scoop” of a jockey’s existence: dedication, starvation, bulimia, fractured bodies, camaraderie among peers, and the enigmatic bond, intimacy …

PARALLEL MOTHERS Pedro Almodovar devotees will be comfortably satisfied with his latest intriguing, imaginative display of filmmaking; relying on his ubiquitous actor Penelope Cruz (never disappoints) as an anchor for success; she is the quintessential professional and is intensely impressive in the role of “Janis”, a middle-aged photographer giving birth for the first time; costarring ingenue Milena Smit as “Ana”, …

Most of us have an “aunt” or “uncle”, not always biologically related, but ubiquitous nonetheless, and forever in one’s corner; mine was “Aunt Sally” and in this tender-hearted film, based on the memoir by J.R. Moehringer and sensitively directed by George Clooney, Ben Affleck with depth, intelligence and feisty revere is “Uncle Charlie”, JR’s youthful sage, companion, an electrifying presence, …

Those familiar with author Elena Ferrante (“My Brilliant Friend”) will recognize the labyrinth of complexities, especially contemporary women, endure; “Leda” is no exception; in the remarkable hands of first time director Maggie Gyllenhaal and sublime actor Olivia Colman, Leda’s layers of familial history unfold intentionally through flashbacks; young Leda depicted with alacrity by Jessie Buckley; the background for the unveiling …

Miraculously on the 365th day of the year my faith in filmmakers was restored; an entire movie where the word “like” was not bastardized; young, prescient actors speaking line after line without using the egregious verbal “like”, “you know”, “uh” to express themselves; a lost art revived; yes, taking place in 1973, before oral crutches came to life but refreshing, …

Director Adam McKay’s no-nonsense depiction of a world in flux is a masterful tale infused with truth, blatant warnings, and “what ifs”, if empirical evidence isn’t addressed. Admittedly, I am not fond of cataclysmic, apocalyptic films where the known world is obliterated, leaving ubiquitous detritus and a few unlucky members of the human race, forced to navigate its toxic parameters; …

William Shakespeare (1564-1616), the “Bard of Avon” has never relinquished the crown of the literary kingdom. Six hundred years after his passing, his works are as prescient, contemporary, as if they were written today: glorified ambition, greed, lust, never stale, outdated, pulsate at the core of the modern era as they did of yore. Blossoming from director Joel Coen’s fecund …

For the near future our lives will be pandemically scripted; at the bountiful mercy of the internet we can see classic, vintage, contemporary films, cemented in the confines of our domiciles. As a craver of the genre, after daily duties, I delve into the myriad of streaming choices available, my odds-on favorites: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Brit Box, Hulu, or Roku …