Hollywood

“Magic” has been replaced by nostalgia; longing for the vibrancy and electricity of 2012’s “Magic Mike” the sequel pales and is lame, “limp” in comparison. Yes, the physiques are flawless, honed to scintillating perfection, gyrating, double-jointed, slithering between fawning, manic maidens and matrons; still possessing the “moves” but the fire, passion has fizzled, leaving a placid, stale imitation of what …

Mark Ruffalo’s performance as bi-polar, Boston Brahmin, Cameron Stuart is “infinitely” sublime, magnetic, riveting; sabotages one’s sensitivities; long after the conclusion, credits expunged, still stunning, haunting.  His every motion, word resonates with the anguish and glory of a filter- less mind:  his children rile at his inept parenting skills, incompetent housekeeping; his beleaguered wife tolerates his mood swings, inimitable love; …

The “dogs of war” deserve lionization; seldom celebrated heroes; saviors of countless lives; devoid of a cowardly gene, their devotion unequaled, unparalleled in the throes of battle. “Max” (Belgian Malinois)  is such a beast and his story is one of gritty entertainment; you’ll root for Max as you did the “War Horse”; screen writer, Sheldon Lettich (first -hand knowledge as …

If you are in the mind-set to wallow in the drug-infested, suicidal, unsanitary world of mutant teenagers, ensconced in the dank corridors of New York City,  “Heaven Knows What” is the muck for you. Writer Arielle Holmes stars in this torrid, fictionalized, doomed portrait of herself; I sat through an hour of this “hellish” detritus (atoning for sins I’ve committed …

A sought-out movie at the Cannes Film Festival; knowing of its imminent release, waited to view it here; surprisingly, it surpassed my expectations; living in a metropolis of mixed hues, religions, disparate ethnicities, I have not been blinded by stereotypical taboos; crime, drugs, gangs, teenage murderers and victims are not exclusive to one race but there are poverty-stricken neighborhoods where …

The “trailers” for this film did zilch to ignite any interest; but the actual movie is a creative, energizing work, blossoming from a fecund imagination; a compelling story told by a nerdy high school student, hiding his piercing intelligence, insecurities by relegating his peers to categories,  slots unworthy of his commitment or admittance. “Greg” (realistically “uncool” depiction by Thomas Mann) …

There’s a plethora of books written about World War 1, stunning, devastating descriptions of war’s inimitable power to slay youth’s illusions: “All Quite on the Western Front” Erich Maria Remarque, “Guns of August”, Barbara Tuchman; my personal favorite, Mark Helprin’s “A Soldier of the Great War”; “Testament of Youth” is a profound portrait of war’s iconic ability to alter completely …

Sublime performances inform “Love and Mercy”; a fascinating and personal biopic of an iconic American Rock and Roll Band, “The Beach Boys”: brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson plus cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine: California boys who changed the world’s musical landscape; no longer needing a partner to dance, you could solo,  feel the “vibrations” and fly. The …

There was a time when just looking at Woody Allen or Bill Murray made me laugh; those days have waned but remarkable Melissa McCarthy has hilariously filled the laughter gap; she is CIA agent “Susan Cooper” pulled from a bat-infested surveillance basement when her charismatic partner  “Bradley Fine” (Jude Law peppers his performance with levity, a touch of “Bondish” savoir …

Bradley Cooper’s deep blue eyes and charming handsomeness cannot salvage Cameron Crowe’s  mediocre, apathetic attempt at a romantic comedy. “Brian Gilcrest” (Cooper) is a washed-up military contractor, hired by another “Hollywood”  ubiquitous, self-serving, billionaire (Bill Murray, minimally effective) as part of a US space program in Hawaii; he is chaperoned by “Captain Allison Ng” (Emma Stone), whose perky, pesky, energized …