Film review: “Coco” (2017)

“Coco” (2017) Animated/Pixar Running Time: 109 minutes Written by: Adrian Molina & Matthew Aldrich Directed by: Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina Featuring:   Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía, and Edward James Olmos Abuelita: "No music!" It may be difficult to believe but it has been over twenty years since the first Pixar full-length film was …

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Film review: “Lady Bird” (2017)

“Lady Bird” (2017) Drama Running Time: 93 minutes Written & Directed by:  Greta Gerwig Featuring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Lois Smith Marion McPherson: "I want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be."  Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson: "What if this is the best version?" You may be …

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Film review: “The Post” (2017)

"The Post" (2017) Drama Written by: Liz Hannah & Josh Singer Directed by: Steven Spielberg Featuring:  Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon, and Matthew Rhys Ben Bradlee: The way they lied, those days have to be over. This should have been a year of protest, where Hollywood made comments on the past two years …

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Film review: “Molly’s Game”(2017)

“Molly's Game" (2017) Drama Running Time: 140 minutes Written & Directed by: Aaron Sorkin Featuring:  Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera, Brian d'Arcy James, Chris O'Dowd, Bill Camp, Graham Greene, Claire Rankin, Joe Keery, and Jeremy Strong Molly Bloom: "I’ll be hosting a game in this suite every Tuesday night. The first buy-in, two hundred and fifty thousand." Disappointment is the word that …

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Film review: “Darkest Hour” (2017)

"Darkest Hour"(2017) Drama Written by: Anthony McCarten Directed by: Joe Wright Featuring: Gary Oldman, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Stephen Dillane, and Ronald Pickup Winston Churchill: "You can not reason with a Tiger when your head is in its mouth." There should be no mistake made, this film is dominated by two elements, they are, Gary Oldmans career …

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Film review: “The Shape of Water”(2017)

"The Shape of Water" (2017) Drama/Horror Written by: Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor Directed by: Guillermo del Toro Featuring: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, Octavia Spencer Giles: [interpreting Elisa] "When he looks at me, he does not know - how - I am incomplete. He sees me... as I …

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Film review: “The Disaster Artist” (2017)

"The Disaster Artist" (2017) Drama/Comedy Written by: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber Based on: 'The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made' by Greg Sestero & Tom Bissell Directed by: James Franco Featuring:  James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson and Jacki Weaver Greg …

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Film review: “Downsizing” (2017)

"Downsizing" (2017) Sci-Fi/Drama Written by: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor Directed by: Alexander Payne Featuring: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig Paul Safranek: "I'll see you on the other side." High concept movies either work, become talking points which can reflect societal, political or economic norms either challenging them or reinforcing ideas or concepts …

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Film review: “I, Tonya” (2017)

"I, Tonya" (2017) Drama/Comedy Written by: Steven Rogers Directed by: Craig Gillespie Featuring:  Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney Tonya Harding: "I mean, come on! What kind of friggin' person bashes in their friend's knee? Who would do that to a friend?" Towards the end of every year there are multiple films …

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Film review: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017)

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" (2017) Drama Written & Directed by: Martin McDonagh Featuring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage Willoughby: "I'd do anything to catch the guy who did it, Mrs. Hayes, but when the DNA don't match no one who's ever been arrested, and when the DNA don't match any other crime nationwide, and …

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Film review: “All the money in the World” (2017)

"All the Money in the World" (2017) Drama Written by: David Scarpa Directed by: Ridley Scott Featuring: Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Romain Duris, Andrew Buchan, and Timothy Hutton John Paul Getty III: [voice over] "To be a Getty is an extraordinary thing. My grandfather wasn’t just the richest man in the world, he was the richest man in the …

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Film review: “The Florida Project” (2017)

"The Florida Project" (2017) Drama Written by: Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch Directed by:  Sean Baker Featuring: Willem Dafoe, Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Valeria Cotto, Christopher Rivera, and Caleb Landry Jones Moonee: [to tourist at ice-cream stand] Excuse me. Could you give us some change, please? The doctor said we have asthma and we have to eat …

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Film review: “Paddington 2” (2017)

"Paddington 2" (2017) Animated Comedy Written by: Paul King & Simon Farnaby Directed by: Paul King Featuring: Ben Wishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi and Hugh Grant Henry Brown: Paddington wouldn't hesitate if any of us needed help! He looks for the good in all of us. There is no doubt that the release of …

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Film review: “Last Flag Flying” (2017)

"Last Flag Flying" (2017) Drama Written by: Richard Linklater & Darryl Ponicsan Directed by: Richard Linklater Featuring: Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne Larry 'Doc' Shepherd: "I'm not going to bury a marine. I'm just going to bury my son." This new movie co-written and directed by the great Richard Linklater is not something that you might …

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Film review: “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2017)

“Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” (2016) Science Fiction Running Time: 152 minutes Written and Directed by: Rian Johnson Featuring:  Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro Luke Skywalker: "Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out. What do you see?" Rey: "Light. Darkness. A …

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Film review: “Patti Cake$” (2017)

“Patti Cake$” (2017) Drama Running Time: 108 minutes Written & Directed by: Geremy Jasper Featuring: Danielle Macdonald, Cathy Moriarty, Siddharth Dhananjay, McCaul Lombardi, Patrick Brana, Bridget Everett, Mamoudou Athie Patti: [to Barb] “Act your age.”  Barb: [to Patti] “Act your race.” Firstly, it has to be said upfront that this debut film by music video …

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Film review: “Wonder” (2017)

“Wonder" (2017) Drama Running Time: 113 minutes Written by:  Steve Conrad, based on the novel of the same name by R.J. Palacio Directed by: Stephen Chbosky Featuring: Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay Auggie Pullman: [voice over] "I know I’m not an ordinary kind of a kid, I’ve had twenty-seven surgeries. They help me to breathe, to see, …

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Film review: “Justice League”(2017)

“Justice League” (2017) Action/Fantasy Running Time: 120 minutes Written by:  Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon Directed by:  Zack Snyder Featuring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, J. K. Simmons and Ciarán Hinds Diana Prince: "People said the Age of Heroes would never come again.“ Bruce Wayne: "It has to. We don't have any more time!“ Has there …

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Film review: “Victoria & Abdul” (2017)

“Victoria & Abdul” (2017) Drama Running Time: 112 minutes Written by: Lee Hall Directed by: Stephen Frears Featuring:  Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Michael Gambon, Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith and Adeel Akhtar Queen Victoria: “Everyone I love has died and I just go on and on. What is the point?” Abdul Karim: “Service, Your Majesty. We are here for a greater purpose.” Twenty …

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Film review: “Ingrid goes West” (2017)

“Ingrid goes West” (2017) Comedy Running Time: 98 minutes Written by: David Branson Smith & Matt Spicer Directed by: Matt Spicer Featuring: Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, Billy Magnussen, Wyatt Russell, Pom Klementieff and O'Shea Jackson Jr. Dan Pinto: “Can we restart like a reboot?“ Ingrid Thorburn: “Yes, like a reboot.” There have been many movies made that deal with the idea of …

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