** out of **** Rated R (for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material) Released: February 7, 2020 Runtime: 109 minutes Directed by: Cathy Yan Starring: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ella Jay Basco, Chris Messina Harley Quinn’s emancipation is a manic mess. Birds of Prey – [...]
Released: January 31, 2020 Runtime: 101 minutes (5 short films) Program: Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts for 2019 (Parental Discretion advised; strong language and occasional instances of sexuality -- some including violence -- would put this slate in Rated R territory) There’s a stretch of categories during every Oscar telecast that virtually no one has ever even heard of, [...]
Released: January 31, 2020 Runtime: 83 minutes (5 short films) Program: Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts for 2019 There’s a stretch of categories during every Oscar telecast that virtually no one has ever even heard of, let alone seen: the shorts. Divided into three competitive groups – Animated, Live Action, and Documentary – the Academy Award nominated shorts can make-or-break [...]
Released: January 31, 2020 in select theaters Runtime: 160 Minutes (5 short films) Program: Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts for 2019 (Parental Discretion advised; the final documentary short film "St. Louis Superman" has strong adult language) There’s a stretch of categories during every Oscar telecast that virtually no one has ever even heard of, let alone seen: the shorts. [...]
**** out of **** Rated R (for strong language, some violence and sexual content) Released: November 8, 2019 Runtime: 132 minutes Directed by: Bong Joon-ho Starring: Song Kang-ho, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik, Park So-dam, Lee Sun-kyun, Jang Hye-jin, Lee Jeong-eun, Jung Ji-so Now available to stream on Hulu. Winner of 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Think [...]
It’s David Lynch’s birthday but he’s the one giving away a present. On the day he turned 74, the singularly offbeat director of films like Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet (as well as TV’s Twin Peaks) dropped a new short film online via Netflix: What Did Jack Do?. This 17-minute avant-garde two-hander is set in [...]
*** out of **** Rated PG-13 (for thematic content including some racial epithets, and some language) Released: December 25, 2019 limited; wide January 10, 2020 Runtime: 136 minutes Directed by: Destin Daniel Cretton Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Karan Kendrick, Rafe Spall Even in the face [...]
**1/2 out of **** Rated R (for war violence, some disturbing images, and language) Released: December 25, 2019 limited; expands January 10, 2020 Runtime: 118 minutes Directed by: Sam Mendes Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth Director Sam Mendes’ so-called “one shot” war movie makes the case -- albeit unintentionally -- for editing. A [...]
**** out of **** Rated R (for pervasive strong language, strong violence, some sexual content, and brief drug use) Released: December 25, 2019 Runtime: 135 minutes Directed by: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie Starring: Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett, Eric Bogosian, Idina Menzel, Judd Hirsch, Keith Williams Richards Never in my life have I had [...]
With 2019 about to close, a decade will end along with it. Fellow film critic Charles E Elmore and I reflect on the films of 2019 and the 2010s in this retrospective for Tulsa People. Excerpts: "Elmore: The serialization of cinema has become quite the daunting task! Even so, it’s quite a fascinating time in [...]
I Can't Unsee That Movie: film news and reviews by Jeff Huston 