7
While the film is occasionally on the nose (Saenz’s name is often said similar to the word science, which feels too cute by half), it is an engrossing piece of cinema with a wonderful lead performance at its heart.
A note about this list. I’m largely over the idea of the “best” films list. It’s not that lists aren’t useful, it’s just that I don’t find people collecting the “best” films into a list to be as interesting as people collecting
3
For the fourth iteration of a tale as old as talkies, Bradley Cooper decided to give audiences a deeply self-indulgent piece of Oscar bait. With a two-and-a-half-hour runtime that feels like eight, the film shows flashes of brilliance and sincerity that are, unfortunately, overshadowed by Bradley Cooper’s ego trying to prove he’s not just that guy from The Hangover anymore.
5
It’s a mess but a strangely watchable one, and I honestly think that’s good enough for a recommendation.
6
Whether this film has any hope for the future isn’t really the point so much as thinking broadly about how world events affect our microscopic lives, and, more importantly, what we do about that.
8
Incredibles 2 belongs to that upper echelon with the best of Pixar’s output because you can feel the patience and care the production brought in the final product.
8
As a longtime fan and frequent re-watcher of Soderbergh’s trilogy, this new installment is a welcome addition to the rotation and is certainly worth the price of admission for fans of the franchise.
6
Downrange isn’t exactly revolutionary, but if you’re in the mood for a solid piece of genre filmmaking from a stylish director, there are worse ways to spend 90 minutes.
7
Set in the 1920s, Sweet Country applies a classical Western aesthetic to this story while making clear that it is decidedly Australian.
8
Chappaquiddick is another chapter in an accomplished filmography and a must-see come time for its streaming release.
8
Because this film is already so scantily seen, this Blu-ray release operates as its own historical object that contains enough content for you to understand why this film, of all the old Hollywood revues, got the Criterion treatment.
4
Isle of Dogs has all the usual trappings of a Wes Anderson film. It has a bit of a wit, some dark undertones and a bleak, but nevertheless, happy ending.
6
I wish Unsane was on the level of Magic Mike, Behind the Candelabra, or Contagion, but unfortunately it falters like Haywire and Side Effects, leaving you with a bad taste in your mouth as you leave the theater.
9
ltogether this is most definitely worthy of the Criterion treatment and shows off the artistry that decidedly belongs in the annals of Hollywood history.
7
A Wrinkle in Time is a lovely children’s film that will have a positive impact on the world, and I think we should all be very grateful for that.
3
They Remain seems more interested in cribbing Alex Garland’s style than developing an aesthetic of its own that really fits the material.
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