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Gone Girl
Great 66 Points 2014

Gone Girl stirs the pot, no doubt about that. Premiering amidst the NFL-stoked domestic violence uproar, this sordid thriller about a wife’s murder is akin to throwing gas on a fire. But never mind all that societal stuff, is it a good movie? Yes, a great one, albeit far from perfect.

The es…

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WikChip Image Smile! Oops, maybe not.
Devil In A Blue...
Great 66 Points 1995

Devil In A Blue Dress is a twofer: a damn good neo-noir movie and an excellent 1940s L.A. period piece, from an African-American POV. Throw in a prime Denzel Washington performance and you’ve got a great movie, one that stands the test of time. Pity they never made a sequel.

Taken from Walte…

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WikChip Video Denzel on Devil In A Blue Dress
The Conversation
Good 66 Points 1974

The Conversation was one of Francis Ford Coppola’s celebrated early Seventies movies, nominated for Best Picture and winner of the Palme d’Or. Deeply accomplished, occasionally fascinating, a time capsule of San Francisco from 1973, it nonetheless disappoints all these decades later.

The min…

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WikChip Video Coppola talks 'The Conversation' in 1974
The Barefoot Co...
Great 66 Points 1954

Ava Gardner plays a moviestar inspired by Rita Hayworth and Humphrey Bogart a writer-director inspired by Joseph L. Mankiewicz in The Barefoot Contessa, Mankiewicz’s takedown of movie business amorality. A glamorous movie about showbiz mendacity, it is both brilliantly self-aware and gorgeous t…

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WikChip Video Classic Golden Age Scene
Ad Astra
Really Great 66 Points 2019

Brad Pitt has his own great astronaut movie now, as every one of today’s great moviestars must.1 Ad Astra is a stately space epic, albeit punctuated with an atomic blast and more than a few death-defying set pieces. Most impressively, James Gray’s instant classic reinforces our conception of …

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WikChip Video The opening shots aren't in the movie.
Knives Out
Very Good 66 Points 2019

What happens when a legendary detective drops in on the murder investigation of a major mystery writer? Rian Johnson’s latest complicated cinematic confection – Knives Out – is what happens. This Agatha Christy homage is loads of fun for nearly two hours. Unfortunately, it’s a 2 hour 10 minute …

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Uncut Gems
Great 66 Points 2019

Uncut Gems could be titled Deadly Sins, with the wages of sin its inevitable conclusion. Populated by a rogues gallery of serious sinners and propelled by seriously sinful decisions, the Safdie Brothers once again wallow through the flamboyant dregs of New York. It’s a glorious car-crash expe…

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WikChip Video Sandler & Garnett
Blue Velvet
Good 66 Points 1986

Claimed a demented masterpiece by many, this soul-sick thriller oozes style, charisma and perverted action. Sadly, it lacks continuity, is overly affected and revels in juxtaposing drug addled wickedness with small town goodness.

Worth seeing – if you have a strong stomach – for Dennis Hopper’…

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WikChip Image He's a bad, bad man.
Vengeance
Good 66 Points 2022

Vengeance isn’t original. Hell, it’s the eighth movie titled Vengeance. Nor is it LOL funny, other than maybe that bit about Texas football. But it is interesting and of-the-moment and almost kind-hearted. That’s enough to make an expensive trip to the multiplex worthwhile. B. J. Novak’s pass…

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Signs
Great 68 Points 2002

M. Night Shyamalan peaked with Signs. Wonderfully creepy and magnificently manipulative, it’s a self-consciously old-school scary movie. Even this non-horror fan enjoyed it.

Mel Gibson’s Muted Max performance anchors writer-director Shyamalan’s achingly heavy story. Leading a great cast…

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WikChip Image Charismatically great acting: Gibson ...