MovieSorter

loading Title loading Tws summary loading Trust ▼ loading Year Viewable
John Wick: Chap...
Very Good 66 Points 2019

I ignored Chapters 1 & 2 of John Wick. No longer, given the positive word of mouth about Chapter 3. That WoM is well earned by the movie itself, which is funny as hell without being a comedy. Plus, Keanu Reeves’ limited ability to recite dialog meets its moment as John Wick, with Parabellum

Full Review »
WikChip Video All You Need To Know
Jojo Rabbit
Really Great 66 Points 2019

The Hitler Youth get a satirical stake through the heart in the wonderfully wacky Jojo Rabbit. Taika Waititi – he of Thor: Ragnarok – wrote the screenplay, directs the movie and even stars as a wacky Hitler, well a Hitler as the imagi…

Full Review »
WikChip Video Taika Waititi cracks wise.
Richard Jewell
Really Great 66 Points 2019

The FBI’s reputation takes a big blow in Richard Jewell, making Clint Eastwood’s movie about 1996 timely in 2019. Last week’s Justice Department IG report crushed any belief that the upper echelon of the FBI is the least bit trustworthy. That came years after the FBI didn’t pay attention "when …

Full Review »
WikChip Video Mike Wallace interviews Jewell 6 year...
Cat on a Hot Ti...
Very Good 66 Points 1958

The eyes have it! Well, the eyes and the lies have it. The eyes belong to golden superstars Paul Newman & Elizabeth Taylor — his intense blue orbs opposite her intoxicating violet ones, no FX involved with either. The lies, well, the lies drive the story, with the fancy word “mendacity” bandied a…

Full Review »
WikChip Video Liz Taylor gets sexy with Paul Newman
Enron: The Smar...
OK 66 Points 2005

Enron’s rise and fall gets reprised in this dolorous documentary. Unfortunately there’s little new here for those who followed the debacle when it went down. Worse, the narrative is marred by a blanket sense of sanctimonious disgust and the testimony of at least one disgraced antagonist, convic…

Full Review »
Animal Kingdom
Good 66 Points 2010

Charismatic, disorienting and brooding, Animal Kingdom presents the truthy tale of an infamous crime family, including their murder of two Melbourne cops. The brooding gets a bit much by the third reel, weighing down what would otherwise be a great true-crime movie.

The charisma comes from …

Full Review »
WikChip Video Infamous crime family, charismatic movie
Malèna
Perfect 66 Points 2000

Deeply, floridly Italian, Malèna is a sumptuous WWII find, a Sicilian movie extraordinaire and a devastating depiction of Italian machismo reacting to the hottest signorina since Sophia Loren.

Monica Belluci plays the title character, a gorgeous war bride living in a small Sicilian town, bro…

Full Review »
WikChip Image where Malèna went, the town followed
Only God Forgives
Great 66 Points 2013

Blood begets blood as a Bangkok blood feud drives waves of retribution in artistic director Nicholas Winding Refn’s crime thriller Only God Forgives. Think Drive crossed with Bronson, set in Asia.

If that doesn’t mean anything to you, imagine Ryan Gosling in a savagely violent, brooding…

Full Review »
WikChip Image Makes the Wicked Witch seem nurturing
Joe
Very Good 66 Points 2013

Tye Sheridan continues his JLaw moviestar ascent as yet another grievously put-upon Southern boy in Joe. Nicolas Cage delivers one of his best roles in years as Joe: classic Cage, peccadilloes galore, heavily armed. Textbook movie drama ensues. A wastrel man is made better by protecting an u…

Full Review »
WikChip Image Portrait of Tye Sheridan as a young man
The Rover
Good 66 Points 2014

Lots of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Well, that’s not true. The Rover signifies a monumental Guy Pearce performance, coupled with a notable Robert Pattinson one. Nor was there lots of sound, come to think of it. Surprisingly little actually, what with Guy Pearce’s quietly laconic ave…

Full Review »
WikChip Image Guy Pearce: Moviestar for the Ages