Freeze Frame

The ‘down-on-his-luck cop trying for redemption’ genre gets a gender change in “Destroyer.” Nicole Kidman goes grimy and gritty in this dark character study about an LAPD detective with a lot of personal baggage whose past comes back to haunt her as she tries to unravel a murder mystery. Kidman goes all out in a performance that you’ll either find haunting or overblown. Count me somewhere in the middle. “Destroyer” tries a bit too hard to be grubby. It’s been 100 years since WWI, but the new documentary “They Shall Not Grow Old” gives the events of the war an immediacy we haven’t seen before. Filmmaker Peter Jackson of “Lord of the Rings” fame has taken old, shaky black-and-white war footage stored at the Imperial War Museum in Great Britain and given it a high-tech update.  This restored film has been speed-rectified, colorized and given impressive sound enhancement. Jackson also employs skillful editing to tell the story of British ground troops who served in the hellish trenches on the Western Front, narrated by the actual survivors whose stories were recorded by the BBC in the 1960s. The resulting film is an emotionally involving experience that will probably be used by…

When “The LEGO Movie” debuted in 2014, it took audiences and critics by surprise…and the box office by storm! While the sequel “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part” lacks the freshness of the original, there’s still plenty of creativity and animated razzle dazzle on display. The LEGO universe has descended into dystopia and must contend with invaders from the cute but deadly DUPLO world. There’s plenty of broad humor for the kids and cheeky cultural references for adults, but the movie is almost undone by frenetic, breakneck editing. Still, “The LEGO Movie 2” delivers all the entertainment one could expect from a 90-minute toy commercial. Each year, I get the same question. Why should I care about the Oscar-nominated shorts if I can’t see them? Well, you can. The latest compilation has arrived and it’s easy to see why these films have been so honored. There’s no question as to the artistry of these efforts, so film buffs will have plenty to discuss in their post screening coffee talks. One note of caution: Most of these films are very dark and depressing. The best of the animated lot is probably “Bao,” the Pixar film about a dumpling come to…

Producer James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez team up to adapt the Japanese manga comic “Alita: Battle Angel.” In a dystopian future, a cyborg with a human brain is brought back to life to become the hero in a game of super Rollerball. While it’s an impressive visual spectacle, the story plays like a smorgasbord of ideas culled from other, better works. Annoyingly, there’s no climax, so the filmmakers expect us to wait for the sequel with bated breath. The surprise hit horror flick “Happy Death Day” was a mashup of “Groundhog Day” and “Scream,” about a teenager who repeats that day she was murdered over and over again. The sequel, “Happy Death Day 2 U” may not match up, but it’s better than It has any business being with Jessica Rothe demonstrating a real range of emotion as she’s caught in a time loop with moral conundrums. “Isn’t it Romantic” is a passable fantasy. Rebel Wilson plays a woman who gets bonked on the head and wakes up in an alternate universe filled with romantic comedy clichés. It feels very strained at times, but good for a few laughs on your Valentine’s Day date. The harrowing Lebanese film “Capernaum”…

“Cold War” is one of the best European films of the year and is, rightfully, a contender for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. This bittersweet tale is about the on-and-off romance between a young singer and her choir director that begins in 1950s Communist Poland and makes memorable pit stops in other parts of Europe over a period of years. It’s artfully directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, features stunning black-and-white cinematography and showcases a star-making performance from Joanna Kulig. “Cold War” is involving and packs an emotional wallop.   Melancholy may be the best term to describe “Stan & Ollie,” a very sweet, low-key tale about famed comedy duo Laurel and Hardy and their attempt to revive their sputtering film and theater careers in the 1950s. John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan are terrific in this beautifully produced comic drama. While the stars have the requisite chemistry, Laurel and Hardy’s gentle humor may not translate well for modern audiences.   If his autobiographies are to be believed, 1940s Hollywood actor Errol Flynn had amazing adventures on the high seas before becoming a swashbuckling hero in classic movies like “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” The film “In Like Flynn” stars Thomas…

The films from writer/director M. Knight Shyamalan are always a crap shoot. When he finds his stride, as he did with “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs,” his movies create an effective and otherworldly atmosphere. When he loses his grasp, as with “The Last Airbender” and “The Happening,” it’s hard to believe that it’s the same filmmaker. His latest thriller is “Glass,” a dark comic book movie that provides the conclusion to a trilogy that also includes “Unbreakable” from 2000 and 2017’s “Split.” As you might expect, the results are a mixed bag.   Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson return from “Unbreakable” and James McAvoy reprises his brilliant role as a man with multiple personalities in “Split.” Shyamalan’s complicated plot amounts to a thesis on comic book superhero origins. It requires an inordinate amount of time and dialogue to explain, turning the actors into narrators instead of characters. Even though the movie is overlong, there’s little real character interaction.   While “Glass” isn’t bad, it just a disappointing conclusion to an ambitious premise that became too convoluted for its own good.   For patient viewers, the Korean film “Burning” offers many rewards. A sure thing for an Oscar nomination for…

It’s time to take a look back at the movie year. Here is my list of the ten best movies of 2018. (Scroll down to see my list of the WORST films of the year!)   10) HEARTS BEAT LOUD (PG-13) “Hearts Beat Loud” is a charming, low-key comic father-daughter drama that’s sweet-natured and has an appealing pop score.   9) A QUIET PLACE (PG-13) Director/star John Krasinski delivers something original with the genuinely scary creepfest, "A Quiet Place." It's a skillfully made and truly scary sci-fi opus.   8) BLACKKKLANSMAN (R) “BlacKkKlansman” tells the remarkable true story of a black police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. Director Spike Lee’s comic drama is oh-so relevant in contemporary America.   7) SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDERVERSE (PG) “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse” is a wildly imaginative, energetic animated Marvel epic that finally captures Spider-Man's cheeky humor.   6) THE GUILTY (R) “The Guilty” is a riveting Danish thriller about a police officer at an emergency call center who desperately tries to help a caller who turns out to be a kidnap victim. 5) EIGHTH GRADE (R) “Eighth Grade” is a poignant, realistic and beautifully acted look at the angst of adolescence that will transport…

Looking for a cheery comedy for the holiday season? How about a movie featuring the warm and loveable former Defense Secretary and George W. Bush Vice President Dick Cheney? “Vice” is an offbeat political black comedy from the mind of writer/director Adam McKay, the guy behind the 2015 satiric civics lesson “The Big Short.” As you might guess, “Vice” is a scathing take down of the Republican operative who was, arguably, the most powerful Vice President of all time.   Oscar-winning actor Christian Bale does an uncanny impression as the enigmatic Chaney, Amy Adams is his pushy and ambitious wife, Lynne, Sam Rockwell plays a clueless George W. Bush, Steve Carell is the conniving Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Tyler Perry is repressed Secretary of State Colin Powell.   Like “The Big Short, “Vice” is smart, episodic and often darkly funny. But “Vice” isn’t as successful, partly because Cheney is a very guarded, somber and emotionally cool individual, not a magnetic lead. “Vice” delivers its point of view with a sledgehammer, so it’s unlikely to win any hearts and minds. If you already dislike Cheney, “Vice” will reinforce your point of view. If you like Cheney, “Vice” will strike you…