Kansas City native Janelle Monáe has proven herself to be a terrific musician. She can now add the title ‘acclaimed actress’ to her resume. She’s part of a strong acting ensemble in “Hidden Figures,” potent follow-up to her role in the current drama, “Moonight.” Monáe, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer star in the true story of mathematicians whose calculations helped propel NASA’s manned space program the 1960s, in spite of blatant sexism and racism. Kevin Costner is the NASA bigwig who relies on these female computers before IBM introduced mechanical ones. While the storytelling is standard, the cast of “Hidden Figures” is appealing, the production values are spot on and it is an inspiring tale that needed to be told. An allegory is given the big special effects treatment in “A Monster Calls.” It’s a spectacularly produced adaptation of Patrick Ness’s novel about a 12-year-old British boy named Conor who is trying to cope with his mother’s illness, an overbearing grandmother and local bullies. In his dreams, Conor conjures up a giant tree monster, voiced by Liam Neeson, who tells him three stories. Conor must tell a fourth story, or be eaten by the monster. Newcomer Lewis MacDougall plays…

At the close 2016, it’s time to look back the best movies the year had to offer. Here’s my list of the cream of the cinematic crop. 10) MOONLIGHT An impeccable acting ensemble gave life to the story of the …

Are American audiences ready for a full-blown movie musical about struggling performing artists in Los Angeles? I hope so, because “La La Land” is easily one of the best movies of the year. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are splendid …

Are American audiences ready for a full-blown movie musical about struggling performing artists in Los Angeles? I hope so, because “La La Land” is easily one of the best movies of the year. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are splendid in this magical romantic comic drama that was written and directed by Damien Chazelle, the man behind last year’s terrific jazz movie, “Whiplash.” “La La Land” is smart, poignant, tune-filled and funny. Those who love old-time musicals will be in heaven and those that don’t…will probably like it anyway. “La La Land” is a real gem. A terrific cast has gotten mired in a well-meaning but misguided dramatic mess called “Collateral Beauty.” Will Smith, Helen Mirren, Kate Winslet, Edward Norton, Keira Knightley, Michael Pena and Naomie Harris do their best to make a sappy script palatable. Smith plays an ad executive who has shut down emotionally after a grievous personal loss. His co-workers hire actors to play love, time and death in an attempt to shake him out of his funk. Only a cast this good could make a premise this odd seem remotely believable. “Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened” is a wistful documentary about the making…

Don’t be surprised if you hear the title “Manchester by the Sea” being bandied about a lot at awards time. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan’s heartbreaking drama about loss and grief is a skillfully written and impeccably acted ensemble piece. Casey Affleck …

Don’t be surprised if you hear the title “Manchester by the Sea” being bandied about a lot at awards time. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan’s heartbreaking drama about loss and grief is a skillfully written and impeccably acted ensemble piece. Casey Affleck plays a working class man who struggles with a past tragedy when he returns to his Massachusetts hometown for his brother’s funeral. I’ll warn you, it’s extremely bleak, but it’s also poignant and affecting. “Nocturnal Animals” is no exercise in sweetness and light, either. Celebrated fashion designer Tom Ford turns filmmaker, training his artistic eye on twin stories of revenge. Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal lead a great cast in a very dark and violent tale that one could argue deserves an NC-17 rating, although it’s rated R. If art is meant to disturb, “Nocturnal Animals” more than qualifies. Jessica Chastain stars in “Miss Sloane,” an involving political suspense thriller about a hard-edged Washington, D.C. lobbyist who takes on a seemingly invincible organization. Chastain is solid as always and the setup is provocative, but the wheels nearly fall off when the plot takes an absurd turn near the film’s finale. “The Eyes of My Mother” is an elegantly shot, genuinely…

Earnest performances and good intentions don’t always lead to good movies. “Man Down” is a case in point. Shia LaBeouf gives a solid turn as a U.S. Marine who, upon his return home from serving in Afghanistan, discovers that his …

Earnest performances and good intentions don’t always lead to good movies. “Man Down” is a case in point. Shia LaBeouf gives a solid turn as a U.S. Marine who, upon his return home from serving in Afghanistan, discovers that his wife and child have fallen into the hands of some chaotic force. Is this a mystery, a sci-fi story or an apocalyptic drama? The answer isn’t clear until the movie’s final moments. Sadly, this well-meaning film never gets a grip on its subject and comes off as forced and pretentious instead of heartfelt and impassioned. If there is a bird lover in your family, you may want to consider taking them to see “The Eagle Huntress.” This beautifully photographed documentary tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who lives in the mountainous region of Kazakhstan. Her dream is to follow in her father’s footsteps, capturing and training a wild eagle for hunting. She meets steep resistance from the other hunters in their very patriarchal society. The film unfolds at a very leisurely pace, so it’s not for young children. But for those with an interest in all things aviary or in search of a film about female empowerment, “The Eagle…

Harry Potter fans who mourned the end of his book and movie franchise, take heart. J. K Rowling has revived that universe with her original screenplay, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” Eddie Redmayne plays an English wizard who …