Veep creator Armando Iannucci brings his acid tongue and razor-sharp wit to this Soviet-era political farce, aided by an impeccable ensemble cast. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Death of Stalin succeeds wonderfully as a calamitous farce, wherein every character falls victim to their own overly meticulous plotting. Every minor detail is chewed on, ... REVIEW: The Death of Stalin
Kyle Henry, director of the compelling, hyperlocal Chicago drama Rogers Park discusses the appeal of his home neighborhood and the need to tell stories that reflect his experiences. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood For Chicagoans, films that actually take place in Chicago can be a bit of a mixed bag. You can usually ... Rogers Park: Director Kyle Henry on Capturing His Neighborhood and the Pressures of Mid-Life
Ryan Coogler’s Afrofuturist take on the Marvel Universe is a refreshingly unique, stylish and thematically rich superhero flick, breathing fresh air into the Marvel mythos. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood What can I say that hasn’t been said a million times over already by critics more numerous and qualified than I? More than ... REVIEW: Black Panther
A pioneering work of trans-centric filmmaking, Sebastián Lelio’s airy, dreamlike direction anchors a fearless central performance from Daniela Vega. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood With trans issues being at the forefront of the cultural moment, it’s no surprise that cries for representation in film extend to trans and non-binary actresses as well. Sure, ... REVIEW: A Fantastic Woman
To no one’s surprise, the third and final adaptation of E.L. James’ bodice-rippers promises steam, but delivers vapor. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Fifty Shades of Grey franchise is at once one of the most baffling smash hits in pop culture, and also the most understandable. E.L. James, adapting her AU Twilight ... REVIEW: Fifty Shades Freed
Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ponderous, effortlessly endearing alien-invasion dramedy filters the strangeness of modern life through its trio of alien protagonists. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Japanese are no strangers to the quirky, off-kilter and unconventional when it comes to their cinema, especially in their sci-fi efforts. Enter Kiyoshi Kurosawa, director of the J-horror ... REVIEW: Before We Vanish
The budding midnight-movie appeal of Craig Denney’s impossible-to-find THE ASTROLOGER heralds the return of cult cinema’s mystique. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood In the age of the Internet, the era of the true cult film is mostly over – even the most obscure grindhouse dreck or direct-to-VHS exploitation schlock has a thoroughly-annotated Wikipedia ... The Astrologer is the Forgotten Cult Hit You’ve Been Waiting For
Francis Lee’s tender, heartfelt debut film is as sweet a love story as you’ll ever see, bolstered by two terrific young performances and Lee’s sensitive, deliberate script. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood In a year (and awards season) where Luca Guadagnino’s lovely Call Me By Your Name fills the ‘queer love story’ quota ... REVIEW: God’s Own Country
Jack C. Newell’s fly-on-the-wall doc about a Chicago chef on the rise effortlessly blends haute cuisine food porn with a tale of chef as temperamental artist. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Four years ago, Jake Bickelhaupt was just an up-and-coming chef running an illegal restaurant, Sous Rising, out of the Chicago apartment he ... REVIEW: 42 Grams
Brian Taylor’s devious intergenerational murder-comedy is just as crazy as the delightfully wacko Nicolas Cage performance at its center. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Nicolas Cage is an acting maniac by more than one definition – he takes on so many projects you’d think he had a castle to pay off (spoiler: he ... REVIEW: Mom and Dad
Despite an assured and confident lead performance from Annette Bening, this treacly biopic of Gloria Grahame’s final days offers little true insight. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood With awards season dying down, it’s time for the also-rans. January and February are known as ‘dump months,’ the time of the year where studios dump ... REVIEW: Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool
Paul King’s delightful, charming followup to the first Paddington is a lovely ode to family, friendship, ingenuity – and, of course, marmalade. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood In a world where Minions and Lightning McQueen dominate the attention of most children in America, it’s lamentable that Paddington isn’t more of a thing here. ... REVIEW: Paddington 2
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Paul Thomas Anderson’s sumptuous, elegant psychodrama about fashion, obsession and ego (allegedly) gives Daniel Day-Lewis’ career a fitting swan song. Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a man of routine, head of one of the great haute couture houses in 1950s London. His life is as immaculately controlled and ... REVIEW: Phantom Thread
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Now that awards season is around the corner, everyone’s talking about their top ten films of this past year. With so many smart, insightful critics putting out lists that look very similar to mine, I thought I’d do something different. Enough people have rightly piled on the praise ... Our Next Top 10 Films of 2017
Scott Cooper’s nihilistic acid Western is as self-serious as it is unrelentingly brutal, for both good and ill. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Western is a genre rife for deconstruction, particularly as the real-life horrors of its era become more of a universally accepted truth. The Golden Age gave us heroic white ... REVIEW: Hostiles
Karen Lynn Weinberg’s intriguing, powerful doc emphasizes the vital link between language, culture and well-being. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The history of America is replete with historical traumas. Whether it’s the Trail of Tears, or forced assimilation of Native Americans into the English-speaking, Christian cultures of their colonizers, many tribes still struggle ... REVIEW: Keep Talking