The boys and I have some thoughts on Thursday morning’s Golden Globe nominations. It’s a lot of the usual suspects, but there also were some snubs and surprises....
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What the Flick?! — The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1
The first half of the film adaptation of the third book in “The Hunger Games” trilogy feels like a stretched-out placeholder for the real finale. Jennifer Lawrence is strong as always, though, as Katniss, who’s now the reluctant symbol of hope for the revolution....
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Beyond the Lights
Gugu Mbatha-Raw gives a powerhouse performance as a Rihanna-esque R&B singer on the brink of superstardom, and she has insane chemistry with Nate Parker as the member of her security detail with whom she falls in love. Writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s film has its melodramatic moments, but Parker and Mbatha-Raw bring...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas
“Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas” — or as I like to think of it, “Tyler Perry’s Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas” — is a holiday comedy for Christian audiences that’s hilarious in its ineptitude. Seriously, how did this get released? It’s “The Room” of Christmas movies. Alonso and I had a good...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Remembering Mike Nichols
Matt, Alonso and I look back at the staggeringly diverse and consistently sharp career of Mike Nichols, who died this week at age 83. It’s hard to think of another director working today who matches his depth and range, and who draws such inspired work from established actors....
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — The Theory of Everything
So good to be back with my friends talking movies after a couple of weeks away. One of the biggies during this busy week is the Stephen Hawking biopic “The Theory of Everything,” which features strong performances but overall is frustratingly conventional....
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Big Hero 6
“Big Hero 6” is lively and lovely and all kinds of adorable. Not groundbreaking, necessarily, but enjoyable, with themes of friendship and teamwork as well as a dark streak. I actually liked “Feast,” the short that plays beforehand, way better....
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Whiplash
“Whiplash” is at once thrilling and horrifying. The story of a talented young jazz drummer and his cruelly sadistic mentor features powerful performances from Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons and editing so intricate and masterful, it feels like jazz itself. (Like, seriously, it should win every possible editing award there...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — The Judge
This courtroom drama feels like an overlong, overstuffed adaptation of a John Grisham airport paperback from the mid-1990s. It is clearly the work of a comedy director (David Dobkin) trying desperately to do something more substantive. But it has a few moments that earn their demands to be taken seriously,...
Read moreWhat the Flick?! — Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
The Judith Viorst children’s book is merely a springboard for this family-friendly comedy, which isn’t as cloying as it looks and features an appealing weird streak. You could do worse....
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