The Netflix documentary “Becoming” follows Michelle Obama on her nationwide book tour, as she dazzles intimate groups of young women and packed arenas of fans alike. She’s enormously charismatic and a gifted storyteller, but Nadia Hallgren’s depiction of the media-savvy former first lady isn’t quite as “unplugged” as the trailer...
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Reviews
Breakfast All Day Podcast: A La Carte With Jeffrey McHale
Jeffrey McHale’s “Showgirls” documentary, the brilliantly titled “You Don’t Nomi,” will make you reassess how you feel about the so-bad-it’s-good classic. You may decide that it’s legitimately good, if not great. McHale spoke with me and Alonso about his upbringing in Troy, Michigan, studying film at Chicago’s Columbia College, meeting...
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Breakfast All Day Podcast: A La Carte with Marcellas Reynolds
Marcellas Reynolds has worn many hats, all of them stylish. He’s been a model, stylist, reality TV star on “Big Brother” and a fashion correspondent. And now, he can add author to that list with the upcoming publication of “Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion.” Marcellas also happens...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
It may sound impossible, but there is indeed another entire big, fat, Greek wedding. And it’s even bigger, fatter and Greeker than the first. Please enjoy my one-star RogerEbert.com review. Read the review here...
Read moreThe Divergent Series: Allegiant
Lionsgate Films Rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some partial nudity. Running time: 120 minutes. One star out of four. The confused look on the faces of all the characters in the above photo pretty much tells you everything you need to know about “Allegiant” —...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Unexpected
The premise may sound like something you’d see on the Lifetime channel: An inner-city high school teacher finds out she’s pregnant at the same time as her star student. But director and co-writer Kris Swanberg’s execution is warm, funny and understated. And the two lead actresses — Cobie Smulders and...
Read moreDrinking Buddies
Magnolia Pictures Rated R for language throughout. Running time: 90 minutes. Three stars out of four. “Drinking Buddies” is a crackling screwball comedy refracted through a low-key, mumblecore prism. Admittedly, I’m not terribly fond of the word mumblecore and find it reductive — not unlike the phrases “chick flick” or...
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