Director and co-writer Tom McCarthy is telling several different stories with “Stillwater,” the most compelling of which finds a movingly understated Matt Damon seeking redemption for himself and his daughter in France. But there’s so much else going on as the film hurtles toward its wild third act. My mixed...
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Reviews
RogerEbert.com — Die in a Gunfight
Not even sardonic narration from the usually delightful Billy Crudup can save the noisy mess that is “Die in a Gunfight.” And man, is there a lot of it. Crudup’s voiceover smothers everything, early and often, explaining multiple details about the movie’s star-crossed lovers in ways that are overbearing and...
Read moreBreakfast All Day Podcast 5/6/21
Sure, it’s Mother’s Day weekend, but Alonso, Matt and I have a bunch of movies about dudes to review on Breakfast All Day. Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham re-team for the heist thriller “Wrath of Man.” Billy Crystal directs and stars as an aging comedian with dementia in “Here Today.”...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Violation
“Violation” is a rape-revenge thriller that is unlike any other in its extremes, from breezy dreaminess to relentless brutality. The artistry on display is undeniable, but it is deeply disturbing in its depiction of violence—a tough watch, whether you’re a survivor of sexual assault or not. This movie is sure...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — The Father
Anthony Hopkins gives the most moving performance of his long and storied career in “The Father,” starring as as an 80-year-old Londoner succumbing to dementia. Olivia Colman is every bit his equal as the daughter who struggles to contain his volatile moods and organize his jumbled memories. But what director...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — French Exit
Michelle Pfeiffer is riveting as a broke Manhattan socialite in “French Exit.” Director Azazel Jacobs’ low-key farce allows the veteran star to luxuriate in lavish clothes and stylized language. But while the film meanders a bit as it makes its way to Paris — and there’s not nearly enough Tracy...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Little Fish
“Little Fish” would have left a lingering, wistful feeling under ordinary circumstances. Debuting during a pandemic, however, adds a layer of poignancy to this story of a worldwide virus that causes memory loss, creating loneliness and isolation for both its victims and their loved ones. The timing of Chad Hartigan’s...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Penguin Bloom
It sounds painfully mawkish if not downright implausible on the page: a woman, paralyzed from the chest down in a freak accident, finds hope and determination in caring for an injured bird. The parallels would be too forced; the symbolism, too obvious. But despite its feel-good formula, “Penguin Bloom” still...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — No Man’s Land
In telling a story of violence along the Texas-Mexico border from a different perspective, “No Man’s Land” clearly has the best of intentions. Director Conor Allyn, and his brother, star, and co-writer Jake Allyn, are trying to make us look at this contentious swath of land through fresh and sympathetic eyes,...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Let Him Go
“Let Him Go” is the kind of solid, grown-up drama we don’t see very much anymore. It’s a throwback Western featuring subtle suspense, a rich sense of place and strong performances, particularly from Diane Lane, Kevin Costner and a showy Lesley Manville. You can see it in theaters now but...
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