The documentary “A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story” follows a young woman’s journey from insecure bullying victim to internationally acclaimed motivational speaker and lobbyist. Velasquez — who was born with a syndrome that gave her striking facial features and makes it difficult for her to gain weight — radiates...
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Reviews
Amy
A24 Films Rated R for language and drug material. Running time: 128 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. There’s a scene toward the end of “Amy,” the documentary about the dizzyingly quick rise and fall of Amy Winehouse, that provides a glimmer of hope, even though we’re...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Monkey Kingdom
Behold, the irresistible cuteness of the macaque monkeys frolicking about a Sri Lankan jungle in the latest Disneynature documentary. But beware: Some of the situations are clearly staged and manipulated. Your kids won’t mind, though. Mine didn’t. My RogerEbert.com review. Read the review here...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Dior and I
You don’t have to know a thing about fashion to appreciate the hard work and longtime devotion on display in this intimate documentary. Director Frederic Tcheng goes behind the scenes as the new creative director at Christian Dior, Raf Simons, puts together his first haute couture show — in just...
Read moreGoing Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
HBO Documentary Films Unrated Running time: 119 minutes. Three stars out of four. The building you see in the photo above is the headquarters of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles. Painted a glaring shade of periwinkle, with a blindingly bright, Las Vegas-style marquee out front, it is an...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — The Wrecking Crew
This affectionate and respectful documentary shines a spotlight on a group of studio musicians who performed on many of the biggest and most enduring hits of the 1960s and early ’70s. There’s a ton of great music in here, but the movie as a whole can get a little scattered...
Read moreBackstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of
Gravitas Ventures Unrated. 101 minutes. Three stars out of four. Notwithstanding the distracting use of a preposition at the end of its title, the documentary “Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of” mostly stays on target as both an engaging and entertaining look at the boy band’s attempted resurgence....
Read moreA Secret Protest Screening
One of the many great parts about living in Los Angeles is the wealth of repertory theaters offering an array of eclectic fare for serious film lovers. The Cinefamily, at the Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax, is prime among them. These people dig deeply and care passionately, and they enjoy...
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Five Favorite Films at Los Feliz Day Care
One of my favorite Twitter feeds these days is Los Feliz Day Care, a dead-on parody of uptight, ultra-P.C. parenting and educational tactics. Whether or not you’re a parent, you should seriously check it out — you will cackle daily. As the mother of a 5-year-old in Los Angeles, I...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Actress
The documentary “Actress” blurs the line between reality and performance in following its subject, former actress Brandy Burre, a mother of two trying break back into the business. Director Robert Greene takes a look at this inherently dramatic woman in ways that are both unadorned and artful. My RogerEbert.com review....
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