Hollywood tends to rehash things – similar stories, sequels, and remakes seem to be the norm. Perhaps there is a generational thing that makes this acceptable. Remakes of stories like television’s Wonder Years or of foreign films like 2016’s A Man Called Ove – from a novel – into Hollywood’s version A Man Called Otto… Continue reading SHOTGUN WEDDING
Author: Laurie Coker
WOMEN TALKING
Women Talking is an excellent film. Writer/Director Sarah Polley uses her stark, limited sets and a stellar cast to tell a powerful character-driven story that gives pause for thought. After years of abuse, women in a staunchly religious community decide that they must make a choice for their future and their children’s future. What Polley… Continue reading WOMEN TALKING
A MAN CALLED OTTO
In 2016, one of my favorite films of the year was an international movie called A Man Called Ove, based on a novel of the same name by Fredrik Backman. Starting off 2023, director Marc Forester and screenwriter David Magee have adapted Backman’s book into an American version of the story starring Tom Hanks. While… Continue reading A MAN CALLED OTTO
Coker’s Film PICKS and TOP 10- a review of the Year
Laurie’s End of Year Award Picks – 2022 Best Director The Fabelmans – Stephen Spielberg Til – Chinonye Chukwu Living – Oliver Hermanus Elvis – Baz Luhrmann RRR – SS Rajamouli Best Actor Collin Ferrell – The Banshees of Inisherin Daniel Craig – Glass Onion Bill Nighy – Living A Man Called Otto – Tom… Continue reading Coker’s Film PICKS and TOP 10- a review of the Year
BABYLON
Debauchery. Sure, it exists and Hollywood runs the show. An all-star cast and wild, showy moments can’t save an overly-ambitious disjointed storyline in Babylon, starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, and Diego Calva. Writer/director Damien Chazelle’s over three-hour-long film is ultimately a colossal, over-done messy in which his stars flail around as drunken, narcissistic fools, with… Continue reading BABYLON
THE PALE BLUE EYE
Great things happen when a director can set a mood and carry it successfully throughout a film. Director Scott Cooper’s The Pale Blue Eye is a mystery that’s more about its grim and grisly tone than originality. And Cooper creates an atmosphere of intrigue that resonates throughout the eerie story. The film is based on Louis Bayard’s… Continue reading THE PALE BLUE EYE
PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH
I always hesitate to see sequels, but I must give them a look. Often, I am disappointed but there are gems now and then. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, starring Antonio Banderas, offers a stellar voice cast, a raucously fun story, and exciting animation. More than ten years after his last feature, the famous… Continue reading PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH
CAUSEWAY
I know personally what it means to suffer a traumatic brain injury. While mine did not involve an IED or military action, brain trauma to the brain affects literally everything and makes recovery a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Jennifer Lawrence stars in Causeway, a moving film about the aftermath of brain injuries and the struggles of… Continue reading CAUSEWAY
BANDIT
Everyone loves a good grifter story, and there is often a good deal of fun in “based on true story” movies. Rich and amusing characters make up the ensemble of characters in Bandit, a film by Allan Ungar starring Josh Duhamel, but it is the star who enchants audiences. Canadian director Ungar and his screenwriter… Continue reading BANDIT
DON’T WORRY, DARLING
A twisty, tense sci-fi mystery set in the 1950s -what could be better? Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde, offers up some amazing sets, costumes, characters, and a surprising storyline. Harry Styles, Florence Pugh, and Chris Pine star in this subtle thriller that speaks to many contemporary issues and entertains with its vivid imagery… Continue reading DON’T WORRY, DARLING