Category: Reviews

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars) A sweet film with a lot of heart, Learning to Drive is definitely not a film that begs for the big screen treatment.  In fact it really does feel like a movie that was meant for television.  Still, I do not necessarily mean that in a… Continue reading Review: LEARNING TO DRIVE

By Liz Lopez Rating: C A Walk in the Woods, based on the best-selling book by Bill Bryson, is anything but a walk and it is not just in the woods. Travel writer Bill Bryson (portrayed by Academy Award winner Robert Redford) is at retirement age, but the “r” word is not in his vocabulary… Continue reading Review: A WALK IN THE WOODS

By Renee’ Collins Rating: 4.5 (Out of 5 Reels) As Wendy’s (Patricia Clarkson) marriage dissolves, a Manhattan writer takes driving lessons from a Sikh instructor, Darwan (Ben Kingsley) with marriage troubles of his own.  In each other’s company they find the courage to get back on the road and the strength to take the wheel… Continue reading Review: LEARNING TO DRIVE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) With Kicking and Screaming, The Squid and the Whale, Frances Ha, While We’re Young, and now Mistress America, writer/director Noah Baumbach has proven himself as an exceptional writer/director with an ability to tell realistic stories about major turning points in life.  He has an extraordinary ability… Continue reading Review: MISTRESS AMERICA

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3 (Out of 4 Stars)   The appropriately titled We Are Your Friends is a somewhat relatable coming of age film that has a lot of heart, but sometimes clumsily delivers its messages.  I may not be a millenial, whose generation seems to be the target demographic of this movie, but… Continue reading Review: WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS

By Renee’ Collins Rating: 4 (Out of 5 Reels) In their new overseas home, an American family soon finds themselves caught in the middle of a coup, and they frantically look for a safe escape in an environment where foreigners are being immediately executed (IMDB). To say this film is a not stop extremely suspenseful… Continue reading Review: NO ESCAPE

By Mark Saldana Rating: 2.5 (Out of 4 Stars) Based on the popular Hitman video games series, this reboot adaptation packs a decent punch in the action department.  However, when it comes to story and characters, this movie is flavored with stale ingredients.  The first attempted adaptation, Hitman, was released in 2007 and impressed me… Continue reading Review: HITMAN: AGENT 47

By Renee’ Collins Rating: 5 (Out of 5 Reels) In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons (IMDB).

By Mark Saldana Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars) In a year where police brutality is a hot topic on the evening news (and internet) and explosive rioting has taken its toll in the urban sprawl, this movie couldn’t have arrived at a more relevant time.  The incendiary rap group, N.W.A. emerged from the inner… Continue reading Review: STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

By Mark Saldana Rating: 4 (Out of 4 Stars) On September 12, 2008, acclaimed author David Foster Wallace died as a result of suicide.  Though he wasn’t exactly a household name, the influence of his work is undeniable.  Fifteen of his works (both fiction and non-fiction) were published, both during his lifetime and post-humously.  The… Continue reading Review: THE END OF THE TOUR