Director Andy Goddard’s British war drama, Six Minutes to Midnight, starts off strong — with sweeping tracking shots of the English coast, fitting period attire, and an underlying sense of “doom” matching a continent on the brink of war. In fact, the film’s opening act is quite intriguing — dropping viewers into a peculiar English…
Re-imagining a beloved work of pop culture is never an easy task. Sure, there have been some grand examples of those who have succeeded, but far too often even the most talented of individuals can’t accomplish the task. And when it comes to the 2020 version of Blithe Spirit, directed by Edward Hall, it unfortunately…
There’s only one movie in theaters this holiday season where you can see tap, ballet, hip-hop, and other dance styles performed by CGI cat-people (or are they people-cats?) and you can bet it’s not the latest Star Wars movie. It’s also not exactly good, at least in the way that nearly everyone who watches movies…
John Madden’s 1998 film “Shakespeare in Love” proposed a secret love affair as being the inspiration behind Shakespeare’s most popular play, “Romeo and Juliet.” The film’s widespread success revealed the public’s longing to find a real human being behind the name of the iconic poet and playwright who composed at least 37 plays, 154 sonnets,…
There is a moment early in Kenneth Branagh’s intricately constructed adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit when Hercule Poirot (Branagh) stands on the deck of a ship as it leaves Istanbul. Poirot is captured center frame: The deck, the railing, the adjacent cabin and the sea itself are balanced perfectly around him. The shot is…
Based “mostly” on a true story (in other words, fictional), Stephen Frears’ (“Florence Foster Jenkins”) Victoria and Abdul is an ode to the warmth of simple friendship and the wonders of British colonialism. Based on the book by Shrabani Basu with a screenplay by Lee Hall (“War Horse”), it is an engaging film about the…
Despite the fact that all the characters’ stories were nicely tied up in bow by the end of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Shakespeare in Love” director John Madden has decided to return to the helm to treat viewers to the continuing adventures of the residents in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In this…
