Movie reviews of George Wolf

The common challenge for adventure films like this is to make an individual experience speak in universal terms. Watts pushes Infinite Storm past some by-the-numbers moments for a worthy reflection on struggle and healing. Review

Cheaper by the Dozen, yes. And you get what you pay for. Review

The Outfit is a solid directing debut for an acclaimed screenwriter. And while you can’t help feeling that this salute to the brainy introvert may be a personal one for Moore, it’s artful and engaging enough to rope in anyone who loves untangling a well-fitted suit of clues. Review

If it’s an attempt at chilling humor, it falls hard, becoming another anchor weighing down Deep Water just when it starts cruising. Review

While Fear is a film that doesn’t pretend to have the answers to the global issues on its mind, it does seem to have a firm grip on the basic question at the heart of these matters. Review

But Turning Red finds Pixar with a healthy and welcome new approach to its lineup. So wherever it’s found, that’s more than okay. Review

Much like Linda Ronstadt’s first person storytelling made The Sound of My Voice so compelling despite a refusal to discuss her relationships, seeing and hearing Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz narrate their own lives is what gives the film the intimacy that enables it to soar. Review

It is her commitment that won’t let us turn away from Amy, or completely give up on this film. Review

Is it ridiculous, overwrought and amateurish in spots? Sure, but this one is actually watchable. Review

Holland proves adept at parkour and trading mildly amusing barbs with Wahlberg, leaving director Ruben Fleischer to keep his foot on the gas and let the green screen whizzes go to Funkytown. Review

Give it your time and attention, and the film will reward you with multiple stories in one, inviting you to consider universal themes from intimate new perspectives. Review

Screenwriters Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger pair with director Jason Orley for a solid game plan, but it’s the irresistible chemistry of Slate and Day that keeps this madcap setup consistently engaging. Review

Death on the Nile proves that a trusty return to glamour and intrigue can still overcome some excess baggage. Review

Last Looks carves out a throwback mystery that’s engaging enough, and – whenever Gibson’s around – even devilish fun. Review

Trier and Reinsve craft small, indelible moments that bind together for a refreshingly honest look at how, as John Lennon once said, life happens when you’re busy making other plans. Review

The hits and the misses keep coming, equally likely to leave you laughing, wincing, or checking your watch. Review

Much like a troubled mark facing dwindling options and a ticking clock, Confession just ends up saying too much. Review

Scodelario is a charismatic presence, both Brosnan and William Hurt seem to enjoy elevating the material, and some of the interior set pieces are lovely and lavishly presented. So what gives with the outdoors? What action there is boasts all the authenticity of a live-action theme park show and some not-nearly-ready-for-prime-time underwater effects. Review

Lélis and Mendonça both deliver wonderfully insightful performances, as their characters try their best to make a go of a relationship never meant to be long term. Review

The performances from Nishijima and Miura are equally understated and effecting. They peel away their characters’ defenses with a deep sense of purpose, cementing Hamaguchi’s use of those long drives as a metaphorical journey. Review

Seydoux is almost enough to forgive it all, with Dumont making sure his lens loves her as much as the TV cameras love France herself. And while that might not seem a difficult task when the luminous Seydoux is involved, it’s a crucial element that goes a long way toward helping the film resonate as much it does. Review

Is it enough to merit that next adventure the finale hints at? Not really, but it’s just enough to make one three-year-old conversation worthwhile. Review

The moral high ground of A Hero is constantly shifting, which proves to be the perfect anchor for a gifted filmmaker’s latest examination of modern life’s often messy ambiguities. Review

While Affleck adds another fine showing to his current winning streak, there’s not much else in The Tender Bar to convince you the book was worth a big screen adaptation at all. Review