Movie reviews of Hope Madden

Bahrani’s masterful direction makes the most of background to establish and reestablish Balram’s position and his thinking. And as utterly contemptuous as this film is concerning the wealthy and powerful, director and lead make you feel the depth and history involved in a servant’s culture of devotion. Review

Talent be damned, Guez can’t find an original thought to explore. Everything about Brothers by Blood feels absolutely garden variety, although competently made. Review

Oppenheim’s framing and David Bolen’s cinematography create an unforgettable visual experience, preparing you for a Wes Anderson meets John Waters documentary about rich old people synchronized swimming. Review

Debay’s transformation is also marked very obviously and very visually, underscoring the cartoonish nature of this particular enactment. She does a wonderful job of evolving from something in Act 1 that feels garden variety for horror into something surprising and fierce. Review

Cuffley doesn’t break a lot of new ground, but his is an appealing riff on a familiar tune. Review

With self-deprecating charm to burn, O’Toole creates a wrong-headed but hilarious and almost sweet tone that helps Grierson hold together a plot that throws a lot at you. Review

Bass’s script is too often superficial, creating moments for each star to shine, but those moments invariably feel unearned. Review

Shadow in the Cloud is a ludicrous, over-the-top action horror. It knows what it is and it delivers on its promises. Review

With sharp timing and a panda mask, Greenland perfectly represents Born Again: it’s so wrong, yet endearingly hilarious. Review

News of the World offers a simply hero’s journey, understated by Greengrass’s influence and Tom Hanks’s natural abilities. Review

Mulligan is marvelous, giving Cassie the courage that comes from an utter disinterest in the opinions or well-being of others. Review

Archenemy has plenty of faults, but more than enough inspiration and grit to make you want to overlook them. Review

The magic Shanley weaves can’t transcend the film’s lunacy long enough to give Wild Mountain Thyme the fairy tale quality it desperately wants. Still, Blunt and Dornan are engaging and you have to give the film credit for sheer shamrock audacity. Review

Babbit’s film feels most at home as a belabored attempt at dark comedy—dark mainly because every character is loathsome, so at least that part is a success. Comedy, though? God no. Review

For passing fans or newcomers to McGowan’s music, Crock of Gold is an unusually clear-eyed testament to the toll of punk rock excess. These guys were not meant to live forever. Review

Girl has a sense of humor entirely lacking in Baskin, as well as a feeling of optimism. There is blood and death, maggots and burning flesh, but there’s real joy in this film, however weird that is to say. Review

Roda has a light, meandering touch, far more interested in a slice of mid-Eighties life than in the specificity of a John Hughes retread. Characters are familiar, the situation feels authentic, and the mixture of nostalgia, dread and optimism paint a fascinating if unfinished picture. Review

There’s a clean simplicity in the storytelling that’s appealing, although Act 3 is not nearly as clearly defined or interesting as the balance of the film. But maybe it’s not the resolution the film is after, or really the audience. It’s the story of this sweet couple, mad with grief, that’ll get you. Review

The film is creepy and tense. It speaks of the unspeakable – the level of evil that can only really be understood through images of Nazi horror—but it sees a path back to something unspoiled. Review

Carnahan’s first time out behind the camera rushes at times. Kawa’s speedy transformation certainly strains credulity. But Mosul handles the political themes with a surprisingly light hand. It certainly keeps your attention and delivers eye-opening information without abandoning storytelling to do it. Review

Between the sloppy structure and some sophomoric comedy, even the brightest and wildest moments can be overlooked. The weaknesses pile up and by the end clear Porno feels like a near miss. Review

Too bad Howard, working from a screenplay by Vanessa Taylor, can’t find that heartbeat. Review

Sound of Metal is a powerful experiment and a star turn for a talented actor. Review

It looks good, although nothing about the direction seems inspired. Instead the film delivers a competently made, by-the-numbers historical recreation when it could have been art. Review