Movie reviews of Joanna Orland

2018, Drama, History

Empowering and inspiring. The great performances and fabulous musical score really lift the film, making it a joy to watch.

2018, Drama

Decent acting and directing carry it through...

2018, Drama, Comedy

There is a dark humour in watching these complex characters interact and a sense of futility that reigns throughout.

2018, Drama, Suspense, Crime

Political, clever, engaging and suspenseful, Lizzie retells the infamous story of the alleged axe murderer for the modern era.

2018, Fantasy, Comedy, Science fiction

Sorry to Bother You may shock, may repulse or may go down in history as a major cult classic along the lines of Being John Malkovich.

2018, Horror, Action, Suspense

It’s hardly worth sitting through the rest for the payoff. What this film greatly needs is an edit.

2018, Drama, Comedy

Thunder Road will make you laugh, it will make you cry; often at the same time.

2018, Drama, History

First Man may land on the moon, but struggles to travel further to satisfyingly explore the first man himself.

2018, Drama, Music, Love

Intimate, grand, raw, polished, human and vulnerable; A Star Is Born has given birth to a new voice in cinema. Long live Bradley Cooper, director.

2018, Drama

As the plot is so predictable, The Wife is best viewed as a character study and commentary on the ingrained misogyny of our society...

2017, Music, Comedy, Science fiction, Love

Outside of a few funny moments and excellent vocals from Sharp, this film is weak on plot and flat on emotion.

2018, Adventure, Fantasy, Action

All over the place.

2017, Drama, Suspense, Crime

The visual stylization of the film creates a somber mood, the abstract editing contributes to the characterization of Phoenix’s troubled soldier. But the true star of this film is Jonny Greenwood’s score.

2018, Comedy

A hilarious yet tiresome absurdist adventure with the best cast I could possibly envision for it.

2018, Drama, Suspense

The film descends into madness with Ethan Hawke’s performance at its core.

2018, Drama, Suspense, Mystery

The personal aspect of The Tale, alongside the cleverness of its structure and the fantastic performances, does not make this film any more comfortable to watch.

2018, Drama

It is in fact this subtlety, through visual metaphor and meaningful scenarios, that makes Leave No Trace such a poignant social commentary.

2018, Drama

While the social commentary is plentiful, it is the coming-of-age tale at its core that makes The Miseducation of Cameron Post so wonderful.

2018, Drama, Crime

In spite of such issues, Yardie still stands on the merit of its content and the representation it gives its subject matter on screen.

2018, Drama, Comedy

The music invigorates some energy into this otherwise flat film; something the directing and lacklustre performances fail to do.

2017, Drama, Comedy

Throughougly developed complex characters, a solid entertaining script, masterful directing, and so much heart.

2018, Adventure, Drama

A performance showcase for Colin Firth, The Mercy offers little else in the way of enjoyment or purpose.

2015, Drama, Love

Director Jia Zhangke breaks a lot of new ground with his boundary-pushing storytelling methods.

2017, Drama, Love

A sweet, but forgettable movie.