Manchester by the Sea

Gripping, but a complete downer from beginning to end.

The film's worst moments are when the music takes over, most notably when a cartoonishly bombastic score tells us what we are supposed to be feeling during an already clearly horrifying scene.



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Spirited Away: 15th Anniversary

The movie is a masterpiece, of course, and breathtaking when viewed on the large screen.

The "Ghiblies" short features, though, are mostly a waste of time, pretty much just animators fooling around & letting off some steam--but I can't help but think if Disney/Pixar were to allow their staff such leeway, their more recent work would be a whole lot more creative & breathtaking.

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Loving

Unbelievably suspenseful, especially considering that of course I already knew how the court case came out.

What's sad is, I spent a good part of the movie worrying about a Trump administration.



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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Ever since the final Harry Potter movie, Warner Brothers has been trying to find that next Harry Potter, the blockbuster, captivating, spellbinding film series that will recapture the magic and the masses.

And they need to keep on looking.



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Arrival

One of cinema's greatest achievements, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, is joyful in large part due to the time paradoxes it introduces.

Mad props to Amy Adams & company for the Bill & Ted tribute.

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Naruda DONORuda

This Vicky Donor remake we never knew we needed has plenty of popping cork imagery, poorly-produced musical scenes--and yes, also plenty of fun & funny moments.

They key here, as with the original, is to leave at intermission.





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The Dressmaker

Billed as a "revenge comedy," though the two never quite really came at the same time: it was more like: comedy, comedy, comedy---and then a switch to revenge.

It doesn't matter, though: this movie gets high marks just for being DIFFERENT.



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