Spotlight is a strong Hollywood slow-burn ensemble thriller about the Boston Globe's Spotlight team who uncovered the Catholic Chuch's Sex Abuse scandal in Boston in the late 90s and early 2000s. This is a well-written film with a great cast rounded out by Stanley Tucci, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Liev Schrieber, and Rachel McAdams. Truly, it is difficult to make an exciting film about paperwork. So much paperwork. Todd McCarthy does well here. I appreciate that Spotlight focuses on the team and their work instead of on the salacious details of the scandal, the priests, and the survivors. 4/5 Some might feel that this is Johnny Depp's return to acting. If you've seen any of his work over the past 13 years or so, you are probably aware that Depp jumped the shark ages ago. Depp feels a tad more authentic than I've gotten used to but he's still hiding under a ton of make up and those icy blue contact lenses. What is remarkable about Black Mass are the supporting actors. Particularly, Joel Edgerton. Holy smokes, that guy is good!...The sound editing is also pretty impressive. In general, Black Mass is a run-of-the-mill Hollywood bio pic. I was not that impressed... 3/5 I had the good fortune of seeing David Holbrooke present his new HBO documentary film, The Diplomat, to a Telluride hometown audience this evening. The Diplomat works on several levels, but primarily as the history of five decades of US foreign policy through the lens of the impressive career of the US Diplomat, Richard Holbrooke. Holbrooke's long career began in Vietnam, took him to the Balkans, and later to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He served as Assistant Secretary of State and while he never held a cabinet position and never became Secretary of State, he is considered one of the most influential US diplomats. Holbrooke famously helped negotiate peace in the Balkans for Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s under President Clinton. This documentary has clout, and Holbrooke's life and legacy is fascinating. 4/5 Dear god, stop everything and take some time to enjoy Sherman's March. I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea but Sherman's March is utterly excellent. I forgot how good; it's been a while. Sherman's March is a documentary about a young man attempting to make a documentary about General William Tecumseh Sherman's March on the South during the civil war, but instead gets continually sidetracked by various women. This is a laugh out loud, poignant, funny, silly, ironic film. It's also 155 minutes, but it breezes by. I promise. Sherman's March won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance in 1987. 5/5 |
LindseyHere is where I post new reviews as I see films throughout the year. Archives
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