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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: A light, mildly entertaining remake of a darker, mildly entertaining 1979 comedy.

Sometimes it is refreshing when a movie is exactly what you expect. Going in Style, the remake of the 1979 George Burns, Art Carney and Lee Strasberg heist comedy of the same name, is exactly what you expect. Starring Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Arkin, this 2017 update goes in a very different direction than the original. It’s more righteous and seemingly draws more influence from last year’s Hell or High Water than the original Going in Style, at times. Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: Jessica Chastain is a phenomenal performer. The Zookeeper’s Wife is an emotional look at another story of courage and self-sacrifice during the Holocaust. It is likely to get lost amongst these films as many are great and this one is adequate. Did I mention Jessica Chastain is a phenomenal performer?

From the beginning, you realize The Zookeeper’s Wife isn’t going to always be easy to watch. However, for a film which details a heroic footnote to the widespread impact of the Holocaust during WWII, it often downplays the most depressing aspects of the story. It’s solemn nature also has a romantic and softer feel thanks to a strong lead performance from Jessica Chastain who portrays Antonina Zabinski, the titular character of the film. Read More →

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In: 2017, Hot Take

Hot Take: Visually, Ghost in the Shell is pretty damn impressive. Too bad the story isn’t the same as it feels like an overproduced facsimile of the source material.

Call me insensitive. I was never overly affected by whitewashing in films. It could because I’m white and suffer from white privilege as much as the next white guy or girl. After watching Ghost in the Shell, though, you can call me woke. Full disclosure: I love Scarlett Johansson on the big screen. She’s one of my favorite actresses. This probably explains more of why I wasn’t bothered by the choice of Johansson to play the main character of the live action version of the immensely popular 1995 Japanese animation of the same name (not to mention the original manga which actually launched the concept.). However, seeing Johansson in the main role, two thoughts consistently entered my head: (1) Johansson gives an excellent performance and (2) she’s completely wrong for the part.Read More →

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In: 2017, Ranked, Trailers

Looking through the lineup of theatrical releases in April, I miss March and can’t wait until May. Of the 28 potential releases, only 4 are worth going out your way for with The Fate of the Furious (likely to be April’s biggest box office earner) coming in at #5. Here’s the list of films coming out in April:Read More →