HILLBILLY ELEGY Review — A Serviceable Vehicle for Award-Worthy Performances
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Hillbilly Elegy review says performances by Amy Adams and Glenn Close are sure to strum up Oscar attention. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis was written by J. D. Vance, a story of addiction, relationships, one family’s take on Appalachian values, and overcoming incredible odds. The book…
REBECCA Review — Lush, Lovely and Intriguing
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Rebecca review says this new take on an Oscar winning classic does not disappoint. It’s a daunting task to attempt a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Best Picture winning 1940 classic starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. I’m giving writer/director Ben Wheatley major credit for even going near the project, and crafting his own…
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 Review — The Whole World is Watching
In her The Trial of the Chicago 7 review, Lisa Johnson Mandell says the Aaron Sorkin written and directed film will be an instant classic. It isn’t easy these days to make a fresh, riveting and resonant legal drama. Some of cinema’s most memorable films have focused on trials (To Kill a Mockingbird, Judgement at…
THE GLORIAS Review — An Engaging Long Look at the Life of a Feminist Icon
Lisa Johnson Mandell’s The Glorias review says director and co-writer Julie Taymor brings a fanciful, artsy twist to an important biopic. I wasn’t old enough to be aware of Gloria Steinem’s both celebrated and vilified efforts on behalf of women’s rights. I do remember being lectured, at a conservative church girls’ camp, about the dangers of…
TENET Review — a Time Travel Thriller with a Spy Flick Twist
In her Tenet review, Staci Layne Wilson says director Christopher Nolan shows why he’s the master of sci-fi. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen if you dare. Writer-director Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) used to be known for his mind-bending, time-twisting brain-busters (think: Memento and The Prestige) – then he scored the Superman and Batman franchises…
MULAN Review — Fine But Not Fantastic
Critic Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Mulan review says the long awaited live action Disney film is good but not great. Still, it’s definitely worth the $30. With all Disney’s resources of Disney, including all the bells and whistles an estimated $200 million can buy, I was expecting something a little more on the Crouching Tiger, Hidden…
UNHINGED Review — Keep Your Eyes on the Road… and on This Movie!
In her Unhinged review, Staci Layne Wilson says Russell Crowe is a scary, smart villain in this road rage thriller. Tom Hunter (Russell Crowe) is disturbed. Within the first few minutes of Unhinged, he kills his ex-wife and her lover, pops pills, sweats bullets, and sets a house on fire. As he’s fleeing the scene…
The LAST MOVIE STAR Review — Burt Reynolds’ Swan Song is a Real Treat
The Last Movie Star review— Lisa Johnson Mandell says Adam Rifkin’s film, Burt Reynolds swan song, is a poignant and entertaining treasure. Feeling like you’ve just about finished Netflix and Amazon and are looking for something new/old to watch? May I suggest a film that you might have missed if it ever came to a…
THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY Review — It’s a Good, Slow Burn
In her The Burnt Orange Heresy review, Lisa Johnson Mandell says the slow simmer to reach the ultimate boiling point is worth the wait. In the beginning of The Burnt Orange Heresy, we see annoyingly smug art critic James Figueras (Claes Bang) in Italy, lecturing a group of eager tourists about an ersatz masterpiece supposedly done…
What Would Work Be Like in Offices Designed by Famous Movie Directors?
Would it be worth returning to work in offices designed by famous movie directors? Check out what the folks at Brother UK have imagined. Being away from an actual office for so long leaves us with plenty of time to imagine what the ideal workspace would look like once we finally return (if ever). The…
