Movie reviews of Hope Madden

Nutcrackers mainly feels like an experiment. David Gordon Green takes a familiar Christmas family film script and sees if he can make something real out of it. He doesn’t always succeed, but he does deliver a charming mixed bag of nuts. Review

Moana 2 won’t bore anyone looking for a colorful time waster this holiday season. You’re just not likely to remember it into January. Review

Gladiator II delivers an often exhilarating, mainly gorgeous spectacle populated by enigmatic characters performed admirably. It does not live up to Gladiator. But what could? Review

Rita, though it barely qualifies as true horror, is a tough watch, especially because it is based on true events. It’s moving and debilitating at the same time, but it’s a beautiful and powerful work. Review

The film splashes vibrantly colored innards across the scene with abandon and delivers a message we can all get behind. This gooey mess may just be the healing balm we need right now. Review

Bird, represents something closer to magical realism than anything she’s done previously, but her generous nature with characters and her impeccable casting are present, as always. Review

Eisenberg’s work as a filmmaker here is very sharp, never taking the cheap shot. Both characters are held to account, but there’s a generosity of spirit in the film that’s equally forgiving. The result is a poignant treasure. Review

It’s ingenious, moving, hilarious and required viewing. Review

The full picture is one of hope in art, of power in challenging institutions, and of women demanding freedom. Review

Like nearly everything the filmmaker has made in the last two decades (at least), Here feels hollow and slight, an experiment in technological execution rather than artistic experimentation. Review

Bruce Goodison is at his finest when his three characters are confined to the cab, moving relentlessly away from the bright lights of the city, the squeak and slap of the windshield wipers their road tunes. But a needless side trip to an abandoned motel, coupled with unimpressive CGI creature effects, keep Black Cab from ever really grabbing hold. Review

Lessons are learned, stakes are low, animation style is bland, jokes go on too long and the slight story is stretched beyond breaking. A solid cast and a few charming moments can’t overcome the film’s lack of narrative cohesion or heart. Review

Woman of the Hour takes on a story that could easily have been exploitation, delivering instead a thrilling, reverent, angry witness. Review

The imagery is haunting, allowing the film to transcend its police procedural structure to become something more mysterious and troubling. Review

Saturday Night also bursts with laugh-out-loud moments, little triumphs, fascinating callbacks and infectious energy. It can be hard to see today’s SNL in this riotous recollection, but there’s real history in these 90 minutes—and so much cocaine. History rarely looked like this much fun. Review

The filmmakers keep the tensions heightened, much thanks to the endearingly vulnerable and human performances of their ensemble. Review

If you dug the previous Art the Clown films, you will find endless entertainment in the newest. You’ll also find mediocre acting and dumb plotting but really excellent practical effects. And blood by the bucketful. Review

Found footage horror still manages to strike a chord for a lot of people, and the V/H/S franchise routinely collects an intriguing assortment of films and filmmakers celebrating the form. Beyond is neither the best nor the worst in the series. It does hold some impressive scares and imaginative takes on the old encounter notion. Review

Its horror is touched with a melancholy suited to the genre. The tension comes and goes, leaving you with less than promised, but the film has enough going for it to make it worth your time. Review

Frankie Freako does not perch at—or honestly, near—the top of that list of lunatic cinematic gems. But the group has its misses as well, and this film fits better with its hits. Review

There’s nuance and depth for those who invest, but at 85 minutes and boasting almost constant action and bloodshed, Azrael is a solid choice for even those with a limited attention span. Review

The writing and the delicately lovely animation work together to hypnotic effect, each unveiling something more human with every scene, regardless of the fact that there’s nary a human in the movie. Review

Ferrell’s tenderness and endearingly bumbling protectiveness is deeply lovely, even when—maybe especially when—it’s almost desperate. But it’s Steele whose openness and forthrightness breaks any but the coldest and most ignorant heart. Review

The third act is almost brazenly unhinged, and Sleep is all the better for it. It’s a tricky tale meticulously crafted, but it has a sweetness at its heart and that’s what makes it memorable. Review