Movie reviews of Don Shanahan

Director Shaka King and his co-writer Will Berson have penned and lensed an appropriately audacious feature film debut that deserves reverence and reaction. Review

The Mauritanian presents a compelling case in the opposite direction to all those oorah roars. Shedding cinematic light on a staunch case of injustice tangential to those fateful 2001 events, this film has the unenviable task of proving its story’s importance in spite of the egregious systemic flaws it chronicles and exposes. Review

Compelling catharsis coming from exposed pain like this is nothing short of impressive. Somewhere, above all the hateful words, all the flaws, and all the tension, love still sears the nerves. Review

That’s when the jovial becomes moving in this lovely little movie. Review

Justin Timberlake accounts himself with precisely the admirable effort matching his character. Dark places bring out a true strength in the actor instead of a bad-boy edge. Such credibility and candor build honesty rather than showy magic. Review

Despite trying to bring gravitas into those lines and moments, the results are far too genteel and, frankly, boring. That shouldn’t happen with the immense talent present. Review

Where it lacks in agreeable romance, The Dig mildly makes up for it with intriguing musings on existentialism. Review

In a few tidy and compelling minutes, Barrett and Fallon’s scripted short film challenges so many little social media-charged vices. Review

Johnson and Brewer carry on with pleasant chemistry and bright talent. Rightfully so, the soundscape is the treat. Review

The gulf between how good Anthony Mackie looks and everyone else in Outside the Wire is as wide as the Mississippi River delta the New Orleans-born actor hails from. Review

If Not Now, When? is an admirable collaboration for this collection of steady TV talents stepping up to a larger canvas. Review

Nearly every artistic element of Pieces of a Woman holds a fixation with its lead Vanessa Kirby and rightfully so. Review

Between a soap opera-level subplot and plenty of ignored physics, oodles of Shadow in the Cloud are as preposterous as the beasties themselves, but that’s the entertaining intention laid on thick. Review

The beauty of the script and King’s direction is creating confines where these legends, and their actors, can behave and orbit as equals. There are no winners or losers, only collective gain for all. Review

Wonder Woman 1984 advances those feats and multiplies those virtues for the main character. That said, the material and surroundings she is given do her very little favors. Review

Soul is a special and valuable session of these observations and it may very well be Pixar’s first truly adult-skewing picture. Review

Together, not only are they talented, they are sexy and expressive in a love story that is right there with The Photograph as the best cinematic romance of the year. Review

The trouble is Greenland still cannot resist overselling the unbelievable side of this whole ordeal. Review

The roles are superlative platforms for their genius. Just as we keep repeating, the music is secondary. Review

Promising Young Woman is an obstacle course of intense allegorical and real vibes designed to provoke those ranges of shocking reactions spelled out at the start. Review

Splintered as Wander Darkly may flow and feel, the flickers of its romantic moments are quite touching and even border on devastating because death is looming overhead as its catalyst. Review

News of the World is truly softer work from Paul Greengrass and that is a welcome addition to his resume. Its unreserved earthiness, outlined by Greengrass and Lion Oscar nominee Luke Davies, matches the book quite suitably as well. Review

Between the mismatched casting, contrived relationship hurdles, and some of the worst attempts at accents ever put on screen, this film is borderline insulting to modern intelligence. Review

Clooney’s combined work on this drama is forthright with its altruism and free of forced villainy. True to the earlier introduction, this experience to be cherished rises to be about character more than crisis, which is where poignant performances take over. Their benevolence is mesmerizing and their endurance beyond is moving. Review