Movie reviews of Don Shanahan

With its idyllic morals and rural accoutrements, Green and Gold champions hopeful and wholesome vibes. Review

Surging with peppy vibrancy, Dog Man is a delightful and easy-going blast fit for entire fleets of minivans and family sedans arriving at multiplexes this winter. Review

While Wish You Were Here may not fully succeed for many, she deserves more chances in the big chair. Review

Those astute and excellent creative choices put strength on the restorative over the reactive, because, in the end, things can get better, and that journey has led to over 10 festival jury prizes Anna’s important film. Review

Whether it was written on the page or pulled by the actress fleshing out a character for comic relief trying to become wiser by the end of the movie, the physical neuroses, teacher-’splaining rants, and preposterous decision-making bring down the film’s zest detrimentally. Review

Somewhere in Montana reveals its true dramatic colors which are mature, pertinent, and valuable in their intrinsic quality. Review

Better than many works by peers and contemporaries, Nickel Boys longs for us to hold dear the bonds of protective brotherhood with a fascinating filmic experience. Review

Because of its empathetic and transformative journey, The Fire Inside is engrossing entertainment perfect for this time of the year and stands out as a must-see sports film in an era with a dearth of quality in the genre. Shields and Crutchfield repped for their folks. Review

Thanks to the sensational flair of Chalamet and Barbaro crooning and swooning, A Complete Unknown won’t let old purists and new fans make that previous mistake. They’re going to remember this film as the place they caught their own spark. Review

The result is a difficult and no-less-impressive film that smashes the spirited human condition against aspects of fulfilling independence people should never take for granted. Review

Appreciably, Adrien Brody and Guy Pearce are formidably locked into their roles and stalwart in their respective characters’ competing visions and varying sins of pride. However, big moments get unsuccessfully needled while small ones get overly demolished... Review

With great surprise and frankness-breaking humor, Reijn twists those old expectations to her advantage instead of decking them in the teeth. Review

This 95-minute voyeuristic thriller morphs into a solemn drama right on cue for a powerful viewing experience, granting moments for the cast to shine and react with the historical swerve occurring before them. Review

As his own master of the horror genre who set out to achieve a decade-plus passion project, Eggers unleashed his vision in an unshackled and uninhibited way only he could accomplish. Review

Amy Adams runs with every one of Nightbitch’s surreal twists and turns in an incredible physical and emotional performance, worthy of another ticket to the Oscar soiree. Review

Presenting this martyr’s journey in film form with some nonlinear hopscotch, Bonhoeffer is a difficult and laborious film from an entertainment standpoint, though it earns and cements its strong case of worthy cinematic hero worship for Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Review

Without hesitation, the two-time Oscar winner turns Gladiator II into his own smorgasbord, quite frankly because he can. Despite noble sternness from Pablo Pascal and Connie Nielsen and the springboard vaulting the All of Us Strangers indie darling Paul Mescal to the mainstream stratosphere as an action star, Washington outclasses every actor he shares the screen with, again, quite frankly because he can. Review

The film roots that on in touching and realistic ways without overly grandiose swings. Review

Altogether, Summer Shelton has composed a pungent expanse of reflective maturity with You & I that puts honesty on the “what if” sliding doors many viewers may feel when comparing their own histories of love. Review

With every chapter, Music by John Williams defines and stamps the maestro’s brilliance, even if the running time could be doubled or tripled to peel back even more “how does he do it” storytelling and clinical breakdowns from film to film and era to era. Review

Here may not be the fully judicious beacon it fashions itself to be, but the thoughtfulness and plenty of poignant care it attempts with its lyrical finesse is still worth welcoming and appreciating. Review

Lindy has struck indie film gold creating a wholly original genre amalgamation with these two fresh leads. Review

Even though a fair share of great liberties were taken to change how the actual Dating Game episode played out, the palpable lift and principled spotlight given to Sheryl’s perspective and struggle raise Woman of the Hour above a plodding true crime story or a period-era costume party. Review

Exhibiting Forgiveness is as emphatic and resonating of a father-son conflict as any other in recent memory. For many, it will stick with you and hit home like a sledgehammer. More than everything, all of this hurt is worth every reflective second of the artistically melded experience. Review