Kate Winslet and Mia Threapleton hugging in I Am Ruth
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TV Film Review: I Am Ruth

I AM RUTH, created by BAFTA-winning filmmaker Dominic Savage, is a feature-length continuation of his female-led "I AM" anthology series. But this isn't your typical TV film, especially when you have the magnificent Kate Winslet at its helm. Winslet stars with her real-life daughter Mia Threapleton in this mother-daughter drama that explores the horrors facing… Continue reading TV Film Review: I Am Ruth

Olivia Colman Michael Ward Fireworks Empire of Light
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London Film Festival: Empire of Light

Despite Roger Deakins' gorgeous cinematography and another phenomenal performance by Olivia Colman (who can literally do no wrong), EMPIRE OF LIGHT cannot overcome writer/director Sam Mendes' muddling, disjointed screenplay. It almost seems like the script was manufactured by one of those computer algorithms that takes elements of films that one would think to be Academy… Continue reading London Film Festival: Empire of Light

Jennifer Lawrence on a bus Causeway
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London Film Festival: Causeway

Let's be real, I love a Jennifer Lawrence movie anyway I can get it. But I especially love that in Apple TV+'s CAUSEWAY Lawrence has gotten back to her roots, taking on a small-scale character study that is reminiscent of the kind of story that first put her on the map with WINTER'S BONE. From… Continue reading London Film Festival: Causeway

Paul Mescal Frankie Corio Aftersun
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London Film Festival: Aftersun

It's hard to believe AFTERSUN is writer/director Charlotte Wells's first feature because it is one of the most powerful films I saw at the London Film Festival this year, and one of my favorites. This is a film that left me speechless and teary-eyed as the end credits rolled, not because it is overtly sad… Continue reading London Film Festival: Aftersun

Florence Pugh as Lib in The Wonder
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London Film Festival: The Wonder

Based off of the novel by Emma Donoghue, THE WONDER is an eerie and enthralling thriller that explores the conflict between fact and faith. Set in 1860s Ireland, shortly after the potato famine that killed ~1 million people, the story follows Lib (Florence Pugh), an English nurse who is sent to a small town in… Continue reading London Film Festival: The Wonder

Emma Thomson as Miss Trunchbull Matilda
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London Film Festival Review: Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

I have loved the MATILDA story since I was little and idolized the titular heroine as the kind of girl I wanted to be—brave, whip-smart, and rebellious. What started off as a love of Roald Dahl's story about a girl with telekinetic powers turned into an every day viewing obsession when the original film version… Continue reading London Film Festival Review: Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical

See How They Run Police Saoirse Ronan Sam Rockwell Constable
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Movie Review: See How They Run

SEE HOW THEY RUN is a surprisingly fun, tongue-in-cheek love letter to classic whodunnit films. I say surprising because despite its all-star cast, I haven't seen much publicity and was worried that was an indicator of a movie the studio is trying to bury. But fear not, screenwriter Mark Chappell writes an entertaining, welcomed addition to… Continue reading Movie Review: See How They Run