While We’re Young movie review: 40 is the new 14
This stinging GenX midlife meltdown is a bit strained in its plot, but that’s balanced out by lots of melancholy wisdom and bittersweet wit.
romance
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night movie review: blood pressure
The Iranian skateboarding vampire feminist spaghetti western we have all been waiting for, creepy cool and gorgeously sinister, engorged with suspense and desire.
Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) movie review: revenge served hot
This anthology of six bleakly funny shorts is a mixed bag that ranges from anticlimactic but intriguing to “Oh my God, did I just laugh out loud at that?”
Suite Française movie review: enemy mine to love
An immediate and intimate tale of forbidden romance and other complex emotions and contradictory obligations. This ain’t history but a very human now.
October Gale movie review: islands in the scream
It’s not very suspenseful or romantic, but the always awesome Patricia Clarkson remains calm and kicks some ass, so that’s something.
Cinderella movie review: fifty shades of ash
A product of the Disney princess machine. Its highest ambition is to move a new line of toys. Or to evoke despair in the fairy-tale-ization of girls’ lives.
Beyond the Lights movie review: blitz the glitz
Smart and passionate, this is one of the ultimate Hollywood fantasies: an adult romance performed by gorgeous actors with palpable onscreen chemistry.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel movie review: return visit
There’s not much of a story, just a chance to spend more time with the gang of classy sexy randy oldsters. And that’s just fine.
Focus movie review: con inartistry
Unpleasant, humor free, and contrary to accepted codes of movie morality. And that’s before it shows its hand as a pile of implausible sentimental mush.
Fifty Shades of Grey movie review: neurotica
A charm-free hero with control issues and a passive, fretful heroine have coy and tediously vanilla pretend-sex. This is meant to be erotic?
