Mr. Holmes movie review: the case of the missing myth
It looks lovely and Ian McKellen is amazing, of course, but it’s not very Holmesian. I suspect Holmes himself would snort in derision at its sentimentality.
London
Minions movie review: the curtain of yellow mystique falls
I love the Minions and I thought they totally deserved their own movie. But I was wrong. Or, at least, this movie is not the movie they deserve.
Second Coming movie review: mother of all pregnancies
Leaves no doubt that its central supernatural event is 100% real, yet it makes absolutely no case for it whatsoever, and refuses to even engage with it.
Survivor movie review: security theater
If there’s a thriller to be found in international travel regulations, this is not it. Makes a mockery of the unsung heroes it’s meant to celebrate.
Man Up movie review: lie cute
I hate movies like this, in which it’s meant to be adorable when people lie in the name of love. And I particularly hate what this movie does to Lake Bell.
A Royal Night Out movie review: princess hijinks
A bit of House of Windsor fan fiction: cute but slight, though the re-creation of London’s citywide VE Day celebrations is kind of amazing.
Girlhood and Honeytrap movie(s) review: mean girl streets
Two films about poor black teen girls offer harrowing — and very universal — portraits of how our culture tries to crush the spirit out of all girls.
The Emperor’s New Clothes documentary review: working-class wonk
Russell Brand’s angry-funny rant about the current system of widescale economic injustice is concise, comprehensible, and newly infuriating.
The Gunman movie review: the yawn identity
A tired old piece of action junk that expects us to sympathize with a very bad man. We don’t.
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.
