daily stream: a darkly funny, deliciously feminist revisionist Western
1995’s The Quick and the Dead is on Netflix on both sides of the Atlantic (but leaves the US service soon).
Russell Crowe
The Pope’s Exorcist movie review: ham and cheese on why?
More of the same old religious-horror hoohah, plus Russell Crowe hamming it up, complete with terrible Italian accent. Its only twist on the usual exorcist-movie nonsense is genuinely pretty appalling.
True History of the Kelly Gang movie review: toxic came the masculinity
Revisionist tale of the Australian folk hero rages against the dark forces that shaped him: emotional and economic neglect and abuse forged in patriarchy and colonialism. Electrifyingly punk and vulgar.
Robin Hood (2018) movie review: it should be outlawed
Ugly, garish, anachronistic like a small mean child playing with matches, and completely lacking in anything Robin Hood–y: there’s no fun, no romance, no virtue. Instead? Bizarre “aesthetics” and even worse politics.
The Nice Guys movie review: not-so-nice comic noir
Two fun characters played by two great actors with fantastic chemistry together go in search of a movie, and — spoiler! — never quite find it.
Fathers & Daughters movie review: fit to be family tied
It’s all rather implausible and hugely melodramatic as it milks ham-fisted histrionics from high soap opera. A pitiable excuse for a movie.
Lila & Eve movie review: rage engaged
When movies like this star the likes of Liam Neeson, they open on 3,000 screens. It’s difficult not to see racism and sexism in the disparity.
The Water Diviner movie review: magic unrealism
When director Crowe sticks to historical adventure, his film is tense and exciting. But it lacks a sense of magic that it needs to make it fully engaging.
Noah review: The Bible Episode IV: A New Hope
A Biblical action disaster fantasy epic that is completely bonkers, endlessly entertaining, and actually religious in that inspiring-and-instructional way.
A New York Winter’s Tale (aka Winter’s Tale) review: cold in the city
A leaden, charmless movie that is unable to commit to its own fantasy. So implausible that even Colin Farrell’s own Irish accent sounds fake.
