— by RON WILKINSON — Uncorking a big one, emerging director Marc Meyers spins a dynamic web of stories and viewpoints. The performances are there, with the chemistry between Liev Schreiber, Marisa Tomei and Peter Sarsgaard steaming off the screen. Even so, the viewer has to pay close attention; sometimes finding it difficult to impossible […][...]
Review: Bull
— by RON WILKINSON — Using the rodeo as a metaphor for life is not new. Champions of all stripes are ripe for tragic treatment, those that fly too high, too, fast, and lose track of what is important. Some emerge triumphant, with the latter acts held for a different time and place, a different […][...]
Review: Disappearance at Clifton Hill
— by RON WILKINSON — The child leaves her family and walks alone through the dark forest. This alone is cause for tension, even without the one-eyed boy. Bloody bandage over one eye, the kid is doing all right for himself, crouching to avoid the luxury car on the road above, conveying heinous intent for […][...]
Review: The Traitor
— by RON WILKINSON — One person’s savior is another person’s traitor. An old school Cosa Nostra lieutenant turns on the family in this narrative fiction remake of the true story of the first mafia informant in Sicily in the 1980s. As the film tells it, Buscetta described himself as a “simple soldier” and did […][...]
Review: The Banker
— by RON WILKINSON — Many kids consider going into investment banking. The hours are not bad, working conditions are safe and, unless you are a black person in 1939 Willis, Texas, there is little chance you will be hanged for it. Such were Bernard Garrett’s father’s words to the prodigious shoeshine boy who was […][...]
Review: Sorry We Missed You
— by RON WILKINSON — Ken Loach nukes the system milking those caught between the bytes of the gig economy. Wound around his scanner as surely as Charlie Chaplin was between his “Modern Times” gears, Ricky Turner (Kris Hitchen) cannot catch a break. Everything that could go wrong goes wrong and there is no light […][...]
The best gambling movies
Gambling is fun, entertaining and rewarding. Whether you are playing online casino games for real money or you are betting on sports, the experience is awesome. However, having a little motivation is not bad. As some draw motivation from gambling songs and books, some can get inspiration from movies. We mean what better way to […][...]
Review: American Factory
— by BEV QUESTAD — Yes, “American Factory” won the Oscar for Best Documentary. But was it really the best? The story is about a big American GM plant that closed in Dayton, Ohio, in 2008. The founder and CEO of a Chinese automobile glass manufacturing company, Cho Tak Wong, saw a bargain. He worked […][...]
Review: Camp Cold Brook
— by RON WILKINSON — “Haunt Squad” TV reality show host Jack Wilson is in a tough spot. Like many horror show heroes, he is faced with losing his money, his house, his family, his dog and his TV show if he fails to make a big score. He needs a hit and he needs […][...]