By Alan Hurst The passing of Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim last Friday at the age of 91 marked the end of an era for musical theatre. Although his musicals often struggled for financial success, their impact was undeniable – both at the time of their debut and in the numerous revivals since. He…
Directed by Ridley Scott (***) Now in theatres There is a scene in House of Gucci where we first see Lady Gaga as Patrizia, the character who will later marry Maurizio Gucci, and then years later, have him killed by two hitmen. She enters her father’s trucking depot wearing high heels and a skirt that…
By Geoff Wertheim (**) In theatres In recent years, the trend for franchises to refresh themselves is to have the characters constantly remark and reflect how awesome the original was, while pretty much recreating the original. They’re films made for the fans, by fans. We saw this with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World,…
By John H. Foote Tom Hanks is often hailed as America’s most beloved actor. Despite this, the ever-fickle Academy seems to take every opportunity it can to bring him down a notch. The Academy has a long history of ignoring talent once they have received a few nominations. Case in point, Mr. Hanks. Yes, he…
By John H. Foote (****) Streaming on Netflix Had Spielberg’ Schindler’s List not opened in the final months of 1993, I am absolutely confident that Jane Campion and The Piano would have taken Best Picture and Best Director Awards, making Campion the first woman to ever win the Academy Award. As it played out, Spielberg…
By John H. Foote (***) Streaming on Netflix Beyond being an exciting new musical directed by the gifted Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Hamilton, this new film announces the arrival of Andrew Garfield to the pantheon of great American actors. Garfield is at his best to date here, playing Jonathan Larson, the creator of Rent. In…
By John H. Foote Throughout my 40-plus years as a film student, actor, director and film critic, I have heard countless arguments about who is the greatest of all actors? Understand the word actor is gender neutral, making the decision all the more difficult. Watching acting in early cinema can be trying, as the actors…
By John H. Foote From writer Ira Wells comes the superb new biography of Canadian film director Norman Jewison who broke through in Hollywood in the mid-sixties to become one of the most beloved, reliable and talented directors in modern film. Jewison rode the tide of New Hollywood with his great film In the Heat…
By John H. Foote In the manner Heath Ledger turned a comic book character, the Joker, into an Academy Award winning performance, so could Emma Stone for her delicious performance in the title role of Cruella, the Disney film that beautifully explores the early days of Cruella de Ville. An Oscar winner for Best Actress for…
By John H. Foote (***) Streaming on Netflix Red Notice will not be nominated for any major Academy Awards, but still I had a hell of a good time watching the film. The three stars do what they do best. Dwayne Johnson is spectacular as an FBI agent travelling the world in hot pursuit of…