By John H. Foote Much has been made of the fact Robert Redford stated publicly this is the last film he will act in. Recently he quietly recanted, saying it was a foolish statement to make (agreed). Still a resourceful, interesting actor, I hope he keeps working because I have always felt Redford was a…
By John H. Foote (****) Jane Fonda did not just break down doors for actresses and activists, she kicked them off the hinges and burst through. One of the most exciting interviews of my career was speaking with Fonda. Whip-smart, hyper-alert, one of the smartest people I had ever encountered, it was a genuine pleasure.…
(**) By John H. Foote Michael Moore has made two documentaries using the letters 11/ 9 and 9/11. As he states, clearly, each represents one of the two worst happenings in the history of the United States. 9/11 of course represents September 11, 2001, the day terrorists attacked the USA in the form of passenger…
(**) By John H. Foote Again a performance is the driving force of this biopic dealing with hellion war correspondent Marie Colvin. Famously killed in action in Syria, Colvin was a fearless woman, one of a kind. More and more we are seeing great female performances, they are dominating the Oscar race at the moment,…
(**) By John H. Foote Michael Moore’s style, I find abrasive, exploitive and sometimes cruel. What he did to poor Charlton Heston in Bowling for Columbine (2003) was nasty. He blindsided a clearly confused actor suffering with Alzheimer’s and did nothing to endear himself to audiences in doing so. Still his film won an Oscar…
By John H. Foote THE HATE U GIVE (***) Imagine you are a beautiful, soulful 15 year old girl. Imagine going out for a drive with a friend you have known all your life. Clearly he loves you and you have deep feelings for him. He kisses you, and you pull away telling him you…
By John H. Foote HER SMELL (**) Elisabeth Moss is an actress who has arrived yet still continues to grow and stun with her work. I have been watching her since her days as Zoey Bartlett, daughter of the President on TV’s brilliant The West Wing, through to her sublime work on A Handmaid’s Tale,…
By John H. Foote FIRST MAN (****) To be clear, this is one for the ages. A soaring testament to what mankind is capable of when they work for the common good. The timing is perfect because America needs to feel good about something again. There have been great films about the American space program…
By Nick Maylor (***) Vox Lux is an exploration of tragedy, both societal and personal. Raffey Cassidy stars as Celeste, a teen who witnesses (and is a surviving victim of) a school mass shooting. Using her time in rehabilitation to learn her way around a keyboard with the help of her sister Eleanor (Stacy Martin),…
By John H. Foote WHITE BOY RICK (***) Detroit has always looked and seemed dirty to me, not a great place to visit. When going south of the border, we have always breezed through the city fast, as it just never felt safe, or offered anything I was interested in. My Red Wings play there,…