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| Tom Hanks stars in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood |
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - 4 Stars. Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers befriends cynical journalist Matthew Rhys in a touching "Can you believe this guy?" story.
The Irishman - 4 Stars. Martin Scorsese's old school mob epic, (3½ hours) with Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino. What more do you want?
Ford v Ferrari - 4 Stars. Ford Motor's Carroll Shelby & driver Ken Miles pair up to win the Le Mans competition in the 1960s. Matt Damon & Christian Bale, plus great production and an old school script make magic.
The Two Popes - 4 Stars. Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Price share faith and friendship.
Apollo 11 - 3½ Stars. Amazing footage of the amazing feat.
Parasite - 3½ Stars. Korean comedy/horror thriller. Lower class family worms their way into a 1% family. Then fun begins, including a couple of off-the-rails twists.
Jojo Rabbit - 3½ Stars. A young German boy conjures Hitler as his imaginary friend during World War II. Great acting. Threads the needle between comedy and tragedy.
Downton Abbey - 3 Stars. Just what fans of the series ordered.
Harriet - 3 Stars. A thrilling performance from Cynthia Erivo (as emancipator Harriet Tubman) makes this creative biography live.
Knives Out - 3 Stars. Gentle parody of classic who-done-it stories. Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer and a cast of thousands.
Doctor Sleep - 3 Stars. This sequel to "The Shining" will keep you awake nights. A genuine chiller.
Ad Astra - 3 Stars. Brad Pitt as a son searching the universe for his father. Stunningly beautiful, even when it sputters at the end.
The Good Liar - 2½ Stars. Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen con each other in a creaky, but fun thriller.
Dolemite Is My Name - 2½ Stars. Eddie Murphy pays tribute to comic Rudy Ray Moore's midnight movies about the outrageous character Dolemite.
Scandalous - 2½ Stars. History of the National Enquirer relives the tabloid's "greatest hits."
Zombieland: Double Tap - 2 Stars. More zombie killing adventures with Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin... Oh! and also Bill Murray.
The Report - 1 Star. Fact-based drama of investigation into American prisoner torture after 9/11. This important investigation makes for a long, talky, often dull movie.
Motherless Brooklyn - 1 Star. Edward Norton as an underworld character desperately trying to solve the murder of his boss. Long, confusing, derivative, and unsatisfying.
Midway - 1 Star. Cliche-ridden World War II drama includes phony looking computer graphic air and sea fights.
Marriage Story - 1 Star. Actress marries director. They have a child. They grow apart. This is the kind of movie that makes going to the movies a pain in the rear.
The Aeronauts - 1 Star - Hot air balloon adventure gets tedious fast.
Didn't See it, Don't Wanna See it: In honor of my increasing grumpiness toward the new world of movies...
Charlie's Angels - Do we really need another one of these?
Gemini Man - Saw it the first time.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil - Unnecessary sequel.
