Michael Phillips – Page 81

‘Nomadland’ review: An odyssey of America the beautiful and forsaken, starring Frances McDormand

February 19, 2021 at 1:17 p.m.

Here's a beaut. Writer-director Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland" offers a remarkable experience anytime but especially now, when it can be so weirdly difficult to recall life in America a few years...

‘Nomadland’ review: An odyssey of America the beautiful and forsaken, starring Frances McDormand

February 17, 2021 at 12:26 p.m.

Here's a beaut. Writer-director Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland" offers a remarkable experience anytime but especially now, when it can be so weirdly difficult to recall life in America a few years...

Even with Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan front and center, little in the trailer of "The Dig" seemed particularly promising, but I gave it a go and it's good. Some of it's true, too: Along the east coast of Britain in 1939, with war clouds looming, self-taught Suffolk archeologist Basil Brown was hired by ailing widow Edith Pretty to discover if anything of value lay beneath the earth mounds on her property. There was indeed, and the remains and artifacts of a sixth-century Anglo-Saxon burial ship stunned the world. Fiennes is Basil; Mulligan is Edith; around the halfway point of director Simon Stone's film, the focus (for better or worse) shifts to others in the orbit of the excavation effort, particularly characters played by Lily James and Johnny Flynn. Based on the 2007 novel by John Preston, "The Dig" freely mixes fact and invention, overloading the crises a bit but generally succeeding. A fair amount of screenwriter Moira Buffini's dialogue plays out as Terrence Malick-styled voiceover, while the camera focuses on the stark beauty of the surroundings, and men and women actually doing the work. The results are trim, well-made and quite moving. So much for my prejudgments. (Netflix) — Michael Phillips

‘Behind Her Eyes’ review: Netflix thriller ends with a head-spinner

February 25, 2021 at 2:26 p.m.

I just watched a sleekly ridiculous Netflix six-parter titled "Behind Her Eyes," and reader, like most love-it-or-hate-it prospects in this world, it's neither. It's both-ish. It's Noel Coward's "Design for...

‘Allen v. Farrow’ review: If we don’t believe Woody Allen abused Dylan Farrow, why not? HBO series makes her case.

February 16, 2021 at 12:54 p.m.

The queasily compelling four-part documentary series "Allen v. Farrow" is bound to be dismissed by those who believe Woody Allen did not sexually assault his then-7-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow,...

What we’re watching: From Chicago story ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ to HBO Max’s ‘Search Party’

February 16, 2021 at 9:46 a.m.

Wondering what to watch? Check out our weekly film and TV recommendations. We want to know what you're streaming, too. Click here to share your picks with us. "Judas and...

Even with Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan front and center, little in the trailer of "The Dig" seemed particularly promising,? I gave it a go and it's good. Some of it's true, too: Along the east coast of Britain in 1939, with war clouds looming, self-taught Suffolk archeologist Basil Brown was hired by ailing widow Edith Pretty to discover if anything of value lay beneath the earth mounds on her property. There was indeed, and the remains and artifacts of a sixth-century Anglo-Saxon burial ship stunned the world. Fiennes is Basil; Mulligan is Edith; around the halfway point of director Simon Stone's film, the focus (for better or worse) shifts to others in the orbit of the excavation effort, particularly characters played by Lily James and Johnny Flynn. Based on the 2007 novel by John Preston, "The Dig" freely mixes fact and invention, overloading the crises a bit but generally succeeding. A fair amount of screenwriter Moira Buffini's dialogue plays out as Terrence Malick-styled voiceover, while the camera focuses on the stark beauty of the surroundings, and men and women actually doing the work. The results are trim, well-made and quite moving. So much for my prejudgments. (Netflix) — Michael Phillips

‘Saint Maud’ review: Two actresses commit to a thriller, body and soul

February 12, 2021 at 8:00 a.m.

The steady, screw-tightening accumulation of crises making up "Saint Maud" indicate a fully formed talent behind the camera. Writer-director Rose Glass's debut feature, streaming Feb. 12 on Epix, keeps its...

Review: ‘Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,’ but Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo don’t pack enough jokes

February 11, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.

Comedywise, Ian Fleming — not a funny man — has been a dubious influence on screen comedy for decades. Quite apart from full-on James Bond spoofs in the "Austin Powers"...

LaKeith Stanfield on ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’: ‘I should’ve done some meditation, and some therapy, to prepare for something like this’

February 11, 2021 at 12:04 p.m.

Approaching any biopic, an actor prepares with "a marriage of research and imagination," LaKeith Stanfield told me the other day. "Judas and the Black Messiah," opening Feb. 12 in some...

Lead House impeachment manager Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), right, hugs House impeachment manager Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) after she spoke during the second day of the second Senate impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump, at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 10, 2021.

Commentary: How a 13-minute impeachment video asserted the power of the authentic image

February 10, 2021 at 1:28 p.m.

Every now and then, a piece of visual storytelling — be it propaganda, or impeachment trial evidence, or the most pious Jeep ad imaginable — reminds us what Roger Ebert...

Nia Long and Larenz Tate in 1997 "Love Jones".

What to watch this Valentine’s Day

February 12, 2021 at 10:21 a.m.

From "Love Life" to "True Romance," we've rounded up 11 films and TV shows to stream this weekend for Valentine's Day. "Love Life" "Love Life" is a must-binge this weekend....

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