Category Archives: Newer films

Fences

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Mark DuPré

Sometimes life, responsibilities, and priorities conspire to prevent me from seeing a film I “should” see in the theater. Such was the case with Fences, which was often my number two choice to see, and never managed to make it … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged August Wilson, Broadway, Denzel Washington, Doubt, Fences, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Pittsburgh Cycle, Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, Tony Awards, Viola Davis | Leave a comment

Victoria and Abdul

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Mark DuPré

The greatest service this new trifle from director Stephen Frears (Philomena, The Queen) offers is to put forth a cinematic version of a hitherto unknown story of Queen Victoria’s friendly relationship with a much younger Indian man. The real story … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Abdul Karim, Adeel Akhtar, Ali Fazal, Dame Judi Dench, Dangerous Liaisons, Eddie Izzard, Florence Foster Jenkins, Hindu, Michael Gambon, Mohammed, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Muslim, My Beautiful Laundrette, Philomena, Stephen Frears, The Grifters, The Queen, Tim Pigott-Smith, Victoria and Abdul | Leave a comment

The Lost City of Z

Posted on September 30, 2017 by Mark DuPré

Finally caught up with what many critics considered one of the great films—as well as one of the most unsung—of 2016, though it wasn’t released in the US until 2017. It was stunningly beautiful, slow but in the best sense, … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged American Sniper, Charlie Hunnam, David Lean, Fifty Shades of Grey, James Gray, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Kristen Stewart, Percy Fawcett. The Immigrant, Robert Pattison, Sienna Miller, Spider-Man: Homecoming, The Lost City of Z, Tom Holland, Twilight, We Own the Night | Leave a comment

The Salesman (Iranian, 2016)

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Mark DuPré

For MSM, “my Persian son” The Salesman is the newest film from Iranian writer/director Asghar Farhadi, creator and Oscar winner (for Best Foreign Film) for 2011’s A Separation. As with A Separation, The Saleman is a meticulously crafted, well-acted film … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged A Separation, Arthur Miller, Asghar Farhadi, Babak Karimi, Best Foreign Film, Dardenne, Death of a Salesman, Deux jours une nuit, Hitchcock, L'Enfant, Shahab Hosseini, Shakespeare, Tareney Alidoosti, The Kid on the Bike, The Salesman | Leave a comment

Dunkirk

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Mark DuPré

Dunkirk is extraordinary. It’s a film, yes (a real film, but more on that later), but also an event and an experience. It should be seen in IMAX if at all possible, as with much of director Christopher Nolan’s previous … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged A Bridge Too Far, Agent Carter, Alejandro Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuaron, Ang Lee, Bridge of Spies, Broadchurch, Brokeback Mountain, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Damien Chazelle, Dunkirk, Fionn Whitehead, Gravity, Harry Styles, Inception, Intolerance, James D'Arcy, Kenneth Branagh, La La Land, Lawrence of Arabia, Life of Pi, Mad Max: Fury Road, Mark Rylance, Mrs. Miniver, Richard Attenborough, The Dark Knight Rises, The Revenant, Tom Hardy, Will Attenborough | Leave a comment

The Big Sick

Posted on August 13, 2017 by Mark DuPré

I’ve been telling my film students for the last 20 years that they have been raised during one of the worst periods for romantic comedies in film history. I’ve encouraged them to pretty much ignore what passes for both comedy … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Annie Hall, Billy Crystal, Emily V. Gordon, Holly Hunter, Judd Apatow, Kumail Nanjiani, Meg Ryan, Michael Showalter, Notting Hill, Ray Romano, The Big Sick, Tom Hanks, Zoe Kazan | Leave a comment

The Shack

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Mark DuPré

Things to get out of the way: Yes, it’s taken me this long to see The Shack. And yes, I started to read the book years ago, but was one of the few who never finished it. Plus, I’m posting … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Avraham Aviv Alush, Biblical exegesis, Chariots of Fire, Chris DuPre, Christians, Diary of a Country Priest, God the Father, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Narnia, Octavia Spencer, Papa, Sam Worthington, Sumire, The Blind Side, The Shack, Tim McGraw, Trinity, Wizard of Oz | 1 Comment

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Mark DuPré

The awkwardly titled newest entry in the Spider-Man series generally succeeds in rebooting the series, and turns into one of the most enjoyable—and funny—mainstream films of the year. There are pitfalls aplenty in rebooting a series so often in such … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Andrew Garfield, Billy Elliott the Musical, Captain America: Civil War, CD, Emma Stone, General Zod, In the Heart of the Sea, Iron Man, London, Man of Steel, Marisa Tomei, Marvel, Michael Keaton, Peter Parker, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Superman, The Impossible, The Lost City of Z, Tom Holland, Vulture, West End, Wolf Hall, Wonder Woman | Leave a comment

Wonder Woman

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Mark DuPré

Wonder Woman does a lot of challenging things right. Like Marvel’s The Avengers, this DC Comics film has to accommodate almost too many elements, and yet, surprisingly, holds them fairly well in balance. There are viewer expectations of every stripe … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Amazons, Chris Pine, DC Comics, Diana, Gal Gadot, male gaze, Patty Jenkins, Themyscira, Wonder Woman | Leave a comment

Alien: Covenant

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Mark DuPré

A mini-review…. This film has beautiful production design, excellent cinematography, and a star-making performance by Michael Fassbender (who is already a star). On the other hand, there’s nothing new here. After wandering far afield of the Alien myth with 2012’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Reviews, Newer films | Tagged Alien, Alien: Covenant, Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, mini-review, Prometheus, Ridley Scott, Ripley, Sigourney Weaver | Leave a comment