Reviews
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‘Head of Passes’ Theater Review: Phylicia Rashad Confronts God, and He’s Mad as Hell
Job had it easy compared to Tarell Alvin McCraney’s put-upon heroine, who endures not only God’s plague of death but a crumbling set
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‘I Saw the Light’ Review: Tom Hiddleston Croons Sad Songs in Subpar Hank Williams Biopic
Hiddleston does his own singing in a biography that offers little insight into why the country legend hit the bottle — or, for that matter, clutched a microphone
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Tricia Olszewski -
‘Bright Star’ Broadway Review: Steve Martin, Edie Brickell Write a TCM-Inspired Musical
Elements from such unwed-mother movie classics as “A Summer Place,” “To Each His Own,” and “Way Down East” are set to bluegrass score
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‘Born to Be Blue’ Review: Ethan Hawke Hits the Right Notes as Jazz Great Chet Baker
Hawke and Carmen Ejogo star in a biopic about the thrill of performance and the depth of addiction that manages to defy “Behind the Music” clichés
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Tricia Olszewski -
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‘Dry Powder’ Theater Review: Claire Danes, John Krasinski Level Low Blows Over High Finance
Krasinski is far more relaxed on stage than Danes, which leads to a peculiar sexist subtext to Sarah Burgess’ financial drama at the Public Theater
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‘Batman v Superman’ Review: Ben Affleck’s Got the Cool Car, But Wonder Woman Steals the Show
The movie’s only female non-pawn or hostage, Gal Gadot’s Amazon warrior saves this sludgy epic from superhero sameness
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‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ Review: Nia Vardalos Serves Up Second Helping of Sweetness
If you laughed at the cross-cultural jokes from the first “Wedding,” get ready to enjoy those same gags all over again
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Tim Cogshell -
‘The Effect’ Theater Review: A Playwright Takes a Page From Tom Cruise
David Cromer builds the suspense up to an eerie sex scene in Lucy Prebble’s new thriller. What will Act 2 bring? It’s not what you expect, unfortunately
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‘The Clan’ Review: Kidnapping Is the Family Business — and Business Is Booming
This Argentine Oscar entry from the producers of “Wild Tales” (including Pedro Almodóvar) finds bleak comedy in trickle-down Fascism
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‘Krisha’ Review: An Unhappy Family Plays Itself in This Spirit Award Winner
Writer-director Trey Edward Shults hires his relatives to play versions of themselves in this uncomfortably fascinating tale of an exceedingly awkward Thanksgiving
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Tricia Olszewski -
‘She Loves Me’ Broadway Review: Zachary Levi, Laura Benanti Channel Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan in Song
A fine new revival is as sweet and sugary as its most famous tune, but never loses touch with the characters’ pain and heartbreak
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‘The Bronze’ Review: Melissa Rauch Goes for the Gold, Only Occasionally Sticks Landing
Bright ideas battle a lack of originality in this bawdy farce set in the world of Olympic gymnastics
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Tricia Olszewski -
‘My Golden Days’ Review: Arnaud Desplechin’s Angsty Teen Romance Feels Très Français
Mathieu Amalric returns as the lovesick Paul Dédalus, taking a fascinating look back on the adolescent affair (complete with 1980s pop hits) that shaped his tormented adult heart
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Tim Cogshell -
‘Midnight Special’ Review: Michael Shannon Fugitive Tale Drives Confidently, Then Takes Fatal Wrong Turn
Shannon and writer-director Jeff Nichols’ fourth collaboration sets up a fascinating story and then answers its mysteries with a legendarily disastrous third act