Reviews
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‘Burning Cane’ Film Review: Promising But Flawed First Film Examines the Black Church in the South
Writer-director-cinematographer Phillip Youmans bites off far more than he can chew, but he tackles tough issues
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‘Arctic Dogs’ Film Review: Unremarkable Kids’ Cartoon Offers Self-Esteem and Environmental Messaging
Young audiences will get OK animation and straightforward moralizing, while their parents enjoy a brief nap
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‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ Film Review: Linda Hamilton Is Back, and So Is the Franchise’s Mojo
After a slew of disappointing sequels (and a TV series), the killer-robot saga once again feels sharp and relevant
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‘Harriet’ Film Review: Kasi Lemmons’ Standard-Issue Harriet Tubman Biopic Wastes Big-Screen Opportunity
We’ve waited too long for a Tubman movie (and for Lemmons to return to the director’s chair) but this one disappoints
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‘The Kingmaker’ Film Review: Lauren Greenfield’s Deftly-Drawn Portrait of Imelda Marcos Is Fascinating and Terrifying
A shrewd inquisitor and a crafty interviewee face off in a fascinating look at image-management and power
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‘Queen of Hearts’ Film Review: Denmark’s Oscar Entry Explores Incest in Shallow Way
Topics of abuse and consent are also skirted over, albeit with slick cinematography, undermining the compelling lead performance
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‘Gay Chorus Deep South’ Film Review: Traveling Choirs Shake Up Southern Gentility With Direct Confrontation
Performers from San Francisco and Oakland invade the Bible Belt with the hope of changing hearts and minds with song
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‘Motherless Brooklyn’ Film Review: Edward Norton’s Gorgeous Noir Exceeds His Grasp
Exquisite ’50s period detail and relevant Big Apple politics aside, this saga sprawls beyond what the actor-writer-director can handle
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‘Jesus Is King’ Film Review: Kanye West Documentary-Promo Is Both Too Short and Too Long
It’s too brief a sample of West’s process, and it will probably only confirm what you already think of him, good or bad
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‘Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound’ Film Review: Documentary Tunes Into What You Hear at the Movies
Educational and inspirational, Midge Costin’s film traces the cinema’s rich audio history
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‘Countdown’ Film Review: Killer-Phone-App Horror Film Embraces Its Own Absurdity
It’s no classic of horror — or even horror comedy — but it’s fun in an eccentric and self-aware way
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‘The Cat and the Moon’ Film Review: Alex Wolff Plays Troubled Teen in His Promising Writing-Directing Debut
New York tale about new friends and simmering grief shows some uncommon filmmaking sensitivity
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‘Dolemite Is My Name’ Film Review: Eddie Murphy Is a Soulfully Vulgar Blast as Comedy Legend Rudy Ray Moore
Perhaps the best-ever comedy about the making of a cult hit, it’s mainly a spectacular vehicle for Murphy’s buoyant comic gifts
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‘Synonyms’ Film Review: French-Israeli Identity Drama Pushes Protagonist, and Audience, to the Limit
This autobiographical tale from filmmaker Nadav Lapid (“The Kindergarten Teacher” 2014) is in your face but still effective
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‘Black and Blue’ Film Review: Naomie Harris Plays a Conflicted Cop in By-the-Numbers Drama
Urbanworld Film Festival 2019: There’s a provocative tale to be told about the balance of being both black and a police officer, but this movie doesn’t feel like telling it
