Reviews
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‘The Most Hated Woman in America’ Review: Melissa Leo Shines in Shaky Atheist Biopic
SXSW: You can believe Leo as abrasive American Atheists founder Madalyn Murray O’Hair, but the kidnapping saga that ended her life makes a weak framing device
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Robert Abele -
‘The Sense of an Ending’ Review: Jim Broadbent Gets Swept Up in Past Romance
Many of the best features of Julian Barnes’ acclaimed novel don’t make the leap to the screen
By
Ray Greene -
‘Catfight’ Review: Sandra Oh and Anne Heche Beat Each Other to a Bloody Pulp
Writer-director Onur Tukel heavy-handedly satirizes the military-industrial complex by turning his lead actresses into war machines
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Dave White -
‘Before I Fall’ Review: Teen Live-Die-Repeat Drama Isn’t the Same Ol’ Same Ol’
This YA adaptation with Zoey Deutch as a popular girl in a time loop of life and death has sincerity and style
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Robert Abele -
‘The Shack’ Review: Octavia Spencer Isn’t Foundation Enough for This Phony Sap-Fest
This offensively simple-minded, pseudo-religious sham relies on kitschy imagery to put across its inane message of forgiveness
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Dan Callahan -
‘Table 19’ Review: Anna Kendrick Wedding Comedy Is Uneven, But Avoids Crashing
A weak first half nearly derails this look at misfit wedding guests, but Kendrick and company bring it home with grace and warmth
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Robert Abele -
‘The Freedom to Marry’ Review: Meet the Attorneys Who Fought for Marriage Equality
This iffy doc doesn’t seem to have a problem with LGBT people fighting for equality by looking and acting as straight as possible
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Dan Callahan -
‘Girl with All the Gifts’ Review: Glenn Close and a Headstrong Zombie Kid Face the End of the World
The last commercial gasp of the zombie trend offers gore and a surprisingly clear-eyed message about survival
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Dave White -
‘Collide’ Review: Nicholas Hoult and Felicity Jones Race Down the Road to Nowhere
Part romance, part high-octane caper movie, this long-shelved dud wastes its leads (and Sir Ben Kingsley and Sir Anthony Hopkins)
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Sam Fragoso -
‘Rock Dog’ Review: This Animated Musical Isn’t Very Amped Up
Low-key Chinese-American co-production offers up a Tibetan Mastiff with rock star dreams, and some cartoon charm, but not much else
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Robert Abele -
‘Lovesong’ Review: Jena Malone and Riley Keough Let Everything Come Between Them
This almost-romance positions two young female friends as helpless in the face of random circumstances and sexual conformity
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Dave White -
‘In Dubious Battle’ Review: James Franco Takes on John Steinbeck
Too much darkness and too much yelling mars the prolific Franco’s latest all-star stab at literary adaptation
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Tricia Olszewski -
‘Fist Fight’ Review: Ice Cube, Charlie Day Star in an Afterschool Not-So-Special
A screechy, unfunny slab of uninspired outrageousness with two appealing stars circling each other for a showdown you couldn’t care less about
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Robert Abele -
‘Land of Mine’ Review: Danish Oscar Entry Recounts a Dark WWII Story
Denmark’s use of teenage German POWs to clear land mines makes for searing, timely drama
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Claudia Puig -
‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ Review: Keanu Reeves Kills Again in Action-Packed Sequel
There’s no lack of expertly choreographed kung fu and gun-fu here, as the canine-loving, sartorially splendid liquidator returns
By
Robert Abele














