Movie Reviews

Balram (Adarsh Gourav) is a young man struggling to escape poverty in The White Tiger.

Arts

In 'White Tiger,' A Dickensian Rags-To-Riches Story Turns Psychological Thriller

11:48am January 22, 2021

by Justin Chang

In this adaptation of Aravind Adiga's 2008 novel, a young man defies the odds by escaping poverty in a rapidly globalizing India. The White Tiger is a dark satire — with an eat-the-rich ethos.

Derek DelGaudio uses a little magic and a lot of storytelling to talk about identity in In & Of Itself.

Arts

'In & Of Itself' Is A Study Of Identity And Magic

5:00am January 22, 2021

by Linda Holmes

Derek DelGaudio's successful off-Broadway show has been given a marvelous film adaptation that captures the stage production's delicate and humane tone.

Spoor is a pulpy murder story that's also a utopian fable about feminism, social justice and ecology. The film, which was released in 2017, is newly available for streaming on The Brattle.

Arts

Polish Thriller 'Spoor' Is A Pulpy Murder Story — And A Utopian Fable

1:42pm January 20, 2021

by John Powers

Corpses pile up, but there are no human footsteps surrounding the dead bodies — only animal footprints. This strange, darkly funny film mixes feminism, social justice and ecology.

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Martin Luther King Jr. in Sam Pollard's MLK/FBI.

Arts

'MLK/FBI' Humanizes A Civil Rights Icon's Legacy

5:00am January 15, 2021

by Aisha Harris

Sam Pollard's documentary deftly examines the FBI's intense surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. in the final years of his life.

Bee Gees Documentary Traces The Gibb Brothers' Pathway To Stardom

1:36pm January 14, 2021

by Ken Tucker

Of the three Bee Gees, only Barry Gibb is still alive. His new album is Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook Volume 1. The HBO documentary, The Bee Gees, tells the story of the group's rise.

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Cassie (Carey Mulligan) is a woman bent on revenge — until she meets nice guy Ryan (Bo Burnham) in Promising Young Woman.

Arts

'Promising Young Woman' And 'Pieces Of A Woman' Examine Trauma And Revenge

11:27am January 13, 2021

by Justin Chang

Two new films center on the lingering effects of trauma and tragedy. Carey Mulligan is woman bent on revenge in Promising Young Woman; Vanessa Kirby is a mother whose baby dies in Pieces of a Woman.

Regina King Imagines What 4 Black Icons' Gathering In 1964 Might Have Looked Like

3:45pm December 28, 2020

by Bob Mondello

Regina King's directorial film debut, One Night in Miami, envisions a 1964 gathering of boxer Cassius Clay, activist Malcolm X, fullback Jim Brown and singer Sam Cooke.

Arts

'Soul' Surprises With Its Messages About Finding Purpose

5:00pm December 27, 2020

by Eric Deggans

Pixar's new film stars Jamie Foxx as a jazz musician whose soul gets separated from his body. The animated feature explores themes of music and transformation.

Carey Mulligan stars as Cassie in Promising Young Woman.

Arts

'Promising Young Woman' Is A Dark Comedy That Will Keep You On Your Toes

10:18am December 26, 2020

by Linda Holmes

The darkly comic thriller Promising Young Woman, starring Carey Mulligan as a woman on a mission, is a carefully constructed mix of genres and moods that doesn't pull its punches.

Review: News Of The World With Tom Hanks

4:29pm December 25, 2020

by Bob Mondello

Tom Hanks travels from town to town in the Texas frontier a few years after the Civil War, reading newspapers to settlers. When he comes across a young girl who was kidnapped, his life changes.