Movie Reviews

'Restless Dreams' documentary retraces Paul Simon's past, and captures his present

1:25pm March 15, 2024

by David Bianculli

An unexpectedly thought-provoking two-part documentary looks back at Simon's lengthy career, including his Simon & Garfunkel days, and also chronicles his process of recording his latest album.

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National

Kristen Stewart stars in neon-lit film-noir 'Love Lies Bleeding'

6:15pm March 07, 2024

by Bob Mondello

Kristen Stewart stars in a lesbian thriller/romance. The genre-shredding film takes place in rural New Mexico in 1989.

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'Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse' may just win the series another Oscar

11:22am March 07, 2024

by Bob Mondello

The first film in an animated Spider-Verse trilogy won an Oscar in 2018. The latest installment, Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, will be a strong contender to repeat that accomplishment.

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Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are Paul Atreides and Chani in Dune: Part Two.

Arts

Staggering action sequences can't help 'Dune: Part Two' sustain a sense of awe

9:00am March 01, 2024

by Justin Chang

Dune: Part Two is a more exciting and eventful journey than Dune: Part One. But even here, the high points are over too soon, and the movie quickly moves on.

The Oscar-nominated documentary Four Daughters blends truth and fiction with rare transparency — you won't see another film like it.

Yes, these 5 Oscar-nominated documentaries take on tough topics — watch them anyway

4:11pm February 29, 2024

by Linda Holmes

From war to injustice and religious extremism, the documentary finalists are thematically harrowing stories from around the world. Each is a triumph of storytelling and craft.

National

'Dune: Part Two' takes the first film's stunning visuals to a new level

4:44pm February 28, 2024

by Bob Mondello

Dune: Part Two picks up Frank Herbert's epic Dune saga in mid-rebellion, with Timothee Chalamet's Paul Atreides finally getting to ride a giant sandworm and taste the Water of Life.

Enzo Vogrincic as Numa in Society of the Snow, one of five films nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature.

Arts

Oscars guide: We map out the 5 films nominated for best international feature

4:01pm February 27, 2024

by Glen Weldon

They range in themes, languages and political urgency, but this year's stellar five nominees for the Best International Feature Film Oscar are each deserving of your time for their distinct pleasures.

Revisiting 'The Holdovers,' which is up for an Oscar along with actor Paul Giamatti

6:29pm February 26, 2024

by Bob Mondello

Paul Giamatti plays a 1970s prep-school teacher reluctantly supervising students with nowhere to go for the Christmas holidays in Alexander Payne's dramedy, The Holdovers.

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Seydou (Seydou Sarr, in gray) crosses the desert in Io Capitano.

Arts

Join a Senegalese teen on a harrowing journey in this Oscar-nominated film

1:28pm February 23, 2024

by Justin Chang

Over his mom's protests and warnings, 16-year-old Seydou sets out for a better life in Europe. Io Capitano is a grueling portrait of a migrant's journey, nominated for best international feature film.

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"We have to live with the monsters we create," Justine Triet told NPR's Scott Simon, when he asked whether characters linger with her after a film. "I've been living with these people for three years, and I think I'll probably live with them for at least another year."

Arts

If you love courtroom dramas, this Oscar-nominated film is not to be missed

12:01pm February 22, 2024

by Linda Holmes

The courtroom drama is a beloved and established film genre. Anatomy of a Fall is a Best Picture nominee that feels familiar at first but immerses audiences in a different kind of legal thriller.