Better Late than Never, ‘BLACK WIDOW’ Gives MCU’s Preeminent Shero a Fitting Sendoff

June 29, 2021 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Black Widow, Cate Shortland, David Harbour, Eric Pearson, Florence Pugh, Jac Schaeffe, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, MCU, Natasha Romanoff, Out in Theaters, Rachel Weisz, Ray Winstone, Reviews, Scarlett Johansson, William Hurt 1 Comment

The second to last of the original Avengers to get her own standalone bow (with Hawkeye’s very own miniseries hitting Disney+ late 2021), Black Widow has been long overdue her turn in the spotlight for some time now. If we weren’t living in an aggressively patriarchal society, it might seem strange that it took so long to get Scarlett Johansson, who has led the charts for most bankable actress alive for many years, her own feature film. But then again it seems that Hollywood suits only recently learned the lesson that the masses would turn out for superhero movies that starred people other than white men and so thus Black Widow was bankrolled into existence, 11 years after her debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Read More

Marvel Resurrects Dead Hero in First Trailer for ‘BLACK WIDOW’

December 3, 2019 by Matt Oakes Posted in Trailers Tagged Black Widow, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, Marvel, MCU, Rachel Weisz, Scarlett Johnasson, Trailers Leave a comment

It’s hardly a spoiler at this point to acknowledge the fact that Black Widow, Marvel’s first female superhero who has been played by Scarlett Johansson since 2010, is dead. The former assassin-cum-non-powered-superhero sacrificed herself in Endgame to save the world. More specifically, her friend and partner Hawkeye. Had the movie not come out in April and gone on to make literally more money than any other movie ever, I’d maybe try and dance around that fact but let’s be honest: either you know already or you couldn’t care less about the MCU. Read More

‘THE FAVOURITE’ is the Cattiest Movie of the Year in the Best Way Humanly Possible

November 21, 2018 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Best of 2018, Deborah Davis, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult, Olivia Colman, Out in Theaters, Rachel Weisz, Reviews, The Favourite, Tony McNamara, Yorgos Lanthimos 3 Comments

Vying for the sole affection of Queen Anne – and all the status that comes with it – two cousins from different stations stoke a bitter rivalry in Yorgos Lanthimos exquisitely-mounted The Favourite. Scrumptiously rancorous, Lanthimos’ foray into costume drama is a series of verbal death matches, its characters clawing at one another’s reputation, the performances from its perfectly-cast stars provide each and every syllable of Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara’s wonderfully cutting script a searing eclipse of clever-wit, cunning undercuts and good-humor that never second-guesses going straight for the jugular. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘COMPLETE UNKNOWN’

September 1, 2016 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Azita Ghanizada, Complete Unknown, Joshua Marston, Kathy Bate, Michael Chernus, Michael Shannon, Out in Theaters, Rachel Weisz, Reviews Leave a comment

An old flame forks her way back into the life of a married man in Joshua Martson‘s mysterious and somewhat satisfying Complete Unknown. Marston struck a chord with debut Maria Full of Grace, which played Sundance 12 years ago, giving a drug mule a face in performer Catalina Sandino Moreno. With Complete Unknown, the Californian director harnesses a selfsame ability to craft complex female leads but allows the narrative to come to tatters as it crests its many tonal shifts. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS’

August 31, 2016 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Adam Arkapaw, Alexander Desplat, Alicia Vikander, Derek Cianfrance, Michael Fassbender, Out in Theaters, Rachel Weisz, Reviews, Romance, The Light Between Oceans Leave a comment

With The Light Between Oceans, Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) fancies himself both a ballerina and a first responder. The fine line between drippy sentimentality and earnest adult drama is a tightrope that Cianfrance tip-toes with all the testy bravado of Philippe Petie, loading his screen with moody tableaus of bereaved faces and decadent sealand landscapes. With great finesse, he probes the dour depths of the human spirit, framing a lurid moral no-no within a heartrending saga of romantic turmoil. Bottling the melancholy and adding pathos-laden Mentos until it erupts into a geyser of emotion, he applies the jaws of life to his audience, breaks open the collective chest cavity, steals your heart and tap dances all up on it. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘THE LOBSTER’

May 26, 2016 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Angeliki Papoulia, Ben Whishaw, Colin Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Léa Seydoux, Out in Theaters, Rachel Weisz, Reviews, The Lobster, Yorgos Lanthimos Leave a comment

Being single is illegal. Those unfortunate enough to remain unspoken for are forced into unbecoming ponchos to hide out in perpetually drizzly U.K. forests, dodging trigger happy hunters locked, stocked and loaded with tranquiler guns, motivated to track them down and capture them. The remaining option for singletons comes in the form of a one-way ticket to a matchmaker hotel where they’ll endure 45 days of punishing “romance” seminars in hopes of finding a mate. Those who “don’t make it” are turned into an animal of their choosing. David’s (Colin Ferrell) desired animal is a lobster. And such is Yorgos Lanthimos’ demented lifecycle in his fifth feature film The Lobster. Read More

Sundance ’16 Review: ‘COMPLETE UNKNOWN’

January 26, 2016 by Matt Oakes Posted in Festival Reviews Tagged Azita Ghanizada, Complete Unknown, Joshua Marston, Kathy Bate, Michael Chernus, Michael Shannon, Rachel Weisz, Reviews, Sundance 2016, Sundance Reviews Leave a comment

An old flame forks her way back into the life of a married man in Joshua Marston‘s mysterious and somewhat satisfying Complete Unknown. Marston struck a chord with debut Maria Full of Grace, which played Sundance 12 years ago, giving a drug mule a face in performer Catalina Sandino Moreno. With Complete Unknown, the Californian director harnesses a selfsame ability to craft complex female leads but allows the narrative to come to tatters as it crests its many tonal shifts. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘YOUTH’

December 19, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged DVD Reviews, Harvey Keitel, Luca Bigazzi, Madalina Ghenea, Out in Theaters, Paolo Sorrentino, Paul Dano, Rachel Weisz, Reviews 2 Comments

Paolo Sorrentino‘s Youth is a picturesque bore. A wandering meditation on the lives of those who’ve already lived it, Youth begs questions about family and legacy and the ugliness involved with both. Not unlike Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty, Youth features handsome camerawork and lively, thoughtful performances but is ultimately unable to plant much reason for remembering it once it’s past or passing a recommendation along. Read More