Drama

Napoleon

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Napoleon
  • IMDb: link

Napoleon

Napoleon is certainly goofier than expected, especially for a film coming from director Ridley Scott. Screenwriter David Scarpa‘s script paints the French soldier, and later emperor, who dominated Europe for the better part of two decades as an uncouth petulant cuck forever stuck between his grand ambitious destiny and his love for Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby). The unexpected version of Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix) gives the film its unique feel but also obscures the military strategy of a man who conquered half of Europe by really only delving into the plans for his failed campaigns in Russia and at Waterloo.

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Next Goal Wins

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Next Goal Wins
  • IMDb: link

Next Goal Wins

Based on a true story of a washed-up soccer coach exiled across the world and tasked with turning around the worst international soccer team in the world after their historic loss 31-0 on the world stage, Next Goal Wins is pretty much what you would expect following in the footsteps of films such as Cool Runnings, A League of Their Own, or The Mighty Ducks… just not as good.

While perfectly acceptable as family friendly TV entertainment for something like The Hallmark Channel, Next Goal Wins lacks the heart of a champion and is more notable for Kaimana‘s role portraying Jaiyah Saelua, the first openly non-binary and trans woman to compete in a FIFA World Cup qualifier, than the story of the coach (who does little on-screen to teach soccer and whose motivations seem to come and go when the film needs them to without ever providing any proper motivation to change his attitude towards himself, his situation, or the team).

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Blue Eye Samurai

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Blue Eye Samurai
  • IMDb: link

Blue Eye Samurai

Set in 17th Century Japan, Blue Eye Samurai follows the vengeful quest of a blue-eyed ronin obsessed with the murder of four white men poisoning the country, any one of which might be her biological father. Since childhood, passing as male, Mizu (Maya Erskine) finds herself orphaned and being raised by a blind blacksmith and sword maker who can’t see and doesn’t hold his new apprentice’s mixed heritage against her.

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Priscilla

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Priscilla
  • IMDb: link

Priscilla

A far cry from the overindulgent train wreck of 2022’s Elvis, writer/director Sofia Coppola‘s latest film casts the spotlight not on Elvis Pressley (Jacob Elordi) but on Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) and how Elvis’ fascination with her changed her life in both positive and disturbing ways. Those who place Elvis on a pedestal may take issue with Coppola’s screenplay, as did Lisa Marie Pressley. However, the film is adapted from Priscilla’s own 1985 biography, notably toning down some of the more shocking moments of their lives together, and Priscilla served and as an executive producer to the film.

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Killers of the Flower Moon

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Killers of the Flower Moon
  • IMDb: link

Killers of the Flower Moon

Evil in film is often overt, larger than life. A clown torturing children. A giant monster trampling cities. A high-priced killer or alien leaving a trail of bodies in its wake. Real evil, however, is more insidious. Killing with a smile, insidiously operating with no compunction or fear of reprisal. Adapted by Martin Scorsese and Eric Roth from the book of the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon centers around the Osage Indian murders in the early 20th Century.

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