Happy Thanksgiving! Not sure which film to pick among the fray out in theaters right now? Allow the members of the Houston Film Critics Society to assist you with their reviews below:
Knives Out
James Cole Clay VII (FreshFiction.TV) — “Mysteries play out with hilarity in Rian Johnson’s incredibly entertaining whodunnit.”
Dustin Chase (Texas Art & Film) — “… works on two levels, an engaging murder mystery that’s entertaining and fun with some of your favorite franchise actors playing caricatures. It’s also an allegory for immigration and sarcastic commentary on the socio-political climate.”
Alan Cerny (Vital Thrills) — “Once all the pieces are in play, Johnson takes great pleasure in moving them in ways that we cannot predict.”
Jason Escamilla (EskimoTV) — “… outstanding cast, an enthralling mystery, and it is directed/communicated exhilaratingly well.”
Donna Copeland (Dr. Donna’s Movie Reviews) — “… a smart, entertaining look at deviousness, innocence, and human nature that can go either way.”
Pete Vonder Haar (Houston Press) — “Writer/director Rian Johnson’s last movie was something called The Last Jedi, a trifle of a film which made little impact at the box office and generated no online reaction whatsoever.”
James Roberts (Glide Magazine) — “… is an impossible mix of delicious delights that will keep you guessing, laughing, and stunned until the final brilliant shot.”
Cody Villafana & Jerrod Kingery (CineSnob) — podcast review
SEEN! @rianjohnson & @steveyedlin struck gold again with this dynamite whodunnit that is also an impactful who-deserves-it. De Armas, Craig, Evans + Collette are top-tier in this top-tier cast. When Thanksgiving arrives and this lands in theaters, you better Go! #KnivesOut pic.twitter.com/Uujt2HBl2n
— Nguyen #B🍑NGHIVE Le 🎞 (@nle318) November 21, 2019
Mickey and The Bear
Nguyen Le (The Young Folks) — “Whatever state of mind Mickey is in, Morrone nails it in her portrayal.”
Joe Friar (Victoria Advocate) — “The film derives strength from Camila Morrone’s superb performance as a teenager looking for a way out.”
The Irishman
Cary Darling (Houston Chronicle) — “It’s not going to blast you through the back of the theater… Instead, it’s going to engender feelings of sadness and regret amid a renewed appreciation for the director’s filmmaking and storytelling prowess.”
Donna Copeland (Dr. Donna’s Movie Reviews) — “Unless you’re a diehard crime story enthusiast who much prefers a big screen, I suggest you wait for the Netflix edition of The Irishman.”
Dustin Chase (Texas Art & Film) — “Two good performances and some technical wizardry don’t warrant the film’s excessive running time and crippled pacing.”
Kiko Martinez (San Antonio Current) — “Although it might feel familiar, The Irishman is unlike any of [Martin] Scorsese’s other high-profile mobster pictures. It benefits from a deliberate pacing and less-violent approach in comparison to films like Goodfellas and Casino.”
Mark Schumann (The Reel Dad) — “Ultimately, The Irishman will be remembered as the ultimate Scorsese take on an underworld that has fascinated his camera for almost 50 years.”
Michael Bergeron (Byline Houston) — “Scorsese is going for an epic depiction of segments of the underworld from the 1950s to the present day.”
Chris Sawin (Bounding Into Comics) — “… comes off as this long-winded geriatric fart with a smell that lingers in a room with no windows that you’re trapped in for three and a half hours. All the mob hits in the world aren’t going to get that smell out.”
Jason Escamilla (EskimoTV) — “Despite it’s technical accomplishments, the most important pieces of any movie will always be its story and its characters, which is where The Irishman fails entirely.”
James Roberts (Glide Magazine) — “This is a film whose ambition exceeds its ends and, while never bad, remains too weighted by itself to ever fully take off.”
Cody Villafana & Jerrod Kingery (CineSnob) — podcast review
Queen & Slim
SEEN! #QueenAndSlim struggles to blend potent commentary w/ just reverie, but in either form there’s always beauty to witness, tenderness to detect & hotness in the playlist. Kaluuya is great, again. Smith is effortlessly commanding. Both really react. [B-] pic.twitter.com/SagXCpJThM
— Nguyen #B🍑NGHIVE Le 🎞 (@nle318) November 22, 2019
Dark Waters
Donna Copeland (Dr. Donna’s Movie Reviews) — “The movie gets into substantive issues relevant today about environmental concerns, corporate power, and the costs of social advocacy, while engaging you emotionally into the drama.”
Joe Friar (Victoria Advocate) — “… compelling and effective as it uncovers the deception by one of America’s biggest chemical corporations.”
