Till – 7

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This was three things: a history lesson, a collection of fine roles for Black actors, and a bravura performance by Danielle Deadwyler as Emmett Till’s mother. The challenge was creating interest in a story that is already familiar–and not a pretty story, at that. For me, it explained why the case of Emmett Till, among all the anti-Black atrocities in the South, resonated so loud and long. Deadwyler deserves an Oscar nod for all her emotional nuance, even if it went on a bit long. The movie’s weak spot was its characterization of Emmett (“Bobo”) as a clueless and fairly unsympathetic Momma’s boy, not that he deserved his fate. Ultimately, good or bad, you felt you were in history class more than the movies, and left to wonder: as this is the version that will live in the public’s imagination, how true is it?

Devotion – 6

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A buddy film about fighter pilots and their planes that had the bad timing to be released the same year as Top Gun: Maverick. Its only ace was the (true) story of its Black hero overcoming racial discrimination in the military during the Korean War. Curiously, however, Jesse Brown was portrayed by Jonathan Majors with a huge chip on his shoulder while the hurdles he overcame were only briefly mentioned, resulting in a less than inspiring hero, while Glen Powell, his White wingman (and movie Executive Producer), took over the Tom Cruise role. Basing the film on a true story limited its dramatic impact as much as the predictable, cliched scenes that populated the script.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover – 7

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This is all Emma Corrin – and you certainly see all of Emma Corrin. She is gorgeous and affecting as a young woman consumed by her own sexuality. By contrast, the two men in her life are underdrawn, or poorly drawn; and the larger themes involving gender, class and society, that I expect are developed more fully in D.H. Lawrence’s novel, are given short shrift. The costumes, settings and characters are a reminder that Downton Abbey is just over the hill. And there is Emma Corrin.

The Fabelmans – 7.5

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A portrait of the (cinema) artist as a young man, demonstrating the power of movies, even as we sat in a mostly empty theater. The story was sweet, if conventional, and well told, per usual for Stephen Spielberg. One wonders, though, how it would play if the viewer didn’t know beforehand that the story was autobiographical and that the kid, for all his troubles, would ultimately emerge as the most successful filmmaker of his generation. I could have done without the whole Judd Hirsch episode and the lazy pace that made this feel more like a memoir than a drama. But in a year of experimental dreck, an old-fashioned film from a master was welcome.

Causeway – 5

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Talk about a slow movie, this one (on Netflix) practically came to a halt several times, until it finally did. Jennifer Lawrence was fine, and to her credit she didn’t affect a New Orleans accent; can’t say the same about Brian Tyree Henry, though, to the extent I could understand him. Beyond good work from some familiar supporting actors, this was mainly an acting class for J-Law’s resume, not much of a story.

EO – 5

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A donkey? Really? Maybe this was a comment on life in Poland (not good) in places the donkey happened to be, although the donkey had no real role, other than looking donkey-like. Times were mostly tough – no respect – and they didn’t come to a happy end.

The Banshees of Inisherin -8

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While the movie was set in 1923 rural Ireland, it could as easily have been written then, by Sean O’Casey or J.M. Synge, so well it captured the tragedy of the Irish: men living a hardscrabble existence, playing music (hence the title), going to the pub, making a mountain out of a molehill and being stubborn till it ruins you. But my gosh, the scenery on the coast was beautiful, and the performances of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were enough to make you cry. With only three stage sets, I could see the Irish Repertory Theatre performing this tomorrow.

Glass Onion – 4.5

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Absurdly stupid or stupidly absurd, take your pick. Whereas the original Knives Out revolved around a relatable family with understandable issues, this “sequel” featured an all-star cast of incredible (as in, non-credible) characters who formed no sort of family and were hard to care about, if not actually odious. And whereas the Daniel Craig character, as I remember it, was an amusing add-on, here he was the main player, wearing out his schtick not too far into the film. The plot echoes of The Menu were just an unhappy coincidence.

She Said – 7.5

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A solid telling of a heartwarming story, although we knew, of course, everything before it happened. The other challenge was how to dramatize phone calls, which led to a lot of interruptions while tending to the kids, walking down the street, meeting with the boss and sleeping. I have no idea why someone felt it necessary to cast a devilish British movie star, Carey Mulligan, as a hard-boiled New York reporter. Her character never took with me, but I quite appreciated Zoe Kazan as her running mate. The movie suffers in comparison to Spotlight, let alone the template-creator, All the President’s Men. And while Harvey Weinstein has been brought to justice (pending appeal), there remains the shadow of the press’s inability to dent Donald Trump.

The Menu – 6

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A delicious spoof of foam restaurants and foodies until it takes a sour turn mid-movie and becomes a typically implausible horror flick that reduces its cast to sniveling nonentities. The setup and the characters, notably Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult, make up ingredients for an entertaining parody that could, I wished, have gone in a different direction.