Upcoming Theatrical Releases
Black Panther
Directed by Ryan Coogler
Rated PG-13 for prolonged sequences of action violence, and a brief rude gesture
“Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to take his place as King. However, when an old enemy reappears on the radar, T’Challa’s mettle as King and Black Panther is tested when he is drawn into a conflict that puts the entire fate of Wakanda and the world at risk.
Receiving almost universal praise, this is the Marvel movie to see this year. The cast is immensely talented and the story does more than drift between trope requirements; it performs the rare task of being meaningful in a genre known for shallowness.
Five out of Five Stars
Early Man
Directed by Nick park
Rated NR
Set at the dawn of time, when dinosaurs and woolly mammoths roamed the earth, EARLY MAN tells the story of how one brave caveman unites his tribe against a mighty enemy and saves the day!
A solid, but not great, family film that’ll wash the awful taste of “Peter Rabbit” out of your mouth. The Wallace and Gromit style isn’t for everyone, but there is a tongue-in-cheek sweetness that makes this a silly waste of time on a rainy day.
Three and a Half out of Five Stars
A Fantastic Woman
Directed by Sebastián Lelio
Rated R for language, sexual content, nudity and a disturbing assault
Marina and Orlando are in love and planning for the future. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is 20 years older than her, and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina’s birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill. Marina rushes him to the emergency room, but he passes away just after arriving at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion. The doctors and Orlando’s family don’t trust her. A woman detective investigates Marina to see if she was involved in his death. Orlando’s ex-wife forbids her from attending the funeral. And to make matters worse, Orlando’s son threatens to throw Marina out of the flat she shared with Orlando. Marina is a trans woman and for most of Orlando’s family, her sexual identity is an aberration, a perversion. So Marina struggles for the right to be herself. She battles the very same forces that she has spent a lifetime fighting just to become the woman she is now – a complex, strong, forthright and fantastic woman.
There is a very clear purpose to this film and it bravely never deviates from those intentions. A superb performance by Daniela Vega, and a quiet honesty about grief and what it means to have a sense of self. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Four and a Half out of Five Stars
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