Nuremberg (2025)

"The only clue to what man can do is what man has done."

Following the end of World War II, Nazi war criminals are brought to justice. An American shrink (Rami Malek) is tasked with determining whether Hermann Göring (Hitler's right-hand man, played by Russell Crowe) is fit to stand trial. It's a very depressing story based on a very dark time in human history that the movies love to relitigate over and over again. Do we really need the constant reminder that we keep going back and repeating past mistakes?

3 magic tricks out of 5

The Amateur (2025)

A bookish CIA code breaker takes the law into his own hands as he seeks revenge for his wife's murder in this increasingly convoluted conspiracy thriller. Rami Malek was excellent in Mr. Robot, one of my favorite TV shows, but his performance lacks in this standard, formulaic action flick that quickly wears out its welcome and lags in the second half. While the initial premise is intriguing, it feels curiously low stakes and I just kept waiting for it to be over.

A remake of the 1981 film, based on Robert Littell's novel of the same name.

2½ Inquilines out of 5

Oppenheimer (2023)

The most overrated movie of 2023. I love Christopher Nolan as much as the next film nerd, but he excels at making epic, original sci-fi films. I'm not quite as thrilled with his heady, awards-baiting historical dramas. This is essentially a 3-hour "talkie" picture about the Manhattan Project, and its literal fallout and legal ramifications. Does it really need to be that long to tell this story? Feels like a lot of pretentious showboating to me. The performances are all great and worthy of the acclaim they received, it's just that the whole thing feels a lot more self-important than it actually is. It does a fine job at telling its story, but isn't half as memorable or noteworthy as everyone else pretends it to be.

Won the "Best Picture" Oscar for 2023, but if the Academy had any balls, it would have gone to Poor Things.

3 Destroyer of Worlds out of 5

NEED FOR SPEED [2014]

Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul gets fast and furious in director Scott Waugh's film adaptation of Electronic Arts' long-running video game series Need For Speed.
In this car porn road flick, a car-mechanic gets out of prison to race across the country to avenge his friend of whom he was framed for the death of.
If it's quality plot and well-fleshed characters, then you're obviously not smart enough to know this ain't the film to turn to and perhaps it is right for you after all.  If it's ridiculously entertaining inane fun you're seeking out then you've come to the right place.  Unlike it's rival Fast Car film series, the large majority of stunts and FX are all practical making for less cartoony action sequences but still keeping up with the outrageousness of it all.
It's runs a bit long but you'll hardly even notice if you've come prepared right and proper the type of film it is.

3 bus bus buses out of 5

AIN'T THEM BODIES SAINTS [2013]

Writer/director David Lowery's Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a beautifully shot crime-drama love story that you just know is going to end in heartbreak no matter what the outcome.
Like a feast of visual poetry, the film is shot like an early Terrence Malick film, where all events only seem to take place at the break of dusk or dawn, with harsh shades of black and dark oranges & browns.  It travels at a very slow pace but rewards with thoughtful camerawork and voice-overs that give the feel of a haunted daydream.  There's not a whole lot of originality within the plot but it's the trio of actor's strong performance and broken lonely hearted atmosphere that gives the film its greatest strengths.

4 gift horses out of 5