First Reformed

Hawkes’ wings are clipped in Taxi Driver’s tight, tense second re-formation, which manages to achieve an impressive intensity through simplistic cinematography (carpet ride, aside) and terrifying timeliness. Startlingly human realism keeps plain-spoken message from becoming too heavy-handed, while organ-ic religious elements feel appropriately barbed without binding themselves to cheap mockery.

If Beale Street Could Talk...

…it would say an awful lot in very few words. Unfortunately, images are so poetically effective that they convey content too quickly and much of movie feels redundant, sustained only by beautiful score. Though narratively too concise, cleverly illustrates conundrum of conflicting prejudices against victimized women and falsely accused men.

Green Book

Despite cliched cover, Green is hardly just black and white. With wit, compelling comedy and impressive empathy, simple story traverses tricky territory, driving past race into territories of class, sexuality & self-defeatism. Deftly spins savior setup so both broken heroes require redemption and each ultimately achieve it without heavy-handed Help.

Polar

Mikkelsen gets Mad when stylistically inferior superiors force him from clean to clichéd and the Dominos start falling predictably. Anti-hero’s chilly warmth and clever third act twist of Le Chiffre serve as sole selling points while jaunty jumps from gratuitous gore to intensive introspection make it hard to Buy Polar.

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Solo

Set longer than long time ago, this space spectacle successfully stands alone. An appropriate amount of camp and coolness lend further fuel to a film that doles up the right ratio of references to revelations and, ‘trust’y tropes aside, manages to maintain tension despite obvious direction and less obvious directors.

Glass

Lacks both shine and clarity of origin’s origins. Fractured characters are grafted together but rather than lending each other narrative strength, they take turns bashing holes in panefully fragile premise. Shyamalan’s characters fuse while he cracks open his neglected tank of tired twists and dramatically drowns his franchise in frivolity.

BlackKklansman

Malcolm Y’s performance provides an interestingly stiff backboard against which to bounce this insane true story while Driver rides shotgun, Ren-dering an uncharacteristically complex character. Meanwhile I, Topher revisits 70s with almost amusingly amorality. Lee spikes the story with his typical stylization and political commentary, but both hit their marksSspectacularly.

A Star is Born

Cooper starts by showing off simultaneous directing, acting, guitar-playing, and singing then miraculously maintains the momentum, with incredible support from a Lady who disappears beautifully into her role. Bizarre non-comedic roles for Dice and Dave don’t detract either and Elliot’s emotional energy establishes the environment for film’s final sorrowful supernova.

Creed II

Sequel sympathizes with star as it struggles to sustain previous success. Impressively in-depth antagonist characterization creates conundrum, as baby-Dolph becomes more empathetic than self-centric Creed. Stallone stalls Two, and attempted emotional interludes feel tone deaf at best. Spoiler: finale spoils the premise as a predictable victory further vindicates ‘hero’s vanity.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Arcade world explodes outward, but moral message narrows for a cautionary tale about over-controlling friendships, in sharp contrast to the out of control online universe. Brilliant allusions to reality, a perfect peppering of product placements and an exemplary exploitation of Disney’s dynasty effectively fix up a wreck of a plot.