There is a moment early in “The War and Peace of Tim O’Brien” in which the titular author mailgns being known as a “war writer.” He doesn’t want to be remembered only for the moment in his life he most despises – the Vietnam War, the focus of his many books, including “The Things They…

Consistently nuanced actress Frances McDormand stars in Chloe Zhao’s poignant Nomadland, a film that will undoubtedly resonate with both Academy voters and a wide-ranging audience looking for hope after a year of earth-shattering uncertainty. The grey-toned journey of life on the road feels more like a documentary than a scripted “Neo-Western drama,” as it’s described.…

Apple TV+ adds to its slate of original films with “Palmer,” a heartfelt story of unlikely guardianship and mutual understanding. Justin Timberlake stars as the film’s namesake, who gets a job as an elementary school janitor after serving 12 years in prison. Now seen as a faded football star-turned-felon, his fresh start is upended by…

“You’re not supposed to mourn someone while they’re still alive.” Summarizing the theme of Harry Macqueen’s poignant, heartbreaking drama Supernova in one line of dialogue, Stanley Tucci gives a career-best performance as dementia-ridden Tusker. With an equally dynamic Colin Firth as his longtime partner Sam, the two travel across England as a makeshift farewell to…

It’s only fitting that Marvel Studios’ first foray into television is a tribute to the medium itself.

Set in Harlem in the 1950s, Eugene Ashe’s story of young summer love plants a sprout in its first act that grows into a wise old tree by the end of its 110 minutes. Starring Tessa Thompson as the titular character, the charming love story follows two people who have dreams beyond romantic love –…

We’re updating our what-to-watch list throughout the month of December. The following titles are now streaming. Check back soon for reviews of more titles like Disney-Pixar’s Soul, the long-anticipated sequel to Wonder Woman and Regina King’s buzzy period piece One Night In Miami. Modern Persuasion Alicia Witt stars in this delightfully funny spin on Jane…

The 41st Annual New York Women In Film & Television Muse Awards were held virtually Dec. 17, featuring a diverse slate of honorees, including trailblazing directors, groundbreaking news reporters and notable actors. The women were selected as “muses” because of the inspiration they have provided in their various fields. “Our honorees for the 41st Annual…

Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan star as Irish neighbors in “Wild Mountain Thyme,” from prolific writer-director John Patrick Shanley. Most known for his Academy Award-winning screenplay for “Moonstruck,” the iconic New York playwright adapted the new film from his 2014 stage play “Outside Mullingar.” Despite some baffling plot points that can be chalked up to…

Godmothered is a gift. Not only is it entertaining for children, who deserve all the good things coming their way this holiday season, but for anyone thinking their Happily Ever After has passed them by. That may sound like classic Disney (and it is) but Jillian Bell as a Fairy-Godmother-in-Training is exactly the kind of…

ap·ti·tude/ˈaptəˌt(y)o͞od/: a natural ability to do something; suitability or fitness. From filmmaker Michael Arlen Davis, “The Test & The Art of Thinking” questions the age-old practice of gauging student success and college admission through standardized testing. Long considered antiquated by educators, students and administrators, the SAT is pulled apart in this documentary that will either…

There’s a moment in Hillbilly Elegy where Glenn Close, disguised as elderly, disgruntled Mamaw, tells her grandson that she loves The Terminator, “There are good terminators, bad terminators and neutrals.” The film’s theme proves the opposite: people are typically a mix of all three. Based on J.D. Vance’s best-selling autobiography that follows his tumultuous upbringing…

Since Margot Robbie and Finn Cole were cast as leads in Dreamland, there’s been a global pandemic, two Oscar nominations and a trip back to post-war Birmingham. But at long last, this coming-of-age Dust Bowl drama from writer Nicolaas Zwart and director Miles Joris-Peyrafitte is brought to the big and small screen – at a…

As the holiday season approaches, Netflix gifts us Peter Morgan’s stunning fourth season of The Crown, raising the curtain on the 1980s when royal, political and marital turmoil dominated the lives of Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman), Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) and Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin). With an overarching theme of proving oneself in…

Austin Abrams is a leading man in this homage to Nora Ephron

Charlie Hunnam and Jack O’Connell give understated performances as brothers in “Jungleland,” a new film from director Max Winkler. Stan (Hunnam) and Lion (O’Connell) are facing poverty, working at a sewing factory and squatting in empty homes. Lion’s skills as a bare-knuckle boxer are their only way out.  Stan ropes them into driving cross-country from…

From writer-director Thomas Bezucha, “Let Him Go” is a gripping new family drama about a couple’s journey to save their grandson from abuse and hardship. Diane Lane and Kevin Costner reunite as an onscreen married couple in the stirring film from Focus Features, based on the 2013 novel by Larry Watson. They are not Superman’s…

Season four of “The Crown” doesn’t hit Netflix until Nov. 15, but at an online event this week, new cast members Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson discussed embodying iconic British women alongside Olivia Colman’s Queen Elizabeth. Chief TV Critic Caroline Framke interviewed the actresses as part of Variety’s Power Of Women Conversations presented by Lifetime,…

In partnership with Lifetime, Variety is presenting two days of virtual discussions with female industry leaders in several creative fields. “Variety Power of Women Conversations” will be held online Oct. 28-29; registration is free but required for access. Additional sponsors include Providence St. Joseph’s Health, Cadillac and MGO CPA. A week ahead of Election Day,…

While high expectations may be the culprit, the trifecta of writer/director Sofia Coppola, subtle and brilliant Bill Murray and equally subtle and brilliant Rashida Jones, On the Rocks, as a whole, is just too subtle for a feature-length film. Or, maybe, viewed through the 2020 lens of a pandemic where constant noise, news and vitriol…