As Oscar Wilde, Rupert Everett Lifts The Happy Prince Into the Stratosphere
The Happy Prince proves that a film can be both bleak and warm-spirited, as befits its mighty subject.
David Edelstein
Most Recent Articles
Daisy Ridley’s Ophelia Is a Juicy, Crowd-Pleasing Shakespeare Revamp
But perhaps, given the runaway strength of Naomi Watts’s supporting performance, it should have been titled Gertrude.
Michael Shannon and Hilary Swank’s What They Had: An Alzheimer’s Story That’s Both Heartbreaking and … Funny
Michael Shannon and Hilary Swank are superb in Elizabeth Chomko’s debut feature film as stressed-out siblings watching their mother’s memory dissolve.
Kristen Stewart and Chloë Sevigny Can’t Save the Forgettable Lizzie Borden Biopic Lizzie
Craig William Macneill’s biopic on 19th-century ax murderer Lizzie Borden fails to find the juiciest parts of a famously fascinating story.
BLOGVERTORIAL/SPONSORSHIP AD CODE
Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke’s Juliet, Naked Revitalizes the Romantic Comedy
Jesse Peretz’s adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel explores what happens when a superfan’s idol and girlfriend strike up a relationship of their own.
Kathryn Hahn Is Dazzling in Private Life, a Tale About Makeshift Families
Hahn and Paul Giamatti star in a comedy (of sorts) about a couple whose relentlessly unsuccessful attempts to conceive are stressing them out.
12 Strong Is an Underwhelming Tribute to the ‘Horse Soldiers’ of the Afghan War
The film based on Doug Stanton’s book doesn’t do justice to the powerful true story of the 12 Americans who gathered intel in Afghanistan after 9/11.
The Final Year Gives an Insider’s Perspective of the Obama Presidency
Greg Barker’s swift documentary covers the achievements, mistakes, and compromises that make the Obama legacy alternately exhilarating and depressing.
The Insult, Lebanon’s Oscar Candidate, Is an Evenhanded Exploration of Racial Animus
Part of the film is a crackerjack courtroom drama. What’s dull is the trajectory.
Proud Mary Is Rhythmless, But Has a Few Standout Performances
Taraji P. Henson holds her pedestal but doesn’t do much on top of it, while Billy Brown smolders in a vacuum.
The Strange Ones Is an Arty But Suspenseful Drama That Evokes Serious Dread
Alex Pettyfer and James Freedson-Jackson star as a mysterious pair of travelers in this paranoia-soaked, haunting film.
Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool Is Awkward, But an Annette Bening Showpiece
The story is too bounded, like a theater piece, but it’s a thrill to see Bening in juicy parts like this.
Phantom Thread Underscores the Great Tragedy of Daniel Day-Lewis’s Retirement
We’re not so much watching Woodcock the rarefied designer as Day-Lewis the rarefied actor.
With Molly’s Game, Jessica Chastain and Aaron Sorkin Prove to Be a Potent Combo
As a director, Sorkin puts you in the mood to hear actors talk very fast — and Chastain and co-star Idris Elba are virtuoso very-fast talkers.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Is Good, Clean Fun
You could do worse than this one.
The Post Is a Perfectly Timed, Crackling Newspaper Movie — and a Meryl Streep Showcase
Spielberg’s latest has the good fortune of coming out at a time when we’re primed for more stories of women taking the difficult path.
The Gripping In the Fade Is Anchored by a Tremendous Diane Kruger Performance
But it’s hard to know what to take away from this film by Fatih Akin, one of Germany’s most accomplished directors.
Christopher Plummer Is Getting Headlines for All the Money in the World, But It’s Michelle Williams Who Deserves Them
A belatedly cast Christopher Plummer is getting headlines, but it’s Williams who deserves them.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Is Shockingly Good
It feels like the first time the Force has extended to the director.
I, Tonya Turns Tonya Harding From a Punch Line Into a Sympathetic Character
The black comedy, at times too broad, has standout performances from Allison Janney and Margot Robbie.