Frustrating pacing nearly derails superior performances and great co-star chemistry in the new film Little, a sweet confection still great for a night out with your gal pals. Though it proves itself uneven, it is also a nice reminder to stay anchored to your true self. Comedies celebrating black girl magic are all too rare. …
By CinemaSiren
Superpower Dogs: Make Time to See these Marvelous Mutts in IMAX
For all those who cry every time the trailer for Dumbo plays, there’s good news. Cosmic Pictures’s Superpower Dogs, the new IMAX 3D documentary is playing in theaters and at museums all across the country, and it’s an inspirational delight that will only bring joy to animal lovers and fans of superheroes of both the …
The Chaperone Review: Watch McGovern, Mistress of Modulation
For women who can’t stand to read one more headline celebrating misogyny and ageism in the headlines, it’s time for a little pick-me-up. Thank Goddess for Elizabeth McGovern, who will always fit the bill. She brings another breath of fresh air with the new film The Chaperone, which McGovern optioned from the bestselling novel by …
US review: Invasion of the Bougie Body Snatchers
You may soon learn with bone-deep certainty that both scissors and blunt instruments make a real mess when used to end a human life, and it is disconcerting trying to kill someone who looks exactly like you. Welcome to US, Jordan Peele’s second effort as director, producer, and writer. It’s a terrifying bloody mess that …
Mapplethorpe Movie Review: Matt Smith Makes Art
Whether you know his work or not, Robert Mapplethorpe remains an important, iconoclastic figure in the histories of both LGBTQ rights and contemporary art. So much so, in fact, that in 2017, Belgian designer Raf Simons built a couture collection, in collaboration with the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, around the famous photographer’s images. Now in theaters, …
Captain Marvel Review: This Superheroine Story Flies High
Captain Marvel brings a super dose of woman power to the cineplex this weekend. Along with champions of parity in film and strong female leads, fans of Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, cat fanciers, and lovers of fun everywhere, you’ll want to be there for it. There’s one thing you’ll want to know about …
Transit Review: German Auteur Does Dreamy Melodrama
Transit, an arthouse release by German auteur Christian Petzold, is based on the 1942 novel by Anna Seghers of the same name, but this adaptation throws the narrative into historical limbo. It creates an eerie cautionary tale, by setting it without further explanation into the here and now, although in truth it exists out of …
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD Review: Ending With the Valentine Edition
There’s so much to love in all three of the How To Train Your Dragon films from writer/director Dean DeBlois. The first introduced us to the village of Berk and its quirky inhabitants, brought chieftain’s son Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) together with his brother from another species, Toothless, who was the only surviving Night Fury dragon …
Untogether: AWFJ Cinema Siren review
With the film Untogether, writer/director Emma Forrest examines creativity and intimacy, how they intertwine, give rise to inspiration and feelings of inadequacy, and often self-destruct under the pressure we put on them. A mixed bag, the film isn’t altogether satisfying, apart from watching the actors engage themselves fully in their portrayals. There are moving scenes that …
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part Review
The early cynicism about capitalism and subsequent happy surprise that greeted 2014’s The LEGO Movie is gone. How can a sequel even begin to crack success of the first one? Enter The LEGO movie 2: The Second Part, blasting its hyper-colorized retina-burning images to the grateful masses. We are now in need of two hours …