By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Mick Jackson’s “Denial” tells of a loudmouth who calls himself an outsider and makes offensively racist comments that he claims are jokes. No, it’s not Donald J. Trump, it’s a British writer named David Irving, who became notorious because of his views on the Holocaust. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Chilean director Pablo Larrain’s “Jackie” purports to tell what Jacqueline Kennedy did in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. If the film is to be believed, the answer is: not much. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Amma Asante’s “A United Kingdom” tells with wit and relish the true story of the Forties romance between a black African Prince and a white English typist and the perils they face in both their countries, especially from the bigoted representatives of British imperialism. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals”, starring Amy Adams and Jake Gylenhaal, is a handsome but fragmented drama about a woman in her 40s who feels alienated from life until a novel written by a former husband gives her hope of salvation. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – “Lion” tells the incredible true story of a 5 year-old Indian boy named Saroo who gets lost and ends up 1000 miles away from his impoverished family, lands in an orphanage and is adopted by a couple in Australia. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Oliver Stone’s docudrama “Snowden”, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden, is a typically well-crafted Stone film that combines biography with a passionate defense of the man’s actions. Snowden is a hero in Stone’s eyes and his gripping and informative picture makes a convincing case. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Science-fiction movies that threaten to depict creatures from outer-space generally leave me cold but Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” presents a plausible “what if?” grounded in a contemplative question for humankind with another standout performance by Amy Adams.
The key issue in the film is the question of time and how it is experienced and understood. Suspenseful, thought-provoking and very entertaining, the film has standout contributions from cinematographer Bradford Young and composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Pedro Almódovar’s sublime “Julieta” is a reminder of how, in the hands of a master, a lifetime’s drama can be shown movingly and memorably in little more than an hour and a half of great cinema. It is sumptuous with great performances and a marvelous score by Alberto Iglesias. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
TORONTO – Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven” is a rousing Western adventure with stylish set pieces, interesting characters sketched quickly, and a great deal of carnage. It moves fast and loud and should please action fans and lovers of old Westerns. Continue reading
By Ray Bennett
LONDON – I first met Mark Harmon, who turns 65 today, when he was 29 years-old and it was clear then that he had the talent and determination to become one of the most enduring and popular stars on American television.
Few TV stars can match his longevity from “Flamingo Road” to “St. Elsewhere” (below) to “Reasonable Doubts” to “Chicago Hope” and his long-running current hit series “NCIS” (above) with many feature films, TV movies and other series along the way.
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