As we wipe our collective brow after the four-year fever that was the Trump administration, the temptation remains to call him the worst president in our history. For whatever reason, long-term amnesia has set in for the sins of previous presidencies. Lest we never forget, the new film “The Mauritanian” is here to remind us of Bush-era transgressions.

“The Mauritanian” is directed

I liked "Money Monster," thought I'd that off the top. If that seems like an unusual or lame or unusually lame way to start a film review, that's fine. I wanted to state it firmly. Because there are things in the Jodie Foster-George Clooney political thriller that just made the rounds of the ongoing Cannes Festival that should go wrong. To start with, "Money Monster" quickly violates two of my dearest “signs that you’re watching

Carnage tells the story of two couples who meet to discuss in as civilized and understanding a manner as possible the schoolyard spat of their sons that resulted in broken teeth and harsh words. One pair of parents comes to the other pair’s apartment to discuss the situation. After they come to an agreement about the wording of a document describing the incident, things start going downhill. For an excruciating hour and a half

Roman Polanski's latest effort is an adaptation of French dramatic auteur—and, for a short while, Nicolas Sarkozy confidante--Yasmine Reza's play “God of Carnage.” After being favorably received onstage, both Broadway and the West End mounted productions to mostly positive acclaim. It seems natural, then, that a film version—a ninety-minute set piece in which the characters barely leave the room

Blurring the line between good and bad is a good bet for a screenwriter nowadays. Good versus evil is so passe. The good guys usually win and they're often uninspiring. Oftentimes I find myself rooting for the bad guy, hoping he'll change his ways. Which is why The Brave One, which stars Jodie Foster and opened in the US this past weekend, is my redemption--kind of. Foster plays Erica Bain, vigilante by night, radio-show host by day. A devastating event turns Bain into a different person. Once, when asked by the detective close to her case (Terrence Howard) how she could have gone on after the tragedy she replied that she didn't, she simply became a different person. It's a bit shallow, especially when your trail is littered with bodies.