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☆ The Best Movies of 2023: ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Elemental’ and Originality’s Overdue Success
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Illustration: Sean McCabeHas the pandemic changed American taste? The case for yes, at the movies anyway, might cite the top box-office performer this year: “Barbie,” which wasn’t a remake or a sequel or an adaptation of a comic book. The last time that happened was 2014, when “American Sniper” came out. As the movie industry returned to normal for the first time this decade, the audience kept suggesting it wanted a new normal. Who would have guessed that “Oppenheimer” would earn more than the year’s first three DC comics movies combined?

Persons: Sean McCabe, “ Barbie, ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, Indiana Jones, Creed III, — Organizations: Marvel, DC Locations: Hollywood

☆ The Best Films of 2023: ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Elemental’ and Originality’s Overdue Success
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Persons: Sean McCabe, “ Barbie, ”, “ Oppenheimer ”, Indiana Jones, Creed III, — Organizations: Marvel, DC Locations: Hollywood

☆ ‘Saltburn’ Review: Barry Keoghan Strives at an English Estate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Barry Keoghan Photo: Courtesy of PrimeMore than any film I’ve seen this year, Emerald Fennell ’s “Saltburn” is guaranteed to generate a strong reaction: The first time I saw it I had the impression that half the audience wanted to find Ms. Fennell in order to congratulate her, and the other half wanted to burn down the theater. I was surprised to be on the applauding side, having been in the arson-curious portion of the audience after Ms. Fennell’s previous outing as writer-director, the 2020 feminist revenge saga “Promising Young Woman,” a rookie effort that won her the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Like that film, “Saltburn” is a black comedy with a twist-filled script, this time set among the swells at Ms. Fennell’s alma mater, the University of Oxford, and at the country estate that gives the film its title.

Persons: Barry Keoghan, Emerald Fennell, ”, Fennell, Fennell’s Organizations: University of Oxford Locations: alma

☆ ‘Napoleon’ Review: Ridley Scott’s Caricature of a Conqueror
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Joaquin Phoenix Photo: AppleTV+Joaquin Phoenix finds Napoleon morose, anguished, petulant and a bit childlike, which reminds me that although I enjoyed his morose, anguished, petulant and a bit childlike performance as the Joker, his decision to play Jesus Christ as morose, anguished, petulant and a bit childlike, in 2019’s little-seen “ Mary Magdalene ,” felt a bit off. Mr. Phoenix even appeared morose, etc. (Being 49, Mr. Phoenix is too old for all but the final moments.) Most of the movie is a vaguely comical swipe at Napoleon in domestic life—an awkward lover, a jealous husband, an inveterate complainer, and in sum an annoying twerp. Mr. Phoenix’s Napoleon could never have commanded so much as a squadron of the Salvation Army, and though the movie is sprinkled with a few reasonably hearty battle scenes, overall it’s something like Mr. Scott’s Waterloo.

Persons: Joaquin, Joaquin Phoenix, Napoleon morose, Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, ”, Phoenix, it’s, thirstily, Ridley Scott ’, Napoleon, Steven Spielberg ’, Lincoln, Phoenix’s Napoleon Organizations: Joaquin Phoenix, Salvation Army Locations: Waterloo, Scott’s Waterloo

☆ ‘Wish’ Review: Disney Trips Upon a Star
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An image from Disney’s ‘Wish’ Photo: DISNEYThe formulaic nature of Disney stories helps make them reassuring to young viewers, but “Wish,” the latest in what is now a seven-year string of subpar features from Walt Disney Animation Studios, is all formula. On the basis of its half-thought-out script, Hollywood writers’ fears of being supplanted by artificial intelligence appear well-founded. This movie seems proud, even smug, about recycling scraps from other fairy tales. Beginning with “Once upon a time” and closing (spoiler alert) with “and they all lived happily ever after,” “Wish” self-consciously throws the raw stuff of fairy tales—a kingdom, a secret, friendly animal companions, wishes, cute magic and dark sorcery—into a blender in hopes of making a delightful new concoction. What comes out has as much flavor as a glass of water.

Persons: ’, “, ” Organizations: Walt Disney Animation Studios

☆ ‘May December’ Review: Todd Haynes’s Trenchant Tabloid Drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore Photo: NetflixJoe and Gracie are living an ordinary life at a beautiful house on an island in Savannah, Ga. She’s got a thriving business as a baker; he works in radiology. They’ve got kids, dogs and a view of the sea. Once in a while, though, they find someone has mailed them a box of excrement. Meanwhile, a famous actress has come to visit for several days. There aren’t many taboos left, but here is one: Joe (Charles Melton) was in seventh grade, and Gracie ( Julianne Moore ) was a 36-year-old married mom whose son was one of his classmates, when they started a sexual relationship.

Persons: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Netflix Joe, Gracie, She’s, They’ve, “, ”, Todd Haynes, Joe, Charles Melton Organizations: Netflix Locations: Savannah , Ga

☆ ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ Review: Prequel Without a Purpose
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth Photo: LionsgateAlong with the “Twilight” series, the “Hunger Games” films now seem like an unfortunate artifact of Obama-era teen taste. Interest in the latter saga fizzled amid the unwise decision to stretch out the third novel in Suzanne Collins ’s trilogy with enough filler to constitute two films. As the audience sensed it was being exploited, the concluding chapter was the lowest-grossing one in the series. This time the lead actress is another young performer whom Hollywood hopes to turn into a global name, “West Side Story” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” star Rachel Zegler .

Persons: Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth, Suzanne Collins ’, Jennifer Lawrence, Hollywood, Billy, Kid, Francis Lawrence Organizations: Lionsgate, Hollywood

☆ ‘Dream Scenario’ Review: Nicolas Cage in a Fable of Fame
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Nicolas Cage Photo: A24Whether sexy, sinister or surreal, dreams are . In “Dream Scenario,” fascination and boredom grapple for the upper hand in the tale of a college biology professor who is both unusually dull and yet nationally known. As played by Nicolas Cage in an amusing hangdog performance, the dull Boston academic Paul Matthews discovers that he’s popping up in his daughter’s dreams, as a character who just stands around while scary things happen. Like Byron, he becomes famous overnight, but unlike Byron, he has no talent. There isn’t anything special about him, except that he happens to be on everyone’s mind at the same time.

Persons: Nicolas Cage, Kim Kardashian, Paul Matthews, —, Paul, Byron Locations: America, Boston

☆ ‘What Happens Later’ Review: Meg Ryan’s Rom-Com Return
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

David Duchovny and Meg Ryan Photo: Bleecker StreetMeg Ryan and David Duchovny haven’t had a lot of hit movies or TV shows lately—Ms. Ryan hasn’t been seen at all since she appeared in her directorial debut, the indie film “Ithaca,” back in 2016—but it only takes a few minutes of their movie “What Happens Later” to make us remember how much we loved these two ’90s icons in their prime. Trying to build a serviceable romcom around actors in their early 60s presents a challenge, but the key is understanding that nobody makes it to that age without handling as much baggage as an airport. That’s what makes Ms. Ryan’s second directorial effort a surprising treat, and for good measure, the entire movie is set at an airport, that liminal space between two destinations that stands for both possibility and frustration.

Persons: David Duchovny, Meg Ryan Photo, Meg Ryan, David Duchovny haven’t, Ryan hasn’t, ”, Ryan’s

☆ ‘Priscilla’ Review: Another Sofia Coppola Princess
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cailee Spaeny Photo: A24Muted, restrained and delicate are not words that ordinarily come up in a discussion of Elvis Presley , which is why Sofia Coppola ’s approach to the King is so unexpected and refreshing in “Priscilla,” a reverie about the unlikely life of Priscilla Beaulieu from the time she met the pop icon until the day, as Priscilla Presley , she left him. Cailee Spaeny (who is 25 years old but proves capable of looking half her age) is a wonderful find as the ordinary Texas-reared schoolgirl who, while her dad was stationed at the U.S. military base in Wiesbaden, West Germany, was introduced at 14 to Elvis by a friend of his who approached her in a restaurant, then brought her to a party at Pvt. Presley’s house.

Persons: Cailee, Elvis Presley, Sofia Coppola ’, Priscilla, ”, Priscilla Beaulieu, Priscilla Presley, Cailee Spaeny Locations: Texas, Wiesbaden, West Germany

☆ The Sphere: Sin City Outdoes Itself—Again
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-sphere-las-vegas-u2-bono-residency-darren-aronofsky-postcard-from-earth-b25872c7

Persons: Dow Jones, darren, aronofsky

☆ ‘Butcher’s Crossing’ Review: Nicolas Cage Goes Bison Hunting
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Nicolas Cage Photo: Butcher's Crossing Film LLCThe Western “Butcher’s Crossing” begins in 1874 Kansas, where a cosseted young Harvard student is heading west in search of adventure, love or meaning—possibly all three. The audience settles in knowingly to watch as every force on the frontier conspires to delete that grin. “I’m a rather quick study,” Will tells townspeople as he searches for a job, the more arduous the better. McDonald ( Paul Raci ), an ornery old cuss who deals in buffalo hides, tells him to get lost. Neither the fear of being scalped nor the possibility of freezing to death in a prairie winter are as daunting as this man, mainly because he’s played by Nicolas Cage .

Persons: Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, ” Will, McDonald, Paul Raci, Miller, he’s Organizations: Harvard Locations: Kansas

☆ ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Review: Martin Scorsese’s Soulless Epic
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio Photo: APPLE ORIGINAL FILMSThud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud. Robbie Robertson ’s musical score backing “Killers of the Flower Moon” relies heavily on a low, endlessly repeated guitar or bass note that mirrors the soul-deadening events on screen. We’re in 1920s Osage territory in Oklahoma, where after an oil discovery the Native Americans are being systematically swindled, robbed and murdered by white people. Director Martin Scorsese repeats so many variations on this depressing mistreatment that experiencing the film is akin to being locked in a room with a pair of soulless sadists. Based on the book by David Grann , “Flower Moon” is a drudge and a dirge that runs longer than “Titanic,” nearly 3 1/2 hours.

Persons: Lily Gladstone, Leonardo DiCaprio, thud, Robbie Robertson ’, Martin Scorsese, Scorsese, David Grann, ” Organizations: Hollywood, Netflix, Apple Locations: Osage, Oklahoma

☆ ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ Review: A Devil for Every Denomination
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lidya Jewett Photo: Universal Studios‘The Exorcist” reaffirmed two things we already knew—that adolescent girls seem possessed by demons and that the devil sends his minions to Washington. Yet William Friedkin (who died in August) directed the 1973 film, based on William Peter Blatty ’s novel, with so much gusto that it can’t be compared to anything that came before it. Both a prestige drama and a freak-show shocker, it was the first horror film nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. In inflation-adjusted dollars, it remains the ninth-highest-grossing picture of all time at the domestic box office, and the only R-rated film in the top 20.

Persons: Lidya Jewett, ”, William Friedkin, William Peter Blatty ’ Organizations: Universal Studios Locations: Washington

☆ ‘The Creator’ Review: On the Run in a Sci-Fi AI Empire
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

John David Washington Photo: 20th Century StudiosArriving in a year when serious thinkers are advising humanity to shut down artificial intelligence lest the machines proceed to extinguish us, the AI film “The Creator” might seem more sci than fi. The prospect of bots taking charge is now genuinely alarming instead of merely the escapist fun it was when “The Terminator” came out nearly 40 years ago.

Persons: John David Washington, ” Organizations: Century Studios

☆ ‘Dumb Money’ Review: David, Goliath and the GameStop Frenzy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nick Offerman and Seth Rogen Photo: SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT‘Dumb Money,” which lives up to its name in ways it doesn’t quite grasp, recounts a strange-but-true tale that makes an ungainly subject for a movie. Shares of GameStop, a retailer of video games, zoomed from under $5 to an intraday high of nearly $500 amid a jokey viral campaign by small investors meant to counteract many Wall Street short sellers betting on the stock to collapse.

Persons: Nick Offerman, Seth Rogen Organizations: SONY, GameStop

☆ ‘Radical Wolfe’ Review: Fearless Writer, Savage Wit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tom Wolfe in New York Photo: Yann Gamblin/Paris Match via Getty ImagesTom Wolfe was not only one of the great writers of the 20th century but he was an unusually theatrical one. From his spats to his homburgs, with his cape, his wolf-tipped walking stick, his dazzling, bespoke three-piece suits in white or cream, he looked like a parody of an Edwardian fop. Moreover, he wasn’t just the most venerated journalist (and journalistically based novelist) of his generation, he helped found the New Journalism school of writing, inspired many imitators, and caused cranial detonation among his many detractors. He did all of this in a televisual age, making frequent appearances on chat shows and submitting to the “60 Minutes” treatment. If any writer can make an apt subject for a documentary, it’s Wolfe.

Persons: Tom Wolfe, Yann Gamblin, wasn’t, it’s Wolfe Organizations: Getty, New Journalism Locations: New York, Paris

☆ ‘A Haunting in Venice’ Review: Poirot Sits In on a Séance
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kenneth Branagh as the mustachioed Belgian sleuth Photo: 20th Century Studios‘A Haunting in Venice” takes place in the aftermath of a shameful event: During a plague, children were locked down and forced to suffer in a Venetian palazzo. Cold-blooded doctors and nurses confidently proclaiming science was on their side made the policy, which resulted in killing the children. Now, many years later, restless spirits seemingly are carrying out a children’s vendetta: Doctors and nurses are dying in horrible, unexplained ways.

Persons: Kenneth Branagh, Venice ” Locations: Belgian, Venice

☆ ‘The Equalizer 3’ Review: Denzel Washington’s Sicilian Slaughter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Denzel Washington Photo: Stefano MontesiWhen we first spot Denzel Washington ’s Robert McCall in “The Equalizer 3,” a gangster is holding a gun very close to his head. The malefactor is standing far too close, as McCall helpfully points out, and with just a nudge his pistol could be aimed at a fellow thug. Rarely unsporting, McCall gives these fellows, and a couple of other armed men in the room, nine seconds to make tactical readjustments. Nine seconds goes by rapidly when you’re in the presence of the Equalizer.

Persons: Denzel, Stefano Montesi, Denzel Washington ’, Robert McCall, ”, McCall helpfully, McCall Organizations: Denzel Washington, Denzel

☆ ‘Scrapper’ Review: A Wild Child in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Harris Dickinson and Lola Campbell Photo: Kino LorberIn “Scrapper,” Georgie has a lot going for her. She has her own little rented home in east London, a best friend named Ali, and a steady income (from stealing bicycles). Also, with the aid of a chart on the wall, she is working her way through the stages of grief. She has just checked off No. Georgie is 12 years old, and living alone after the death of her mother.

Persons: Harris Dickinson, Lola Campbell, Kino Lorber, “ Scrapper, ” Georgie, Ali, Georgie Locations: London

☆ ‘Golda’ Review: Helen Mirren as a Woman at War
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Helen Mirren Photo: Bleecker Street/ShivHans PicturesThe 1973 Yom Kippur War exists in memory as a relatively straightforward victory for Israel 19 days after a simultaneous attack by Syria and Egypt on either side of it. But the war’s conclusion was anything but foregone, and the sobering biopic “Golda” revisits those tense days with a visceral and admirable sense for how overwhelming it is to lead a nation through war.

Persons: Helen Mirren, “ Golda ” Organizations: Israel Locations: Syria, Egypt

☆ ‘Blue Beetle’ Review: DC’s Creepy-Crawly Crusader
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Xolo Maridueña Photo: Warner Bros. PicturesBug-people are a hot item at the movies these days, so after watching men swing like spiders or scurry like ants, is the audience ready to cheer a beetle? Never mind that “Blue Beetle” sounds like one of the also-rans mentioned in the superhero-dense universe of “The Incredibles”; the character has a long pedigree, with comic-book storylines launched in 2006, 1966 and even 1939. That makes him a kind of old-money member of the genre.

Persons: Xolo, rans Organizations: Warner Bros

☆ ‘Strays’ Review: Will Ferrell’s Feral Comedy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/film/strays-review-will-ferrell-feral-comedy-jamie-foxx-319a45aa

Persons: Dow Jones, ferrell, jamie, foxx

☆ ‘The Adults’ Review: Michael Cera in an Artful Family Drama
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Michael Cera and Sophia Lillis Photo: Variance FilmsCringe comedy is a well-established genre, but if you extracted the humor from it, you’d be left with something like “The Adults,” whose central character keeps trying to be funny but winds up merely pathetic, and not in the unintentionally hilarious way that Michael Scott did on “The Office.” Yet he ends up oddly sympathetic.

Persons: Michael Cera, Sophia Lillis, you’d, Michael Scott

☆ ‘King Coal’ Review: Mining for Stories in Appalachia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Kyle Smith | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gabby Wilson and Lanie Marsh in ‘King Coal’ Photo: Curren SheldonThere are fewer than 12,000 coal miners left in West Virginia, but the combination of the value, power and danger of the rock in question means the job retains a mythic quality. Filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon , a native of the state, has done a breathtakingly expressive job of capturing the strangeness, the beauty and the devastation of her homeland in the poetic, entrancing documentary “King Coal.”

Persons: Gabby Wilson, Lanie Marsh, Curren Sheldon, Elaine McMillion Sheldon Organizations: Coal Locations: ‘, West Virginia

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