Favorite films

Recent reviews

• 

  Conclave 2024

  ★★★½ Watched 10 Mar 2025

  My son Charlie said it well: “made me care about something for 2 hours that I don’t really care about”. 

  Always like Ralph Fiennes.

• 

  Secrets & Lies 1996

  ★★★★ Watched 07 Mar 2025

  Every time I watch a movie by Mike Leigh, I wonder why I don’t watch more movies by Mike Leigh.

Popular reviews

• 

  Salome 1953

  ★½ Watched 23 May 2020

  This has got to be one of the influences for the movie within a movie in Hail, Caesar (and maybe a Bugs Bunny short as well), but I don’t see it mentioned anywhere.  The sets, costumes, music, and acting are almost identical. I kept looking for Wayne Night as an extra.

• 

  The I-Land 2019

  ★★½ Watched 14 Sep 2019

  “Lost-light”. Starts out somewhat intriguing.  The lead actress (Martinez) does a good job and is charismatic.  Locale is beautiful.  Some unexpected twists and turns along the way and I’m OK with the ending (thought it would be a big disappointment). 

  About half way, though, I started fast-forwarding through sections because I just didn’t care, especially when they started getting into back stories.  Lots of cliches throughout (rolled my eyes at least 10 times).  Many of the explanations for the things…

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