Support the Free Press | Facts matter. Truth matters. Journalism matters
Salt Lake City Weekly has been Utah's source of independent news and in-depth journalism since 1984. Donate today to ensure the legacy continues.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Movie Reviews: Suffragette, Miss You Already, Peanuts Movie, Spectre
Also: Labyrinth of Lies, Tab Hunter Confidential
Posted By Scott Renshaw on November 6, 2015, 9:57 AM
Familiar faces like James Bond and Charlie Brown hit the multiplexes, while true stories of historical injustice are among the art-house offerings.
The fact-based stories of agitators for women's voting rights in England fuel Suffragette (pictured), but it's better as melodrama making, us feel good about being on the right side of history, than it is as drama. Labyrinth of Lies takes a similar fictionalizing approach to Germany's struggle in the 1950s and 1960s to confront its Nazi history, and similarly succumbs to sloppy, ingratiating storytelling. The documentary Tab Hunter Confidential is fascinating when looking at the Hollywood marketing machine that created a heartthrob while hiding his homosexuality, but proves less interesting when letting its subject talk about the rest of his life.
MaryAnn Johanson wishes that the James Bond adventure Spectre had maintained the momentum of its brilliant opening, instead of falling back on nostalgia and a thin, trite story. The wonderful chemistry between Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette, and the honest portrayal of female friendship, elevates the lovely comedy-drama Miss You Already.
In this week's feature review, the charming, gentle big-screen The Peanuts Movie earns the right to be referred to as "by Schulz."
The fact-based stories of agitators for women's voting rights in England fuel Suffragette (pictured), but it's better as melodrama making, us feel good about being on the right side of history, than it is as drama. Labyrinth of Lies takes a similar fictionalizing approach to Germany's struggle in the 1950s and 1960s to confront its Nazi history, and similarly succumbs to sloppy, ingratiating storytelling. The documentary Tab Hunter Confidential is fascinating when looking at the Hollywood marketing machine that created a heartthrob while hiding his homosexuality, but proves less interesting when letting its subject talk about the rest of his life.
MaryAnn Johanson wishes that the James Bond adventure Spectre had maintained the momentum of its brilliant opening, instead of falling back on nostalgia and a thin, trite story. The wonderful chemistry between Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette, and the honest portrayal of female friendship, elevates the lovely comedy-drama Miss You Already.
In this week's feature review, the charming, gentle big-screen The Peanuts Movie earns the right to be referred to as "by Schulz."
On Topic...
-
Music Plus: Jan. 17
New music from David Lindes, Eyes of Eva and The Alpines
- Jan 18, 2025
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for Jan. 17
Wolf Man, The Brutalist, Hard Truths, Nickel Boys, September 5 and more
- Jan 16, 2025
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for Jan. 10
Den of Thieves: Pantera, Better Man, The Last Showgirl
- Jan 10, 2025
- More Movies » More Culture »
More by Scott Renshaw
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for Jan. 17
Wolf Man, The Brutalist, Hard Truths, Nickel Boys, September 5 and more
- Jan 16, 2025
-
Movie Reviews: THE BRUTALIST, SEPTEMBER 5, HARD TRUTHS
Life-shaking traumas frame the narratives of three new dramas.
- Jan 15, 2025
-
January 2025 gallery show roundup
Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Finch Lane Gallery, Bountiful Davis Art Center and more.
- Jan 15, 2025
- More »
Latest in Buzz Blog
