A new romantic comedy starring Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne, and Chris O’Dowd deserves to be seen. The movie’s title is JULIET, NAKED but there’s nothing racy about this smart, well acted romantic comedy. Instead, it’s both funny and heartfelt, a realistic story of two middle aged people who want to change their lives. Byrne is Annie, a frustrated English woman in a long term relationship with O’Dowd as Duncan, ...
The 29th annual Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival is already underway at the Doris Duke Theatre in Honolulu Museum of Art. This year’s festival presents 54 films from 26 countries. Looking at trailers for the films being shown at the Rainbow Film Festival, I’m struck by the high production values and fine acting in these movies mostly about the perils and the joys experienced by gay, lesbian, and transgender p...
It’s not often that a movie comes along that is nothing like any film you’ve seen before. But EIGHTH GRADE offers that kind of unique experience. This film captures the essence of what eighth grade feels like for a shy, awkward thirteen year old girl who has no friends and experiences the sting of nearly constant rejection. This is the first film written and directed by standup comedian Bo Burnham. The movie has some funny moments, but it’s mai...
THE WIND RISES is an Oscar nominated feature film animation from Hayao Miyazaki, the filmmaker who won an Academy Award for SPRIRITED AWAY. But THE WIND RISES is aimed at adults, not children...
The new movie, ABOUT LAST NIGHT, is a remake of a 1986 movie that was the first screen version of David Mamet's 1974 play called SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO. I wish someone had just filmed the play.This
I’m not fan of the Marvel super hero movies, but I enjoyed much of ANT MAN AND THE WASP. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are really likable co-stars, and director’s playful sense of humor makes this movie a fairly entertaining couple of hours. Ant Man: Hold on. You gave her (Wasp) wings? Professor: And blasters. Ant Man: So I take it you didn’t have that tech available for me. Professor: No, I did. &n...
THE PAST is an Iranian film from director Asghar Farhadi, whose last film, A SEPARATION, won the Oscar last year for Best Foreign Film.I think THE PAST is the better film. It's an absorbing family drama...
