Starring: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel and Rachel Weisz
Directed By: Paolo Sorrentino
Rated: R
Running Time: 124 minutes
Fox Searchlight Pictures

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

We’re deep into Oscar season and we’re now being lured by plenty of potential prospects that have “pick me” written all over them. “Youth” has a highly regarded Italian director who has already won an Academy Award. It also features an aged, but at the top of their game, Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel. “Youth” also tackles the cumbersome talks about life, love, and some of the quirky things in between. On one hand, “Youth” is an audio, visual, and acting triumph, but on the other hand, “Youth” is a curious dud.

From the very opening, director Paolo Sorrentino establishes that “Youth” is a bizarre daydream that seemingly takes place in the real world. Fred Ballinger (Caine) and Mick Boyd (Keitel) are two rich, creative pals on an excursion to a Swiss spa. Boyd hopes to find the right amount of inspiration to polish off his latest movie script and withdrawn music composer Ballinger is looking to escape the suffocating demands of people who want him to come out of retirement and perform. There are very real discussions and very real people that intersect these two characters throughout their lavish vacation.

The main plot is diced up and evened out through visually surreal scenes. Some scenes are breathtaking while others haunt our mind, making us wonder what we’re supposed to feel and think. That’s a great thing though. I want to watch a movie that triggers emotions and makes me think about the topics it wants to discuss. But that flip that switched on in my head began to focus in on a lot of what makes “Youth” insufferable.

Ballinger and Boyd spend half their conversations reflecting on mistakes that have come and gone. It’s a universally tragic feeling to realize that as time slowly slips away, the past becomes blurry, but our future, death, becomes all too clear. It’s a difficult subject, that’s been tackled before and “Youth” does a good job reflecting on it, but at a resort filled with other elderly people, it seems slightly misogynistic to only view this wide ranging topic through such a narrow male lens.

The female characters in “Youth” are reduced to simplified stereotypes. Rachel Weisz plays Ballinger’s daughter who comes off as tearfully helpless because she doesn’t know how to handle her divorce. Jane Fonda, who actually adds to the dramatic heft on display, arrives for a brief cameo only to come off as bullheaded, childish, and finally, tearfully helpless. “Youth” then subjects us to a scene where a Miss Universe with heaving breasts walks into the steamy spa waters as Ballinger and Boyd longingly stare on.

Around the halfway point of “Youth”, I began to scrutinize Ballinger and Boyd’s topics of conversations. It seemed that their genuine expressions of remorse from the two came with a bitter price tag, talks of a swollen prostate gland and the disregard of other’s emotions. As much as I wanted to focus on the elegant conversations at hand, I began to feel that the emotions of these two were ultimately empty.

The existential questions of “Youth” are fascinating to ponder, but Sorrentino’s dour outlook seems to tell us that we shouldn’t bother. The lengthy nature of “Youth” seems to tell us that growing old is long, tedious, and filled with better memories than our current predicament. “Youth” left me thinking that all we have to look forward to later in life is what we’ve done with our existence, and the lives we’ve negatively impacted. While visually dazzling, “Youth” will not be a fond memory when I’ve entered my golden years.

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper
Directed By: David O. Russell
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 124 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

For many, including myself, Christmas represents that rare time of year that you visit family members on a much deserved day off of work. For some, the holidays are absolutely dreadful and for some the holidays are absolutely delightful. Since some of my relatives read my online movie reviews, I’ll bite my tongue on which category I fall in. But when you get together with your dysfunctional family, try and keep one thing in mind: It could be worse, but it can always be better. Take Joy Mangano’s (Lawrence) family for example.

Living in Joy’s tiny New York home is her loving, caring, and always encouraging grandmother, Mimi (Dianne Ladd). Mimi has always been in Joy’s life, inspiring her to do better and keep that flame of creativity going. Then there are Joy’s two children, a girl and a boy, that she sees that same flame in. Joy holds that trio near and dear to her heart, and couldn’t see life without them. That living situation would be ideal, but her home is filled out with others.

Despite a bitter divorce, her parents are under the same roof. Her mom, Terry (Virginia Madsen) sits in the bed like a vegetable, watching soap operas all day. Her father, Rudy (DeNiro) recently got dumped and is living in the basement with Joy’s ex-husband, Tony (Edgar Ramirez). Those three she could easily live without, considering all three find something new to argue about every day. No matter how strong Joy’s mental and emotional fortitude is the living conditions are obscenely stressful.

What makes Joy strong-willed in her home of horror is her mind. She has a knack for crafting and creating things that come to her mind on the fly. Even at an early age she displayed a creative curiosity, but it was quickly ignored by her parent’s divorced and then buried when her loser husband entered the pictured. Despite being a charming gentleman, he makes for a lazy father and an even more slothful participant in the American workforce. Because of that, Joy attempts to hold up her home on her meager salary at an airline company. Through sheer chance, she comes up with an idea for the Miracle Mop.

In the most unlikely of stories, David O. Russell has found a mix of holiday sentimentality and his own brand of awkward humor in the true life story of Mangano, a multi-millionaire entrepreneur. How much of “Joy” is true? Probably about as much as Russell’s last movie, “American Hustle”. Liberties with facts have to be taken and you have to craft something around Lawrence’s Oscar winning abilities. How else could you sell the story of the inventor behind a QVC goldmine to a major motion picture company?

The highlight of “Joy” is watching Lawrence at work. At this point in her career, it’s safe to say that anything she does (besides her cameo in “Dumb and Dumber To”) is going to be thespianism pay dirt. It’s a little tiresome to see Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro once again having to ham it up in a Russell movie, but their sight is welcome and their performances match the eccentric and quirky characters they play. The real gem of the movie Isabella Rossellini, who plays a woman that helps finance and guide Mangano.

By the time “Joy” wraps up, it loses a lot of its emotion because it slowly becomes a commercial for QVC; as long as you’re willing to believe that QVC and other home shopping networks are the good guys in corporate America who support and nurture entrepreneurship. Lawrence doesn’t quite sell that idea, but she helps sell “Joy” as a thoughtful holiday flick. So if you’re looking for an escape or even a way to spend time with your family on Christmas, bring a little “Joy” into your life.

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Starring: Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Rated: R
Running time: 3 hrs 8 mins (includes Overture and Intermission)
The Weinstein Company

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

One thing (of many) that I love about Quentin Tarantino is that he knows the history of film. Not only the films themselves but how they were presented. For “The Hateful Eight” he has harkened back to the old days of “Road Shows,” when films would open in only a few cities in the country, before opening wide later. These presentations were events, featuring reserved seats and program guides, and when they began patrons would pay a quarter to see them when the normal price to see a film was a dime. “Gone With The Wind,” “Oklahoma,” “Ben Hur,” “The Alamo,” “The Sound of Music” and “Patton” were some of the films that opened this way. Now, four decades since the last “roadshow” film (“The Man of La Mancha”), the big event is back with “The Hateful Eight.”

A stagecoach makes its way through the snow, containing John Ruth (Russell) and fellow passenger Daisy Domergue (Leigh). As their driver, O.B. (James Parks, son of longtime Tarantino ensemble member Michael) tries to beat the blizzard closing in on them they are flagged down by a mysterious man on the side of the road who asks, “got room for one more?” Ruth is skeptical. His nickname is “the Hangman” and Daisy is his prisoner. Soon John Ruth, Daisy Domergue and the mystery man find themselves stranded at a stagecoach stop called Minnie’s Haberdashery along with five other people. These are the hateful eight!

If anyone can hold your attention for three hours with a film whose story takes place in one room it’s Tarantino. His way with dialogue has no equal. Neither do the performances of his cast. Russell, whose mustache and facial hair have him resembling Yosemite Sam, is gruff and no-nonsense. The mystery man, Major Marquis Warren (Jackson) is also a bounty hunter, though he claims to have no knowledge of the healthy reward being offered for Daisy. They also make the acquaintance of Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), who claims to be the new sheriff in town. Waiting for them inside are Bob “the Mexican” (Demian Bichar), Oswaldo Mobrey (Tim Roth), Joe Gage (Michael Madsen) and former (the wrong side) Civil War General Sandford Smithers (Bruce Dern). Each has a story, as well as a story to tell, and it is here that we meet and begin to understand who is who.

If you paid attention to the running time you’ll see that the film runs in excess of three hours. This includes the Overture (a title card flashed on screen while the musical score plays) and an Intermission, which is just exactly what it sounds like. This divides the story and, more importantly, the film. Where the first half seems a little forced, the second half is pure Tarantino gold. Back in January 2014, the script to “The Hateful Eight” was leaked to the public, so angering Tarantino that he vowed to never make the film. Eventually cooler heads prevailed but the first half of the film seems almost unfinished, as if the draft of the script Tarantino used wasn’t completed fully. Both halves are propelled by another excellent group of ensemble actors. Russell, who never seems to blink, is cold and no-nonsense. Leigh is filthy and disgusting. Jackson is smooth and cool. Goggins is braggadocio. And the four who are there to greet them? Quiet and calculating. Of course, this is Tarantino, so nothing is ever exactly as it seems.

Technically the film is almost perfect. The opening sequences in the snow covered mountains are breathtaking. The film is slated to play in 70 mm in selected cities starting this Friday, and I can only imagine how it will look in that format. That being said, the majority of the film takes place indoors so I’m not sure how much of a difference the 70 mm format will make. The film is almost over-the-top bloody and, like “Django Unchained” before it, there are multiple uses of the “N” word, so be prepared for an adult evening out. And an entertaining one.

Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale
Directed by: Adam McKay
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hrs 16 mins
Paramount Pictures

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

They said it could never happen. That any financial institution could do so poorly that it could affect the world. But that is what happened in 2008 when the housing industry imploded. Thousands of people lost money and even thousands more lost their homes. Yet, even in the toughest times, a fortuitous group of investors bucked the odds. Such is the story of “The Big Short.”

The year is 2005. We meet Dr. Michael Burry (Bale). Burry is not your typical money guy. He spends days in his office, sans shoes, and is more apt to have a pair of drumsticks in his hands then a prospectus. However, his uncanny ability to read upcoming trends in stocks and banking has made him a valuable asset to his firm, where he is given carte blanche to invest the firm’s money as he sees fit. And he’s seen fit to invest $1.3 billion in home mortgages. Rather, in home mortgages that will fail. Is he a genius? Or did he just blow a lot of people’s college fund?

Smartly written and skillfully directed, “The Big Short” is the last film you’d expect to see from Adam McKay, best known for his long association with Will Ferrell. But McKay delivers here in spades. He is helped by an amazing script, based on the book by Michael Lewis and co-written by McKay and Charles Randolph. Here we are introduced to the key players, headlined by Bale, Carell, Gosling, Brad Pitt and others. The dialogue is sharp (“who the hell doesn’t pay their mortgage?” one character asks early on) and the actors are up to the challenge. Characters sometime break the fourth wall to explain things and the film also contains some very funny cameos who also keep the audience up to the minute on the events unfolding. As the film progresses we learn more about the characters and what motivates them. Each has a reason they’ve arrived at the same conclusion and no two are the same.

To say any more would equate to “spoiling” the film so I’ll leave you with this: make an investment in “The Big Short”…it’s a sure thing!

Starring: Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega
Directed by: J.J. Abrams
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 16 mins
Walt Disney Pictures

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

38 years ago…in a galaxy far, far away, George Lucas introduced the world to what would become one of the most beloved film series in the history of Hollywood – “Star Wars.” In the ensuing years we’ve seen two sequels (well received) and three prequels (not as much). As the most anticipated film release that I can remember in some time, “The Force Awakens” has some big shoes to fill. And fill them it does.

As the film begins, the opening credit crawl tells us that Luke Skywalker has vanished. We are then introduced to three very different characters. Ace pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac), with his droid B-88, may have a piece to the puzzle that is the missing Jedi. Finn (Boyega) is a storm trooper who, during battle, has a “what the hell am I doing here” moment. And Rey (Ridley) is a scrap collector looking out for herself. They have nothing in common yet they have everything in common. It is their stories that fuel the film.

As someone who grew up with the films, they were an important part of my youth and I won’t deny that I was skeptical about another film, especially after the middle-of-the-road quality of Episodes One-Three. But I needn’t have worried. What director J.J. Abrams, who so successfully returned the “Star Trek” series to prominence, has created, along with co-writers Lawrence Kasdan and Michael Arndt, is an adventure that you will want to take again and again. New characters take their place alongside familiar faces and if you don’t get misty eyed the first time Han Solo (Ford) shows up you probably have the heart of a gundar!

Technically the film is amazing. The one problem many fans had with the prequels was that the computerized special effects looked too perfect. Here, with a blend of practical effects and CGI, the universe is back in balance. Abrams utilizes these effects to move the story along smoothly. Those new to the series can enjoy this film without seeing any of the previous films but for those who have, Abrams and company have included a couple nods to the original films that will surely have you smiling, among them the fact that the imperial storm troopers are still HORRIBLE shots! I just caught you smiling, didn’t I?

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Benjamin Walker and Cillian Murphy
Directed By: Ron Howard
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 121 minutes
Warner Bros. Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

I’m sure like most American children who enter the public education system, there came a point in your schooling that you had to read or were told you need to read “Moby Dick”. It’s a tale of revenge, obsession, and camaraderie, but one I barely remember. I’m actually not certain if I’ve read it or if I’ve ever watched the myriad of movies that have been created in its wake. I guess you could say that’s a same since it’s considered an American literary classic. After watching Ron Howard’s “In the Heart of the Sea” I can easily say it’s a shame it’s not going to be a classic.

What immediately separates “In the Heart of the Sea” from other “Moby Dick” tales is that Howard’s film is about the events that inspired Herman Melville’s novel. So say goodbye to the insane Captain Ahab, the curious Ishmael and the stoic Queequeg, and welcome your new narrator, Thomas Nickerson. The story is framed by the aged and rustic Nickerson, played by Brendan Gleeson (and Tom Holland in the past). Nickerson recounts the tale of the whaling ship, Essex, to the aspiring author, Melville (Ben Whishaw).

Despite being from the viewpoint of the young cabin boy, we recount much of the past through the life of Owen Chase (Hemsworth). He’s a young, but experienced whaler who’s attempting to establish the Chase name and put the failed farming past of his father behind him. He’s the first officer of the Essex, but may as well be the leader. Chase scowls behind Captain George Pollard Jr. (Walker), but Pollard scowls back, fearing that Chase’s presence is a threat to his young career as Captain.

The crew of the Essex sails off to warmer seas to find whale oil riches, but come up dry. While recharging and metaphorically refueling in a small South American village on the west coast of the continent, they hear rumors of a treasure trove of whales. There are two problems with this hearsay. The aquatic gold mine is thousands of miles away from land, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The other problem is a disturbing tale about a massive whale with a thirst for man’s blood and an axe to grind.

“In the Heart of the Sea” is one part historical events, one part embellished action sequences, and one part that can only be described as the Donner Party meets the Uruguayan Rugby team. Each part, in its own regard, is very interesting pieces to the cinematic puzzle, but Howard can seem to put them together. It’s a three act tale that handles different themes and tones, but the transitions between them feel unnatural and glaringly bad.

“In the Heart of the Sea” finds entertainment when it relies on the strength of its actors and captures the feeling of isolation amongst the crisp, calm sea. Our character’s plight is diminished by Nickerson’s interjections and Meville’s follow-up questions to the story at hand. As for the monstrous whale that always becomes the focal point of these movies, it’s well handled. It’s a classic man vs. nature, without nature running amok and becoming too unbelievable. In a sea of movies hoping to become Oscar contenders, Howard’s latest movie can only compete at the JV level.

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy and Jessica Brown Findlay
Directed By: Paul McGuigan
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 109 minutes
20th Century Fox

Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars

As I type this, we are 24 hours away from a marathon of Thanksgiving food, watching the Detroit Tigers lose, and tolerating relatives we rarely see. The last thing that feels remotely like the holidays is a movie about Frankenstein and his monster. But “Victor Frankenstein”, seemingly scared off by the month prior and all the competition, is out before the holidays to bore audiences instead of terrifying them.

It’s disheartening to see good actors in subpar movies and “Victor Frankenstein” has roped in Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy. Radcliffe plays Igor, who in this retelling is a hunchback because of a enlarged cyst and works in the circus because of his deformity. He has a bizarre and natural knack for medicine and human anatomy. How the picked on “creature” at a circus learns to pop a broken collarbone back into place is beyond me.

This unnatural habit is viewed by Frankenstein, played by a scene chewing James McAvoy. This version of Frankenstein is more like a young kid who had way too much fun making disfigured monsters in his little sister’s Easy-Bake Oven than a mad scientist. While Frankenstein attends school and plots out bringing the dead back to life, Igor, who does not attend school or intends to raise the dead, consistently corrects biological and neurological mistakes that the alleged science student makes.

Stumbling into the picture and further complicating matters is an overzealous, literally and metaphorically, detective and an old crush that Igor has. The eye candy of “Victor Frankenstein” is supposed to spark some humanity in Igor’s character, but it bogs down the pace of the movie instead. As for the detective, he constantly twirls a necklace cross in between his fingers, delivering Sunday sermons when he condemns Frankenstein. It’s the movie’s attempt at stating morals on science, life, religion, and the lines in the sand drawn between them.

But what the writers and director of “Victor Frankenstein” don’t understand is that every theme and bit of morality is in Frankenstein and the inevitable monster he creates. The monster in this doesn’t appear until the end and the big twist on the monster is lame, no matter how much scenery McAvoy chews up and spits at the audience. The values and ethics of the movie are too jumbled for anyone to feel any sympathy.

Much like Mary Shelley’s monster that was created in 1818, this possible reboot is just as cold and lifeless. The reimagining, the retelling, and re-anything needs to stop in Hollywood. “Victor Frankenstein” feels like “Sherlock Holmes” met “Dracula Untold” and couldn’t decide on how to balance the stupid and action in the movie. If you’re looking for a way to punish your relatives for their company this holiday, look no further than “Victor Frankenstein”.

Starring: Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone
Directed by: Ryan Coogler
Rated: PG 13
Running time: 2 hrs 12 mins
Warner Brothers

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

A group of boys gather around a couple of youngsters inside a juvenile facility. Suddenly the one surrounded takes charge, dropping his tormentor with one punch. You have to admit…the kids got it. So did his dad.

“Creed” tells the story of the son of the late Apollo Creed, who audiences last saw dying in the arms of Rocky Balboa after taking on the Russian boxing champion in “Rocky IV.” The young man with the lethal fists is one Adonis Johnson, who has been bouncing from juvie hall to foster home on and off since his mother died. Adonis has no idea who his father is until, shortly after his latest incident, he is introduced to Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad), the widow of the former champ. She takes the young man in and encourages him to make something of himself.

When we meet the adult Adonis (Jordan), he is a successful young man who secretly boxes in Mexico. He is confident in his talents. So confident that, despite a recent promotion, he quits his job and heads to Philadelphia, intent on having a certain ex-boxer train him. That boxer is Rocky Balboa (Stallone). Rocky wants nothing to do with the young man, but we’re not sure if it’s because he’s genuinely not interested or if he harbors some guilt over the death of Apollo. Eventually the two get together and Adonis begins to make a name for himself. He also finds a girlfriend in upstairs neighbor Bianca (Tessa Thompson), an aspiring musician.

Things go well for all concerned until it is discovered who Adonis’ father really is. He is offered a shot at the title, but only if he fights under the name Creed. The fight is set. The bell has rung. Will he go the distance?

Fans of the “Rocky” series will embrace this film as a natural fit in the saga. There are enough references to previous films to make it so. However, even if you’ve never seen any of the previous films, you will find “Creed” entertaining, in part thanks to the great chemistry between Jordan and Stallone. As the story progresses both men learn more about each other, setting the scene for some emotional revelations. I’m not afraid to say that Stallone could earn some award consideration for his work here. Jordan, who was so good in his previous film with director Coogler, “Fruitvale Station,” has just the right swagger to keep you rooting for Adonis, no matter what the circumstances.

Technically the film is especially strong. Early fights are filmed without an edit – a single camera surrounds the fighters in the ring, giving the audience a unique look from inside the square circle. Coogler’s script borrows a little bit from the original “Rocky” (champ’s opponent can’t fight so a gimmick is used to set up the match, Rocky spouts some profound words of wisdom), but it mostly stands alone as an original story.

Whether you look at it as a continuation of the “Rocky” saga or take it in as a stand-alone film, “Creed” is a crowd pleaser!

Starring the voices of: Jeffrey Wright and Frances McDormand
Directed by: Peter Sohn
Rated: PG
Running time: 1 hr 50 mins
Walt Disney Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

65 million years ago a rogue meteor hit the earth, changing the world drastically. One of the big changes was the extinction of the dinosaurs. But what if that meteor had missed?

Meet the Apatosaurus family. Momma and Poppa welcome the arrival of three eggs and their contents. Soon, the family is complete with Libby, Buck and Arlo. These particular dinosaurs are farmers, and they’re bodies allow them the opportunity to act as both the plow and the sprinkler system. Brainy Libby helps out, as does brawny Buck. Sadly, tiny Arlo can only feed the chickens (or at least the prehistoric version of chickens) and help fill the silo with corn so the family can survive the winter. Things go well until, like most films, tragedy strikes and Arlo finds himself on his own. Cue the sad music.

From the PIXAR division of Disney, “The Good Dinosaur” is a visual treat for the eyes. From the ice covered mountains to the rushing river waters it is amazing the advances that have been made in computer generated animation. Like most Disney films, the hero soon finds himself in trouble, where he is rescued by a young boy that Arlo names “Spot.” The best way to describe Spot is to ask if you remember the Feral Kid from “The Road Warrior.” If so, you now have an image of what I’m talking about.

The film follows Arlo and Spot as they make their way back to Three Claw Mountain. Along the way they meet some colorful creatures, including a trio of T-rex’s led by Sam Elliott. The many characters are vividly rendered and all are memorable. And frightening. I have no idea how this film received a PG rating. There is death in and around the story, including a scene where a cute, saucer-eyed animal is suddenly gobbled down and then torn to shreds by a pair of dueling pterodactyls! If you’re taking children under the age of 7 prepare to dry their tears.

Starring: Dorothy Tristan, Grace Tarnow and Jeff Puckett
Directed by: John D. Hancock
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 50 mins
First Run Features

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

A young girl loses her mother and is sent to live with her grandmother. A familiar plot in many a Lifetime movie. But in the talented hands of writer/star Dorothy Tristan and director John Hancock, “The Looking Glass” becomes so much more.

Julie (a very talented Tarnow, making her film debut) is un-aware that she and her grandmother, Karen (the still beautiful Tristan) share a love for performing. Karen, like Tristan herself, was once a talented actress and when she overhears Julie singing she helps her prepare to audition for a local musical production. As the two begin to bond, Julie begins to bury the grief she feels. No longer feeling alone in the world, she takes up with a local boy (Griffin Carlson) and learns to once again enjoy her life.

In his four decade career, director Hancock has always excelled in smaller, personal films. From “Bang the Drum Slowly” to the Nick Nolte prison drama “Weeds,” Hancock manages to give the characters meaning, bringing them to the forefront of the story. He achieves that again here. The quiet scenes between Julie and Karen a deeply moving and heartfelt. You almost feel as if you are eavesdropping on a personal conversation. Hancock is helped by a well-written screenplay by star Tristan. The storyline offers many opportunities to travel into “movie of the week” territory but Tristan refuses to take that easy route, instead giving the film real dialogue and situations.

On-screen, the talent abounds. Young Miss Tarnow proves herself an up-and-coming talent to keep an eye on. Matching her is Tristan who, after a successful acting career in the 70s, makes a return to the big screen after a three decade break. She hasn’t missed a beat. As the holiday season ascends upon us, I hope you find the time to take a trip through “The Looking Glass.” You will be entertained by what you find.

Director: Todd Haynes
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy
Running Time: 118mins.
The Weinstein Company
Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

At the outset of Todd Haynes’s latest film Carol, two women meet up in a restaurant in 1950s New York City before they are interrupted by a good natured young man. He ultimately escorts the stylish younger lady off to a party and then we drift back in time. It’s a simple start to a beautifully crafted romantic drama which spends the rest of its runtime loading up this and many other minute interactions with infinite complexity. Working from Phyllis Nagy’s adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s groundbreaking novel The Price of Salt, director Haynes (of 2002’s lauded Far From Heaven) once again showcases the 1950s as the backdrop for simmering social tensions and stellar work by his lead actresses.

As with everything in Haynes’s gorgeous film, the beginning of Carol and Therese’s relationship is sold in loaded small talk. Carol Aird (Blanchett), looking every bit the glamorous fifties socialite, inquires after Christmas gift suggestions from shopgirl Therese (Mara, saddled with a management-enforced goofy Santa hat). Carol eventually settles on a train set, providing Therese with all her relevant contact info to ship her order. She then sashays away with a compliment to the Santa hat. To the outside shopper, this was just a cordial transaction between two ladies but the dialogue sold through Mara and Blanchett’s eyes screams of a mutual attraction. Not to mention the lingering shots of Carol’s perfectly manicured hands that hint at a world struggling photographer Therese can only aspire to be part of. Conveniently Carol forgets a pair of gloves at Therese’s counter, offering Therese an excuse with which to follow up with this intriguing customer. Under the guise of gratitude, Carol is enabled to take Therese to lunch and from there they’re off and running. Or rather roadtripping.

It’s fitting that a trainset and a roadtrip are at the crux of Therese and Carol’s encounters with

one another because Haynes’s film is so much about these women in transitions. It’s unclear what exactly Carol sees in Therese at first except that Carol knows where her desires lie at this point in her life (a past girlfriend in the form of Sarah Paulson’s Abby remains Carol’s strongest bond besides her young daughter) and she will soon be officially divorced from her husband. Her world’s seemingly coming apart and she’s trying to grasp onto something new. Meanwhile Mara is simply heartbreaking as the younger Therese. Navigating this time period, Therese doesn’t even know how to articulate what she wants from Carol or why. A stunning Mara, who won Best Actress with this film at this year’s Cannes festival, is magnetic as her quiet turmoil eventually spills over into a teary outburst before Therese can reform into something stronger.

The leading ladies are capably supported by their would-be male counterparts who are at a loss as to what to do with these women. Kyle Chandler as Harge, Carol’s ex-husband-to-be, launches an attack of sorts on Carol’s ‘morality’ with his legal team in a move that smacks more of desperation than maliciousness. Meanwhile, Therese fends off the over eager advances of Richard (Jake Lacy) and her peers with indifference. To add to it all, Haynes is in his element with period production design along with costume designer Sandy Powell (coming off this year’s triumphant work on Cinderella) and the result is an all around marvelous drama to behold.

Carol was screened as a part of the 2015 New York Film Fest.
I got the chance to speak to Blanchett at Carol’s NY Press Conference, which you can read here.

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth
Directed By: Francis Lawrence
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 137 minutes
Lionsgate

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

It’s a sad day for diehard fans of the “Hunger Games” series, while people like me will remember it for its long drawn-out speeches about war and the long clarifying conversations about the plot after heroine wakes up after getting knocked out. The conclusion to the much beloved series doesn’t go out with a whimper, but it doesn’t go out on a high note either. The “Hunger Games” movies will end as they started, just alright; nothing spectacular.

“Mockingjay – Part 2” picks up right after the ending events of “Mockingjay – Part 1”. Peeta (Hutcherson) has been brainwashed by the Capitol and Katniss (Lawrence) is in shock that man she once began to develop feelings for expresses hate and displeasure to the mere sight of her. Meanwhile the resistance, made of all the Districts, is planning their final assault on the Capitol. They’re led by the suspicious President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore).

Coin plans to keep Katniss safe and out of harm’s way, mainly wielding Katniss as a propaganda piece, much like Katniss was in the first “Mockingjay” movie. That doesn’t sit well with Katniss who stows away, joining soldiers on the front line as they prepare for an invasion. Her ultimate goal for this final chapter is to kill President Snow (Donald Sutherland) with her own bow and arrow.

The real fun, a block by block journey through the heart of the Capitol while alluding deadly booby traps and fighting creatures, doesn’t come until we trudge through long bits of tediously familiar dialogue. The middle of “Mockingjay” should have come sooner, or at least began the movie. Teasing the inevitable action for half an hour is disingenuous for fans and viewers of the movies, adding to the complaint that the “Mockingjay” sequel is too long. While parts of “Mockingjay” work on a superbly entertaining level, too much of it feels like unnecessary filler.

The excessive length takes away from the main theme of the movie, which is fairly basic: war is hell. For being a somewhat anti-war movie, it seems to solve a lot of its problems through violent conflict and murder. The hell aspect of that statement gives viewers some of the series best emotional scenes. The mature content of how painful and heartbreaking war can be, isn’t explored enough. Its message about how difficult the civilian toll during war can be, on either side of the battle, is sandwiched between expositions, taking away from the gut punch it should be. For a series that prides itself off its adult themes, it seems to misjudge how to present its most interesting topic in its final movie.

Overall, I’m not disappointed that I watched these movies. At times I quite enjoyed them, and I think that the series has multiple, bold adult messages directed at an audience with a young, developing mind. Like the others, I have to praise the acting throughout. It’s the best of any young adult franchise, save for the “Harry Potter” series. At the end of the day though, “Harry Potter” handled the split of its final book into two movies, incredibly well, while “Hunger Games” overcompensated for how much content they had to stretch into four hours. “Hunger Games” is another instance where the story would have been much better off as one impactful final movie than two alright flicks.

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams
Directed by: Tom McCarthy
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hours 8 mins
Open Road

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Boston. 1976. In a small police station we overhear a woman speaking with a man. In another room sits a priest. A young rookie remarks to his sergeant that what has happened will be hard to keep quiet. The senior officer remarks it won’t be a problem…no one will find out. “What about the arraignment,” the rookie asks? “What arraignment?”

A powerful look at how a team of reporters from the Boston Globe took on the Catholic Church in 2001, “Spotlight” is not only gripping but a great introduction to Journalism 101, making it easily the best “newspaper” film since “All the President’s Men.”

The story jumps to 2001, where new editor Marty Baron (Liev Schrieber) is brought to the newspaper from Miami to jump-start the paper’s performance. With fewer people turning to the paper for their news, and the Internet taking away a lot of the advertising dollars, it’s important to have a paper that people want to read. Among the various departments is the small, investigative unit known as SPOTLIGHT. Overseen by Walter “Robby” Robinson (Keaton), the unit is made up of a few reporters who often spend months investigating a single story. While working on an issue with the police department they are alerted to a story alleging rampant abuse of children by a local priest. Intrigued they begin investigating, slowly uncovering victims and learning that higher members of the Church conspired to keep things quiet. In order to get some necessary court documents they suggest going to court. The outrage is almost universal – “you’re going to SUE the CHURCH???”

Co-written by director McCarthy and Josh Singer (“The Fifth Estate”), the film, like the actual investigation, reveals secrets little by little, keeping you fully engrossed in the story. The script is helped by an amazing cast. Ruffalo seems to be Oscar-nomination bound here, and Keaton is equally strong. Supporting players, from McAdams to John Slattery to Len Cariou, also excel. Stanley Tucci does well as a rather un-orthodox attorney while Brian d’Arcy James rounds out the pack of reporters. Heck, even the smaller roles deserve a shout out. If there were an Oscar for ensemble work this film would grab it. Put it all together and “Spotlight” is one of the year’s best films!

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen and Anthony Mackie
Directed By: Jonathan Levine
Rated: R
Running Time: 101 minutes
Columbia Pictures

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

Not since “Bad Santa” has a vulgar comedy elicited this much holiday joy. If you’re looking for something besides the network television claymation specials and the obligatory “A Christmas Story” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” showings on TV, “The Night Before” is a much welcome sight at the box office.

While Christmas is sweet like milk and cookies for most, the holidays are a spoiled milk time of year for Ethan (Gordon-Levitt). That’s because when he was younger, his parents passed away on Christmas Eve. There to help pick Ethan up that day were Isaac (Rogen) and Chris (Mackie). Like any good (or bad depending on how you view it) friend, they helped Ethan get over the tremendous loss with drugs and alcohol, and thus a tradition was born.

Every Christmas Eve, the three young wise men head out into New York City, do drugs, check out Christmas lights while high, get drunk, sing karaoke, and consume massive amounts of Chinese food. But something has evaded them, the Nutcracker Ball. It’s a mysterious event that takes place in a secret location one day a year, barely known amongst the general populous. Flash forward 14 years later, Isaac is preparing for his first child, Chris is dealing with football fame, and Ethan is dealing with another holiday tragedy. It’s time for one more drunken hurrah for the three, including some stolen tickets to the coveted Nutcracker Ball.

“The Night Before” spikes the eggnog and laces the mistletoe with hallucinogens, but it accomplishes that rare Christmas miracle, of making my Grinch heart grow three sizes. Most holiday movies feel unnecessarily cheesy with their forced warmth, but “The Night Before” has a genuine heart. A lot of that credit can go to Jonathan Levine, who struck pay dirt with Gordon-Levitt and Rogen before in “50/50”, another film that plucked the right heart strings.

What Levine’s movie tragically suffers from is an ADD direction. It feels a bit long as the script hurriedly goes from idea to another. Some of those ideas are a wonderfully constructed laugh riot and at other times those ideas seem like everyone was comfortable settling for a predictable chuckle. Rogen handles the bulk of comedy, while Gordon-Levitt handles the emotion, and Mackie completes the trio by being the bridge and glue between the two extremes.

The three are complemented by a slew of others. There are some shameless appearances by real life stars that feel more forced than natural. But the real gem of the movie is Michael Shannon. Shannon plays a prophetic drug dealer that crosses paths with the three and serves as a spiritual leader for the three, with pot of course. Jillian Bell does a great fill-in as Rogen’s pregnant wife and helps set-up some of the best jokes for Rogen to spike to the audience.

“The Night Before” is a familiar movie, but that’s because it enriches itself with an understanding of what makes a Christmas movie. It takes the plot devices from holiday stories like “A Christmas Carol” and others, but it adds its own flavor to them. Some are more obvious than others while some are clearly used to make that one person in the audience smile. “The Night Before” is a complimentary movie to the upcoming holidays, whether it be to laugh with friends and family or to alleviate the mounting stress we face.

Starring: Diane Keaton, John Goodman and Alan Arkin
Directed by: Jessie Nelson
Rated: R
Running time: 1 hr 46 mins
CBS Films

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

The holidays are the time to rekindle friendships and spend with your family. Unless you’re the Coopers. After spending time with them you won’t know whether to hang the mistletoe or yourself!

Charlotte (Keaton) and Sam (Goodman, in a very strong supporting turn) have been married for 40-years. But the magic is gone and they have decided to split up. However, with the holidays approaching, Charlotte convinces Sam to wait until Christmas, so that the entire family can be told the new. Sam agrees. Cue the family.

A mismatch of a movie if ever I’ve seen one, “Love the Coopers” is full of incomplete characters and so many cliché’s stolen from other holiday films that it could have been called “Love Actually 2 – This Time it Sucks!” And let me quickly take the time to apologize to filmmaker Richard Curtis for daring to mention his perennial Holiday gem to this lump of coal. You have the old man (Arkin) who, for whatever creepy reason, has a crush on the young girl (Amanda Seyfried) who brings him his breakfast every day at the local diner. You have the unemployed son (Ed Helms basically playing Ed Helms) divorcing from the shrew, with kids they barely look at. The hot but misunderstood daughter (Olivia Wilde) who can never seem to find love. And the sister (Marisa Tomei) who spends her days shoplifting but is easy to talk to. How can this busy film be any worse? By making sure that none of the characters, with the exception of Keaton and Goodman, are fully fleshed out, you end up hoping would come and go so you could die the same. Not sure to blame screenwriter Steven Rogers, who is no Captain America here, of director Nelson, who in the past has written such depressing films as “Stepmom” (with Rogers), “The Story of Us” and “I Am Sam.” There are a few fun moments, many of them brought about by the great June Squibb as Aunt Fishy, but the rest are as depressing as pumpkin pie without whipped cream!