Tag: Review

Qat! Who is there? Why, it's M. Night Shyamalan's Knock at the Cabin – another great movie moment.

Since Shyamalan's breakthrough The Sixth Sense gave us the unforgettable "I see dead" line, the writer-director has specialized in telling stories with a simple, brutal catch designed to throw you off balance and off your guard. After watching, slow down. In his latest film, Knock on the Cabin, now in cinemas, Paul J. Tremblay's novel La Cabane du bout du monde is based on a chilling premise. What would you sacrifice to save the world?

With a quiet January opening still dominated by Avatar: The Last Airbender's "Water Road ," Knock on the Cabin is a small movie with big ideas. He faces the greatest stakes in the apocalypse, but is caught in a brutally intimate microcosm.

Little Wayne (Kristen Koo) is relaxing in a secluded cabin when a gigantic man in a menacing shirt (Dave Bautista) emerges from the woods and hints at a terrifying proposal. Wayne and his foster parents Eric and Andrew (Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge) find themselves besieged by a group of fanatics driven by nightmares.

Few films use this setting as a jumping off point for survival horror, in which a family is forced to fend off strange invaders in heart-wrenching, poignant sequences. But the story takes a different turn, one that is more distinct and disturbing. The bastards are both apologetic and apologetic, offering their competition with quiet politeness.

Dave Bautista is great as the leader of a group of insolent sociopaths. It's a looming monolith, a physical nightmare whose complexity makes its sensibility all the more chilling. He's more menacing here than Specter 's one-dimensional, muscle-bound villain, and he builds on the silent, scene-stealing vulnerability we saw in Blade Runner 2049 .

Rupert Grint (former Harry Potter star in Shyamalan's latest Apple TV Plus series) also excels as the twisted, quivering redhead, adding a dose of brutal instability. Nikki Amuka-Bird and Abby Quinn have smaller roles, but add heart and even some laughs amidst the growing horror.

On the surface, Knock at the Cabin is a chilling horror story that puts you in the shoes of a kidnapped family. From the room's patio doors wide open carelessly to the moment Dad is cooped up in his pajamas, the family is helpless. Wouldn't having a small child cover the parents up (especially if they'd read the book)?

The gruesome side of the story is unfortunate, but Shyamalan seems to be pulling his punches. As with Shyamalan's other recent work, the turbulent atmosphere is reminiscent of Legacy and Get Out. But he's not attached to the villain that gives these movies their shocking bite.

Likewise, the sheer simplicity of the structure will not complement the overall flow of the film. We get flashbacks to Eric and Andrew's relationship that flesh out their characters and help you relate to them. But the flashbacks are perhaps the most embarrassing part of the movie. While it's gratifying to see two people fall in love and support each other's struggles, it's not always as interesting (or at least not as interesting as trying to escape a relentless weirdo in a dungeon). This backstory adds an intriguing and complex twist, but never really allows for development because the characters involved disappear from the story far too soon.

Told sparingly and sparingly, Knock on the Cabin gives us plenty of room to think about the deeper global issues raised by Desperate Dilemma. He is confronted with the reality of a world going to hell and our power to stop it. And unlike the wry tone of Adam McKay's apocalyptic satire Don't Look For Shyamalan, Shyamalan's film more accurately conveys the responsibility we all bear for the future of our planet. At the end of the day, that's the quandary we're left with. What sacrifices must our generation make so that our children have a world to live in?

And of course, since The Sixth Sense, we've been conditioned to expect a twist ending. Shyamalan's latest movie, the beach-set Shocker Old, stripped some of the genre away with a very literal ending that says it all. Cleverly, dings in the cabin make it all the more mysterious.

M Night Shyamalan deserves admiration for consistently producing tense, boring B-movies with great ideas. Saloon beating may not be as nerve-wracking as similar horror stories, but Shyamala's punch is more than welcome when it comes to knocking.

Knock on the cabin… (Review)

Here's how cold the river will be in 2022.

Paul Schulberg wrote the screenplay and directed it.
Starring: Bethany Joy Lentz, Alicia Reiner, Katie Sariff, Andrew Jay West, Deanna Dunagan, Aaron Roman Weiner and Kevin Cahoon.

Syntax :

A documentary filmmaker investigates the town's mysterious benefactor and discovers an unexplained evil while staying at a local resort.

Fortunately, the river is not that cold at all. At its center is steamy drama, flashy set design (apparently one of the most expensive films ever made in Indiana), and a mysterious supernatural aquatic conspiracy that looks straight out of Gore Verbinski's The Health Cure . , as both films deal with haunted and unsettling places full of question marks and gothic horror.

It's also interesting that writer/director Paul Schulberg wrote the Michael Korita novel of the same name (which was also adapted into last year's Angelina Jolie vehicle, They Want Me Dead), and he wrote the book six years before the movie. Going out.

The concept of magic water isn't exactly new though. However, it's done very skillfully, whether it's the design of the jet skis, which in part prompt our hero to travel to this haunted city, the vast circular hotel that looks like an entire world, or the ominous lighting. There is always an interesting story that is both encouraging and confusing.

Unfortunately, that same level of detailed world-building doesn't necessarily translate into characters or the larger story, which is sometimes exciting and sometimes clichéd. It also doesn't help that when the story comes to a head, it stalls and ends in a confusing and frustrating way.

Erica Shaw (Bethany Joy Lentz), based on an acclaimed documentary filmmaker known for her dark depictions of human life, leaves that career after the failure of one of her previous roles. Or rather, he saw the darkness in the man while filming, then kept quiet, giving him the guilt trip he has today.

However, he changes his mind when Alyssa Bradford-Cohen (Alicia Reiner) spends an absurd amount of money talking about her dead billionaire father, who is connected to his distant city and unfinished business. When Erica arrives, the atmosphere is quite tense as the characters drop the conversation just by mentioning the rich man. Erica also contacts the man's great-nephew (Andrew J. West), who has found no future outside the city and now works at a rundown hotel.

This is also where So Cold the River veers into awkward territory when Erica tries to seduce a man in a cheap way (perhaps to let her guard down and get more information) which doesn't fit the character, seems to escalate if anything. , his journalistic integrity is constantly questioned, as one of his admirers and assistants (Katie Sariff) looks upon him with disgust when she witnesses his manipulative behavior. At one point the phrase "Never meet your heroes" is mentioned.

Meanwhile, the heroes drink water from a special bottle, dive into outdoor indoor pools and generally appreciate their unique features. Some characters also start having hallucinations of their past, which are mostly generic but sometimes take a terrifying turn. These views give a glimpse of the city's history, but the cold river still doesn't leave the atmosphere. His tale of a hapless film industry dealing with the sins of billionaires for the supernatural never translates into anything worthwhile or meaningful. I would have believed you if you had told me that the filmmakers ran out of money before the climax.

Flickering Myth Rating – Movie: ★★ / Movie: ★★

Robert Koeder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also a reviewer for Flickering Myths. Follow me here for new reviews, follow me on Twitter or letterboxd, or email me at [email protected].

The new horror film So Cold the River West is inspired by the Baden Springs Hotel.

© Cathy Conavy

The Locker has the right ingredients for a crime thriller; a revenge-seeking ex is pursued by vigilante cops as he tries to protect his family. Ryan Phillippe plays the main character, Miller, who is caught in a robbery. Things go wrong and his team is destroyed. Fast forward 10 years and he's out of prison. In the present, he is reunited with his daughter (Madeleine Guilbot), who is in the care of her police mother (Kate Bosworth). Of course, you will be reminded of the last job where everything went wrong.

Nicholas Harvard's directorial debut is an eye-opening crime thriller that takes every twist a mile. In the live-action "The Lock," Miller meets a dirty cop (Jeffrey Nordling) who tries to help his murdered ex-sister (Gabrielle Quezada). Ving Rhames is another friend, a kind and supportive fan who offers a job. All these characters are involved in the criminal network of a sad programmer (Charlie Webber) who runs an illegal gaming business and exploits sex workers. The police took over the investigation and turned the case over to Miller's ex-wife. While the screenplay is credited to John Glosser, Joe Russo, Ben Kabyalis and Chris Lamont with a story by Blair Kroeber, not all of these writers can fix the generic characters and lazy scripts.

Harvard features several heists and shootouts to add to the excitement of this thriller. All unexpectedly choreographed and executed as intended. Of course, someone close to the hero must die, and such a choice is not surprising. Prices cannot be lower. The cast is split in two when faced with these obscure characters and familiar situations. Their lines are delivered without guilt, and they follow the action sequences the writers have laid out in the story;

Philip seems to be the leading man, but he doesn't give the character any complexity or pathos. He just delivers his lines insensitively and continues. Ramsey tries to give weight to the characters, but it doesn't work. Her bedroom is too small to impress. Nordling, who successfully played a similarly goofy character on HBO's Big Little Lies, is unfathomable for not showing how much this cop undeniably respects his subordinates.

Most important here is Miller's ex-wife, Beth. He is played by Bosworth as a police officer who investigates the case. She's not just a wife or girlfriend, she's an active participant in the film's main plot, not a stereotypical damsel in distress who stands to worry about the main male character. Unfortunately, this plot isn't very interesting and Beth gets the same superficial details and dialogue as the other characters.

The Castle is a movie that works well at home. He is eligible for release. It does not require special attention. Customers can focus half their attention on it, and every few minutes a loud bang, gunshot, or shout from an actor will attract attention. The plot is very simple and reminds you of thousands of other crime movies, so you won't miss anything. Unfortunately, there's nothing to be gained from it, and the entertainment value is below average at best.

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Opposite. Conflict VS. Magnolia (12-22-13)

Tom Brady officially and ultimately insisted on leaving the National Football League. Based on the new 80's movie for Brady, it's also time for him to retire from the game immediately.

No one walks away in glory in this gritty, frivolous tale of four old friends determined to lead Brady to a stunning 2017 Super Bowl victory.

Four of our best actresses – Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field – are sacrificed for cheap laughs and undeserved humor. And Brady, the executive producer, cheats on one of his biggest wins. That whistle that you hear in the theater is not lost air, but a pumped-up audience.

Screenwriters Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern seem to have opened the door to exploring loss, commitment, and regret in our twilight years, but they're wrong, and Grandma accepts it and wanders into random edible territory.

This exhibition includes the EGOT winner, multiple Academy Awards, Tony and Emmy Awards, the Mark Twain Award for American Humor, the Kennedy Center Award, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award. But they are completely lost. At some point, Field had to enter an unnecessary wing-eating contest.

There's nothing wrong with watching movies with friends or celebrating age on screen, and it's nice to see them together. But don't tell us you're empowering seniors by doing the twist dance to get through Super Bowl security. Add to that an extreme insult to Diane Keaton in last year's Mac. & Rita" and we call on Hollywood to ban people over 70 from losing 15 feet.

Based very, very loosely on true events, the film is so light in plot that it threatens to float away. It takes a few extra minutes to shuffle tickets, but the logic doesn't work like the time our heroes found four vacant seats in a row at the start of the Super Bowl.

Brady is invariably portrayed as benevolent, either by moving his head talking to Tomlin's character or simply listening to the conversation on the TV screen. “Everything will be fine,” he promises.

Each of our leading ladies has a note worth expanding on: Fonda is obsessed with nerdy, boyish erotic fanfiction writer Rob Gronkowski. Veld is reasonable, responsible. The new widower Moreno is ready for any adventure, and Tomlin is the link between them.

When one of the quartets fears a recurrence of cancer, Brady becomes their beacon, asking them to make a bust as a prayer. “He never gives up no matter what he faces,” he says. You can expect a glowing halo to appear above Brady's head.

Director Kyle Marvin fails to create any real tension as he swings wildly from slapstick to melancholy, but real shots of the big game are beautifully woven into the second half. The message here is simple: when you fall, dig deep and take action. In other words, have the courage to go see another movie.

At some point, the film simply becomes a brand event, like the Microsoft Surface and NFL Experience for a theme park. “This is better than my wildest dreams,” one of our great actors is forced to say, dropping the s. When all four enter the skybox later in the game, one of them helpfully explains, "You can see everything!" Yes, you can see the amazing letter from here.

This is a movie that was supposed to make people happy in the 70s and 80s, but it has jokes, jokes and Pat Sage. Billy Porter, Sarah Gilbert and Guy Fieri are great in small roles, but the main characters are busy with what can only be considered extracurricular activities for older people.

80 for Brady, a Paramount Pictures release only released on February 3, is rated PG-13 for brief profanity, drug content, and obscene references. Duration: 98 minutes. Half star out of four.

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MPAA Definition PG-13: Strongly Informed Parents. Some materials may not be suitable for children under 13 years of age.

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Online: https://www.80forbrady.com

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Mark Kennedy at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Leaders def. Bengals in AFC Championship game to advance to Super Bowl LVII | NFL | LITTLE

The Sundance Film Festival is known for bringing original indie stories to the big screen, and 2023 is no different. Charlotte Regan's Scrapper is a beautiful film with personality and a lot of heart. The simple yet touching story of a father and daughter is enhanced by performances that feel completely authentic.

© Showbiz CheatSheet "Scrapper" Movie Review Rated 3.5 stars

'Scrapper' follows the sudden appearance of an estranged father

© Provided by Showbiz CheatSheet LR. Harris Dickinson as Jason and Lola Campbell as Georgie Courtesy of Chris Harris/Sundance Institute

Georgie (Lola Campbell), a bright 12-year-old girl, lives alone in a flat on the outskirts of London after her mother dies. She thought she was going to live with her uncle, deceiving all parts of the system, including social workers. Meanwhile, Georgie works with her friend Ali (Alin Uzu) to steal bicycles.

One day, her father, Jason ( Triangle of Grief, Harris Dickinson), shows up unannounced and immediately starts playing a game. However, Georgie doesn't even know him and they don't see each other until now. Georgie questions Jason's motives after suddenly deciding to return to his life, believing he doesn't need an adult to help him.

Freedom and solitude

Scrapper begins by saying, "It takes a village to raise a child," but Reagan immediately says, "I can raise myself, thanks." Georgie is an emotionally and physically independent girl, she develops her own system to keep her head above water. He knows the person who sells the stolen bikes to him and the clerks at the store. Georgie found a way to use voice recordings to make the social workers think they were talking to her uncle.

Georgie refused to accept alms and learned the value of hard work and a clean house. Regan's story consists of non-narrative characters that break the fourth wall to engage the audience and present a fuller picture of the main character. At first, Georgie seems to like her life, but she misses her own childhood. Without parents in his life, he is forced to take on the role of adults.

When Jason arrives, Georgie naturally wonders about his intentions. At first there seems to be no incentive for her to return, but telling social workers she lives alone leaves her with no choice but to let her stay. Scrapper follows a father as he tries to rebuild his relationship with his son because the closest thing to a parent is his smartphone with old videos of happy moments with his mother. But thanks to Jason, Georgie gets to see a side of her mother she never knew.

Scrapper is absolute joy.

© Provided by Showbiz CheatSheet Lola Campbell as Georgie | By Chris Harris/Sundance Institute

Regan brings visual flair to her epic Scrapper storyline. There are times when the tracks drag from the flowing rhythm, but the moments full of beauty are artistic and meaningful. Georgie acts like an adult in many ways, although these scenes show the audience that she still has the mind and imagination of a creative 12-year-old.

With her mother's death, she was unjustly robbed of a world that her father could never replace. However, there are some surprisingly tender scenes between Jason and Georgie that hit an emotional nerve, explaining what the Tooth Fairy is and the legend behind it. In a way, the film is about the restoration of childhood.

As Georgie, Campbell is infectious as she navigates the gap between her childhood wonder and the sense of maturity she needs to learn. Dickinson, meanwhile, is absolutely excellent as Jason, hitting every emotional beat. Scrapper is the equivalent of a warm hug, secretly creating characters that are easy to care for.

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© Provided by Varieties

Theater Camp is a theater training program for shy kids and incorrigible radio buffs, where participants receive intensive training in Broadway fatigues. It's a rare parody that keeps viewers laughing from start to finish. I'm talking about the 18-minute short film that Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman and Ben Platt uploaded to YouTube about a month after the pandemic, making it a cult hit among musical theater fans and survivors. field in New York State.

The basic version is almost the same, except for the laugh.

Sure, there might be plenty of laughs in the new Theatrical Camp, except now it's almost entirely contained in the last half hour of a rapidly aging film, with co-writers Gordon and Lieberman placing the same ominous ad. The premise of "Theatrical Camp," which Searchlight sold for seven figures at the Sundance Film Festival, is that it's fun to watch a bunch of kids get love auditions and totally inappropriate acting lessons from inept adults. A short would-be agent (Alan Kim, "Minari") works on the phone, hypnotizing his classmates. Another son (Donovan Cola) struggles to be equally forthright with both of his parents.

Back in 2008 (when the wacky indie was still a box office hit), Focus Features made $10 million for Hamlet 2 , a scripted film starring Steve Coogan as an actor who dies and becomes an actor. an ambitious high school drama teacher who writes not-so-Shakespearean sequels for her students. The fun has arrived! Fast forward 15 years and the concept seems outlandish ("Hamlet 2" wasn't even original back then, School of Rock and Razzle Dazzle). Now 18 minutes is about as long as a concept like this can withstand.

Judging by the opening scene, where Adirion Acts camp founder Joan Rubinsky (Amy Sedaris) suffers a stroke during her high school production of Bye Bye Birdie, it seems like Theater Camp is trying too hard. Sedaris may be a comedy legend, but he disappeared from cinema far too soon. "After a long day of filming, the subject of our documentary is now in a coma," the statement said. Yes, "our documentary". It's 2023 and people are still creating fake documents. It's easy to see why the sloppily edited, convoluted format hides a tight script and tight budget.

For this to work, you need Christopher Guest-level improvisational talent, not a mix of precocious young actors and grown-up drama camp graduates spouting silly jokes about character motivations, professional frustration, and peril. Unit: In the main series, Platt and Gordon are introduced as co-dependent best friends Amos and Rebecca-Diane, who met during a failed Juilliard audition and have been creative love partners ever since. Jimmy Tatro, son of Joan Troy, a deaf social media athlete who is unfortunately not ready to rule the field in his absence; and Galvin as Glenn, an underrated jack of all trades waiting to shine.

The cast may be mostly kids, but the movie seems like it was made for their demographic. Gigi (Owen Thiel), a discreetly gay costume designer, seems to be watching too much RuPaul's Drag Race. A very demanding choreographer, Clive (Nathan Lee Graham), tells the boys. “You should know that only 3% of people succeed. The rest ended up in mental hospitals or Hell's Kitchen. The actors themselves aren't likable (after Dear Evan Hansen, Plath's neuroses were at the core of her character), but they stayed in a self-deprecating swashbuckling mode, as did Editor John's gruff style. James McAllister's haunting score enhances the sense of creative chaos.

While Sedaris' character is in a coma, Troy is tasked with finding a way to raise enough money to get the bank to call off Adirion's laws, or worse, allow posh rival Camp Lakeside (played by Patti Harrison) to buy the property. Troy Airbnb was one of those who raised money and hired kids to host dinners at the local Rotary club, which the naïve group approached as an immersive theatrical experience. I almost laughed when the movie hit its first hour (well, that's when Luke Islam's America's Got Talent opening ended with his audition). For the most part, the audience is stuck following everyone trying to have fun; they try to make jokes, sing chords, laugh. Running jokes, tripping over their own shoelaces.

And then something extraordinary happened. All the while, we've been told that Amos and Rebecca-Diane have written an original musical, Yet Joan, about their beloved mentor (the title is a reference to Julianne Moore's 2014 Oscar-winning film). Rebecca-Diane is distracted for most of the film, and the night before the big show, it turns out she's booked a cruise gig that any Broadway actor would recognize as a last resort that's only slightly less depressing than teaching children and young adults. . theater However, after weeks of chaos, the moment of truth finally arrives…and "And Yet Joan" is simply brilliant.

I don't want to overdo the film's big ending, but the creative team put together some catchy and witty original songs about the fictional Joan Rubinsky, a self-made immigrant who left her successful Wall Street career to pursue life. . music inspires children to discover their dramatic potential. And it worked. Suddenly feeling like a whirlwind on the run, Theater Camp is in place. Anyone who has been to a gig or gig as a child (and who hasn't) will understand the sentiment as the whole company takes part in the event and produces something to be proud of. Was it worth the headache to live here? Maybe not, but at least he sent people home with a smile on his face.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda wowed Emily Blunt while rapping Hamilton's "My Shot." |: The Graham Norton Show

© Glamsham/Instagram/Twitter Movie Reviews | Pathaan: An action actor that fans will love

YRF builds its own spy world with various spy stories coming out of Bollywood factories. This has become the common usage and representation of the term RAW/Spy. YRF Spy Universe is an Indian shared universe centered around the RAW/Spy action thriller series featuring various fictional RAW agents. It would be difficult for a manufacturer to label or mark any of them as "the best". Pathaan is an action thriller film written and directed by Siddharth Anand; YRF is the fourth installment of the Spy Universe and is Shah Rukh Khan's comeback film from Zero (2018).

In a recent conversation, Shah Rukh said, "I entered the film industry 32 years ago to be an action hero, but I missed the mark because they made me a romantic hero. I just wanted to be an action hero. . . . In context, Pathaan is a film that also produces south actors. looks like a staircase (read Jawan Atlee).

Pathaan ki Kahaani Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) is an exiled RAW field agent who runs his old nemesis Jimmy (John Abraham), an ex-RAW agent turned thief, Outfit X, a "private terrorist organization". . It is more dangerous than Covid-19, which is being developed in a secret laboratory, which is planning to spread a deadly virus in India. There is a story that explains why a Pathan is called "Pathaan" and how he decided to serve the nation. With Rubina Mohsin (Deepika Padukone) who serves as an ISI agent with a similar story. Jim, of course, as mentioned above, turned red, but why? And then Tiger (Salman Khan) completes the concept of creating a RAW spy/agent universe. Don't miss the dialogue when Tiger tells the audience that Pathaan will be seen in Tiger's next story. Also, there is no mention of Zoya (Katrina Kaif) to emphasize the spy setup.

Friend and Foe Prologue has been set and the public knows the agenda, but it remains to be seen who is on which side. It is a battle between three Pathaan spy agents, Jim and Rubina. Everyone has their own plans and actions, but who is on whose side and with what outcome will form subplots. The story goes back and forth to entertain and sell the audience on what is happening.

The movie attraction starts with an interesting action sequence with Pathaan. Shahrukh Khan's act here is a first for him, with his gravity-defying action and a look that promises to follow no matter what. Deepika Padukone definitely fascinates with her outfits designed for her character as an ISI agent, which is more appealing with her body than her well-rehearsed action stunts. John Abraham looks ready to play the role of a true mercenary. But it was Salman Khan who stole the show, starting with the tiger keffiyeh, playful attitude and banter.

Detour While most of the young Shah Rukh Khan fans love to see action star Shah Rukh Khan, it failed at many places and seems missing. Get support from Deepika Padukone who was defeated by John and saved by Salman. It kind of undermines his heroism, like he can't do it on his own. Moreover, his hairstyle takes away from the character he embodies.

Action Storyteller Pathaan has gone to great lengths to recreate Shah Rukh in a realistic action film, with Pathaan and his rival Jim fighting each other in helicopters, container trucks and railcars, sliding on ice carts and even under ice. other More. detours and flying with powerful wings. Ah, let go of the importance of so much action, quality dialogue and believable situations all at once. However, I am sure SRKians (SRK fans) will not complain.

Bottom line Without the many forced excuses thrown up by Bollywood, a visit to an eco-cinema with the family, or even a Shah Rukh Khan movie, can't hurt.

Movie: Pathan

Directed by: Siddharth Anand

Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Ashutosh Rana, Manish Wadhwa, Siddhant Ghegadmal, Gautam Rode, Gavie Chahal, Shaji Choudhary, Diganta Hazarika

Duration: 146 minutes

white noise | Official Trailer | Netflix

© Provided by Deadline

It's always a treat when you have a new Nicole Holofcener film, and that's especially true with her latest film starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. You Hurt My Feelings , which premiered at Sundance Sunday night, is the pair's second collaboration, their first being 2013's Enough Said with the late James Gandolfini. This film and other Olofcene writers and directors like Friends with Money, Lovely & Amazing, and perhaps my favorite Please Give ( not to mention the wonderful Can You Ever Forgive Me? ) focused on the unique nature of our relationships with each other in our lives. Holofcener has always had a knack for fixing things, often with intelligence, wisdom and honesty.

This film is one of his best: it is about trust, honesty, truth and lies. Louis-Dreyfus plays Beth, a happily married memoirist who is about to complete her first novel. Along with her sister (Michaela Watkins), she volunteers to help the homeless and teaches a small creative writing class. She appears to be on good terms with her therapist husband Don ( The Crown and Game of Thrones' Tobias Menzies) , a therapist who's growing prouder in his 50s and wondering if he should get cosmetic surgery around his eyes. ("I was very hot," she complains). They are the parents of 23-year-old Eliot (Owen Teague), so close and trusting that he can't believe they're still sharing food with each other, even ice cream cones. So what could go wrong?

To Holofcener's central premise, which has Beth overhearing a conversation with her brother-in-law, an actor named Mark (Arian Moayed), about the frustration of having to read and comment on one draft after another, even though he says he doesn't I like. This really crushes him, but he keeps it to himself until it becomes clear that it has shaken up their relationship. Holofcener is interested in our honesty with loved ones, the "little lies" we tell that may be necessary to show our support and encouragement, but may not reveal the whole truth. Does it matter otherwise in healthy relationships? Holofcener finds plenty of opportunity to explore this, not just with Beth and Don, but with all the key characters who come in and out of this very human character-driven comedy.

Honesty also shines through in both professions, as Beth tries to encourage her students, not always when necessary. Don also has to tell the truth to a bickering couple (Amber Tamblyn and David Cross, very funny), and arrives in therapy without spectacular results, which eventually leads him to seek revenge. There's also Beth and Sarah's needy mother, Georgia, played to comedic perfection by Jeannie Berlin in a role that could have been played by her mother, Elaine May. Like mother, like daughter, and both extraordinarily brilliant. Teague also has a good role as his son, who works at a marijuana store but tries to become a writer with his parents' encouragement, but maybe not always honestly. Watkins and Moayed provide excellent support.

Ultimately, how hurt can our own feelings and opinions get before they hurt the people closest to us? All presented in a simple but entertaining way by a director whose observations on flaws and human behavior are always present. There's a lot to talk about here on this A24 version, which should sound very good on the special track. Louis-Dreyfus is a comedic talent, having done it again twice this week, not only here but also in Kenya Barris' excellent Netflix comedy, You People. Menzies wasn't the obvious choice, but he really was the perfect actor. Together they create a pretty honest marriage where it really matters, and frankly, at a Sundance festival where they show much darker views of their relationships, You Hurt My Feelings gives me hope.

The producers are Stefanie Azpiazu, Anthony Bregman, Holofcener and Louis-Dreyfus.

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From Munich to Venice on foot (documentation of the crossing of the Alps)

Jan. 23 (UPI) — Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields , which premiered Friday at the Sundance Film Festival, is a profound portrait of an artist and a person that spans many cultural dimensions.

The two-part documentary uses Shields as a lens to explore the sexuality of young women.

Shields opened up about his career and personal experiences in an on-camera interview. Friends, colleagues and journalists help to place these experiences in a social context.

At 136 minutes, split into two parts, there's plenty to talk about. The document devotes a few minutes to each important moment in Dhal's life.

These cultural analysts point out that when Shields began modeling as a child in the 1970s, beauty standards had shifted from desirable adults to the sexualization of young girls. True, he was just working, but looking back he could tell where they were sitting.

In Shields' 1978 film Beauty, she played an 11-year-old prostitute. Her co-star Keith Carradine felt comfortable kissing her, although Carradine wasn't in the documentary to talk about it.

The documentary clearly mentions that Shields and her mother, Terri Shields, were criticized for allowing her to appear in the film. Director Louis Mallet did not.

When Terry and Brooke sued a photographer for leaking nude photos of Brooke when she was 9, Brooke's lawyers accused her of having sex when she was her age. Brooke realizes how much she was forced to become and then punished for it.

Shields had the opportunity to write his first book while attending Princeton College. He understands what many new writers find when editors and editors research different things.

Shields wanted to share his insightful observations on college. The editor wanted a burner and some dietary advice.

Headlines have already documented Shields' speech about Michael Jackson. He spreads rumors about her to improve her image.

Other relationships with men show that the way art portrays Shields has affected how she is appreciated by real partners and how she sees herself in relationships.

When Shields talks about her courage, how public reporting can make women question their own guilt in sexually assaulting them. This is true for all women, not to mention those who work in a system that encourages confusion.

The articles show what needs to be done to change these conditions in adult life. The shield can't do it alone. Friends help and support him.

Shields' infertility and postpartum issues still testify to the pressure placed on herself as the industry pushed her towards success. She viewed her infertility as something to be fixed, and postpartum depression took her by surprise.

Shields talks about postpartum depression in her book Don Came the Rain and shares a list of her worst thoughts about abuse. Documents show that it meets the needs of the sorority during this period of motherhood.

Mothers are promised a magical bond with their newborns, but Shields' experience was different. In the future, he is always intimidated by powerful people, but he can defend himself.

Going through decades of work and personal turmoil is not necessarily a place of resolution, but of progress. Cameras capture a heated conversation between Shields and her daughters, suggesting these issues are being addressed with sane ideas, but they're still in the works.

Brooke Shields is picture enough to warrant a detailed biographical documentary. The young model-actress-turned-lawyer-writer's social background explains what her experiences taught the world about shields and what she herself learned about the world.

All Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields will be released after Sundance.

Fred Topple, who attended Ithaca College Film School, is an entertainment writer for Los Angeles-based UPI. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012. Learn more about his work in the "Entertainment" section.

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