Mary Shelley is a competently made, but ultimately empty biopic that makes the mistake of treating its subject as a signpost instead of a flesh and blood human being.
Elle Fanning
How to Talk to Girls at Parties, the latest film from director John Cameron Mitchell that’s based on a story by popular author Neil Gaman, feels every bit like a film that wasn’t ready to go into production, but they went ahead with it anyway. There’s a lot to like, and many reasons why this has bypassed cinemas and been sent straight-to-VOD.
The Beguiled, the latest film from writer-director Sofia Coppola, might take place in Civil War era Virginia, but it’s a story (one twice told before) that could take place in present day with only minor cultural tweaks. Pivoting between a genteel drama and a potent two-way standoff thriller, The Beguiled effortlessly lives in two worlds at once: past and present and light and dark. It’s further proof that Coppola’s best (and often most underrated) works are the ones where she’s able to tap into primal feelings of rage, fear and privilege colliding with one another.
Calling a film “the kind of motion picture we need right now” might strike some fellow critics as a hokey, clichéd, and trite sentiment, but in the case of Mike Mills’ overwhelming and emotional comedy-drama 20th Century Women I can’t think of a more appropriate statement.
Maleficent star Elle Fanning recently visited Disneyland for the Disney Social Media Moms Conference, and to share footage from the film. Since Fanning stars as Aurora in the prequel, the iconic character from Sleeping Beauty, she also stopped to pose for photos in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle.
Opening at a theatre near you this weekend: J.J. Abrams directs the retro-thriller, Super 8; and Jordana Beatty stars in the kid-centric comedy, Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer.