review

– By Cate Marquis – ‘Dough’ rises on simple human story, not flat humor Rating: 3 out of 5 stars   “Dough” is a warm-hearted little British dramedy starring Jonathan Pryce (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) as an old Orthodox Jewish baker who is struggling to keep his family’s bakery going, in a tough East End…

– By Cate Marquis – Despite stars, ‘Mother’s Day’ is no treat   If you are thinking director Gary Marshall’s “Mother’s Day” sounds like a nice outing for Mom, you might want to re-think the brunch option. The inoffensive, forgettable film has an ensemble cast that includes Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, Margo Martindale,…

– By Cate Marquis – ‘Green Room’ tries to mix horror and millennial humor with sickening results   There is a certain trend in horror films known as “torture porn.” If that’s what you like, “Green Room” may be for you. Mixing humor and horror has a long history, and “Green Room” attempts to update…

– By Cate Marquis – Good cast cannot save prequel/sequel “The Huntsman: Winter’s War”   “The Huntsman: Winter’s War” is a part prequel, part sequel to 2012’s “Snow White and the Huntsman.” Like the first fairy tale-themed fantasy/action/adventure movie, this prequel/sequel sports flashy visual effects and lavish costumes, but this one also features a more…

– By Cate Marquis – THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY is celebrity-filled, behind-scenes look at Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2015 exhibition ‘China: Through the Looking Glass’   Is fashion art? That question is raised in the documentary THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY. Actually, director Andrew Rossi’s documentary focuses less on that philosophical debate that on…

– By Cate Marquis – ‘Elvis and Nixon’ finds satiric comedy, surprising insights in famous photo Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Likely you have seen the photo: Richard Nixon, President of the United States, shaking hands with Elvis Presley, the King of Rock N’ Roll in full Las Vegas costume. It looks like a…

– By Mark Glass – **** Stars out of 5 (R) If ever there was a film that defined the concept of a “sleeper”, this has to be it. Even for one who staunchly opposed the latter, and was mainly indifferent to the former, this fictionalized account of the unlikely actual meeting between arguably our…

– By Cate Marquis – Spy thriller ‘Criminal’ is cringe-worthy mess The spy thriller “Criminal” is billed as Kevin Costner “as you have never seen him.” Costner may have intended this role to launch a new tough action phase for his career but it seems like the star can’t quite let go of his nice…

– By Cate Marquis – Musical “Bridges of Madison County” fills Fox with bittersweet romance Romance fans will be pleased as the Fox Theater brings another Broadway musical adaption of a film (and in this case best-selling book) to its stage with “Bridges of Madison County.” With music by three-time Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert…

– By Cate Marquis – Thought-provoking drone thriller ‘Eye In The Sky’ hits all targets Gavin Hood showed a talent for handling complex issues with brilliant skill in “Tsotsie,” a film about a small-time thug that was both a thriller and a balanced exploration of the intersection of crime, poverty and AIDS in South Africa’s…