A problem with today’s family-oriented films is that they feel they must dumb everything down so the kids will sit quiet for an hour and a half and enjoy the movie. Many modern kid’s films refuse to put much substance into their characters and think their young audiences will be happy with messy slapstick and flatulent humor. It is this way of thinking that leads to so many family films insulting their intended audience of the children and the

The film “Woman Walks Ahead” opens this weekend but I was fortunate enough to see it at the Tribeca Festival. It is an honor to finally review it and therefore close out my festival coverage by indeed saving the best for last. Like many films this year it was directed by a woman and judging by the response of the audiences, it’s proof that female directors are certainly on an even playing field with their male counterparts.

For his follow-up to “In Bruges” director Martin McDonagh has assembled a cast touched upon by the eccentric-comedy gods. Everything about “Seven Psychopaths” defies convention and logic, an asset that adds to the outright lunacy on display. I loved how over-the-top it is, both in its bloody violence (people set afire, heads sawed off, a sequence so dementedly funny I wouldn’t want to ruin it) and willingness to

Why are so few people talking about “Conviction”? Is it [...]