★★★★
Not ten years into her career, Amandla Stenberg boasts a remarkable oeuvre. Having shot to fame in Gary Ross’ inaugural Hunger Games, the young star has already accumulated a string of leading roles, an NAACP nomination and Beyoncé music video appearance. In The Hate U Give, Stenberg offers those unfamiliar with her work a chance to understand her stratospheric rise. This is a powerful performance from a premiere talent. It helps, of course, that the film is terrific.
★★★★
Imagine a heist film in which the heist itself was conceived almost as an afterthought. That’s not a criticism, mind. No, it is a key selling point for Steve McQueen’s powerful new drama, his first since 2013’s Oscar dominating 12 Years a Slave. Widows is essentially light-hearted by comparison to that tale of slavery but still packs a powerful punch. As for genre, it matters little; in McQueen’s own words: ‘it’s all about the story.’
★★
Charm and likability can paper over even the most bloated of gaping romcom cracks. Sleepless in Seattle, for instance, is stalkerish hokum, but people still adore it. Rose Byrne, star of Jesse Peretz’s new genre offering, Juliet, Naked, has both charm and likability in abundance, so it’s odd just how drab this all feels. Based on a contrived Nick Hornby novel, the film has a ready audience; unfortunately, they’re ready to be a little bored.
The Film Blog 