Year: 2017

“Colossal” (2017). Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Austin Stowell, Tim Blake Nelson, Dan Stevens, Hannah Cheramy, Nathan Ellison, Sarah Surh, Haeun Hannah Cho. Director: Nacho Vigalondo. Screenplay: Nacho Vigalondo. Web site. Trailer. Ever feel like you’ve unwittingly projected something of yourself out onto the world? That might not be so bad if it’s something benevolent. But what if it’s resulted in something positively monstrous? That’s the uncomfortable realization faced by a shocked young protagonist in the new sci-fi comedy, “Colossal.” Transplanted Gothamite Gloria (Anne Hathaway) faces a number of challenges. As an online writer who’s been unemployed for a year, she’s virtually given up on looking for work, spending most of her time going out and drinking with friends, a pastime she’s begun to enjoy a little too much. These are habits not lost on her boyfriend, Tim (Dan Stevens), who has grown tired of her irresponsible behavior. In fact, he’s become so fed up with her partying and laziness that he’s unwilling to let Gloria sponge off of him any longer, so he packs her bags while on one of her nightly binges, informing her upon her return that he wants her to move out. With no money and ...

Reviews of “Colossal,” “East LA Interchange” and “A Man Called Ove” are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web page of The Good Radio Network available by clicking here ...

“Gifted” (2017). Cast: Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer, John M. Jackson, Glenn Plummer, John Finn, Elizabeth Marvel, Jon Sklaroff, Michael Randall Kaplan, Keir O’Donnell, Joe Chrest, Kelly Collins Lintz. Director: Marc Webb. Screenplay: Tom Flynn. Web site. Trailer. What does it mean to be a kid? That can be a precarious proposition, especially these days. But what happens when you’re a child with special talents, such as phenomenal intelligence or extreme aptitude for a particular skill or ability? That can complicate matters even further, especially when you’re caught up between competing forces that each contend they have “your” best interests at heart. Those are the dynamics at work in the thoughtful new family saga, “Gifted.” Seven-year-old Mary Adler (McKenna Grace) is a whiz at math. In fact, she’s a prodigy capable of solving complex calculations far beyond her years. But she’s also a kid, and a somewhat isolated one at that. Having been orphaned at 18 months when her mother, Diane – also an arithmetic genius – committed suicide, Mary has been under the loving but unofficial care of her uncle, Frank (Chris Evans), a former professor who left academia behind and now repairs boats ...

“The Zookeeper’s Wife” (2017). Cast: Jessica Chastain, Johan Heldenbergh, Daniel Brühl, Timothy Radford, Val Maloku, Efrat Dor, Iddo Goldberg, Shira Haas, Michael McElhatton. Director: Niki Caro. Screenplay: Angela Workman, Book: Diane Ackerman, The Zookeeper’s Wife. Web site. Trailer. If you had the means to protect the persecuted from a horrific fate, would you be willing to provide it? If so, how far would you go with it? Would you proceed even if your own safety were at stake? Those are difficult questions and even more difficult choices. But, for a courageous husband and wife team, there was no question about what to do, as seen in the new, fact-based historical drama, “The Zookeeper’s Wife.” In Warsaw, Poland in 1939, Antonina Zabinski (Jessica Chastain) and her husband, Jan (Johan Heldenbergh), run the city’s zoological garden, a beautiful and popular attraction among the locals. The Zabinskis warmly welcome visitors and lovingly care for their animals, especially Antonina, who dotes on the creatures as if they were her own children. They also readily share their experiences with visiting dignitaries, such as Lutz Heck (Daniel Brühl), chief zoologist at the Berlin zoo. But then comes September 1, 1939, the start of German Chancellor Adolph ...

Reviews of “Gifted,” “The Zookeeper’s Wife” and “Anesthesia” are all in the latest Movies with Meaning Post on the web site of The Good Radio Network, available by clicking here ...

Join host Frankie Picasso and me this Thursday, March 30 at 1 pm ET for the next edition of Frankiesense & More radio, available by clicking here. I’ll join Frankie for the entire show this time as we interview Sunil Shah and Renu Vora, director and producer, respectively, of the engaging metaphysical drama, “The Wisdom Tree,” which is available on DVD and Blu-ray disk. Tune in live or listen to the on-demand podcast for some lively movie talk! And, for a review of the movie, click here ...