Year: 2018

A Review of “I, Tonya,” a video preview, and a look at 2017’s best and worst movies are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here ...

Another year in filmdom has come and gone, and countless movie reviewers have issued their best and worst lists for 2017. And so, with that said, it’s time to add my voice to the chorus, with my choices for the cream of the crop and the curdled cream best discarded. In the interest of full disclosure, I must confess that I did not screen every film that was released in 2017, most notably those that were distributed through limited or select channels, such as the Netflix exclusive “Mudbound.” However, I did spend considerable time staring at those flickering lights on the big screen last year, enough to make me feel comfortable in offering up my selections for the pictures that I believe represented the best and worst of past 12 months. As always, I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments section (be civil, please). And with that, here goes: THE TOP 10 10. “Get Out” Despite some occasional pacing issues during the first hour, this satirical sci-fi thriller – often described as “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” meets “The Stepford Wives” – delivers hefty laughs, ample suspense and biting social commentary that might make even the most self-avowed ...

“I, Tonya” (2017). Cast: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Paul Walter Hauser, Bobby Cannavale, Julianne Nicholson, Bojana Novakovic, Caitlin Carver, Mckenna Grace, Jason Davis, Ricky Russert, Anthony Reynolds, Lynne Ashe, Dan Triandiflou, Jan Harrelson, Luray Cooper, Maizie Smith. Director: Craig Gillespie. Screenplay: Steven Rogers. Web site. Trailer. Being the best at what we do is something to which many of us aspire. With great heart, tremendous determination, a plucky attitude and our own brand of innovation, we forge ahead as we strive to surmount that pinnacle of success. But is it possible for those efforts to be excessive or get out of hand? Under conditions like that, our aims may become skewed, perhaps even turning counterproductive, no matter how ardent our passion or how steely our resolve. Such is the case in the new, fact-based dark comedy, “I, Tonya.” Told largely through a skillfully edited mix of insightful monologues and revelatory flashbacks, the film tells the often-comic, satirically tragic biography of figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie), who attained a number of accomplishments on the ice but is perhaps best known for an explosive off-rink scandal that fueled tabloid headlines for months. The ups and downs of figure skater ...