Wish (2023) - Review

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Wish (2023) - Review

Directed by: Chris Buck, Fawn Veerasunthorn

Written by: Jennifer Lee, Allison Moore

Starring: Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, Alan Tudyk, Angelique Cabral, Victor Garber, Natasha Rothwell, Jennifer Kumiyama, Harvey Guillén, Evan Peters, Ramy Youssef, Jon Rudnitsky

Runtime: 95 min

Synopsis: An all-new musical-comedy welcomes audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force - a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe - the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico - to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.

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Leave the World Behind (2023) - Review

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Leave the World Behind (2023) - Review

Directed by: Sam Esmail

Written by: Sam Esmail

Starring: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Myha'la, Kevin Bacon

Runtime: 141 min

Synopsis: In this apocalyptic thriller, Amanda and her husband Clay rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie and Rose. Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers - G.H. and his daughter Ruth - arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge in the house they claim is theirs. The two families reckon with a looming disaster that grows more terrifying by the minute, forcing everyone to come to terms with their places in a collapsing world.

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Godzilla Minus One (2023) - Review

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Godzilla Minus One (2023) - Review

Directed by: Takashi Yamazaki

Written by: Takashi Yamazaki

Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki

Runtime: 125 min

Synopsis: Japan is already devastated by the war when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster.

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Priscilla (2023) - Mini-Review

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Priscilla (2023) - Mini-Review

Directed by: Joel Coen

Written by: Joel Coen

Starring: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Bertie Carvel, Alex Hassell, Corey Hawkins, Harry Melling, Brendan Gleeson

Runtime: 105 min

Synopsis: Power-hungry Macbeth (Denzel Washington) sets his sights on the Scottish throne after receiving a prophecy from three witches.

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How to Have Sex (2023) - Review

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How to Have Sex (2023) - Review

Directed by: Molly Manning Walker

Written by: Molly Manning Walker

Starring: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Lara Peake, Samuel Bottomley, Shaun Thomas, Enva Lewis, Laura Ambler

Runtime: 91 min

Synopsis: Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday - drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should be the best summer of their lives.

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Napoleon (2023) - Review

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Napoleon (2023) - Review

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Written by: David Scarpa

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Mark Bonnar, Rupert Everett, Youssef Kerkour

Runtime: 157 min

Synopsis: An action epic that details the checkered rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix). The film captures Bonaparte's relentless journey to power through the prism of his addictive, volatile relationship with his one true love, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby), showcasing his visionary military and political tactics.

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The Marvels (2023) - Review

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The Marvels (2023) - Review

Directed by: Nia DaCosta

Written by: Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, Elissa Karasik

Starring: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Park Seo-joon, Samuel L. Jackson

Runtime: 105 min

Synopsis: Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. But unintended consequences see Carol shouldering the burden of a destabilized universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary, her powers become entangled with that of Jersey City super-fan, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel, and Carol's estranged niece, now S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. Together, this unlikely trio must team-up and learn to work in concert to save the universe.

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Mini-Reviews - 2023 Edition

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Mini-Reviews - 2023 Edition

Same deal as last year, just a bit different. This article will contain Letterboxd links to concise opinions about films I can't afford the time to write 800+ words about due to work-life constraints, festival coverage, delayed release dates, vacations, etc. In most cases, these will be movies without that much of an impact on my year-end reflection of the best films I've seen in 2023. This section will be updated each time I add a new entry, as well as its date of publication, so these quick thoughts can be read by everyone at any time.

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Pain Hustlers (2023) - Review

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Pain Hustlers (2023) - Review

Directed by: David Yates

Written by: Wells Tower

Starring: Emily Blunt, Chris Evans, Catherine O’Hara, Chloe Coleman, Jay Duplass, Brian d’Arcy James, Amit Shah, Aubrey Dollar, Willie Raysor, Andy Garcia

Runtime: 122 min

Synopsis: Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end of her rope. A chance meeting with pharmaceutical sales rep Pete Brenner (Chris Evans) puts her on an upwards trajectory economically but dubious path ethically as she becomes entangled in a dangerous racketeering scheme. Dealing with her increasingly unhinged boss (Andy Garcia), the worsening medical condition of her daughter (Chloe Coleman), and a growing awareness of the devastation the company is causing forces Liza to examine her choices.

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Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) - Review

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Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) - Review

Directed by: Martin Scorsese

Written by: Eric Roth, Martin Scorsese

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser

Runtime: 206 min

Synopsis: Based on David Grann's broadly lauded best-selling book, Killers of the Flower Moon is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.

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