Emma. tells a charming Jane Austen story well, with strong humor and deep emotion when it matters. I will admit this is my first time encountering this story in any form, and it holds up, like most of Austen's stories, as a riveting romance above all else. The humor does help this go-down, with Taylor-Joy's lead performance being one of her finest yet. Hart, Nighy and Flynn do an excellent job in supporting roles, but Mia Goth stood out to…

Education is a hard watch at points; you only get back what you give to children, and too often do people give up on children's education, either for systemic reasons or not. There's a lot of dimension to this in the short runtime, but unlike others, where you wanted more, this feels just right, a quick look at a big issue that is hard to address, but often be on my mind. Sandy and Whyte hold the film together well,…

The Nice Guys is ridiculously fun. There's no other way to describe it. It's a solid two hours of non-stop enjoyment, even with a couple of flaws here and there. Before talking about those issues though, let's dwell for a bit on what makes this a truly brilliant summer blockbuster - or at least, what would make it so if audiences had embraced it. Instead, it will have to be happy with being an underseen gem.

The fun of The…

La La Land is a wonder. After a brilliant mainstream debut in Whiplash, Damien Chazelle has matured impressively. He directs with a precision of a orchestra conductor. His films feel like the jazz that they represent, spontaneous, energetic and pleasant. The way he stages the musical numbers never fail to make you smile, and he brilliantly constructs the film to drop out the singing again and again, just making you feel the beautiful music.

Stone and Gosling are both marvelous…