Movie Reviews (Chronological)
Down in “the miry clay” of the documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
This Oscar-nominated documentary exposes corporate cruelty from a voice of experience and a heart of compassion.
Overstreet Archives: Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002)
A flashback to a curious moment at the crossroads of Christianity and the big screen: a VeggieTales movie that actually scored “fresh” on… wait for it… Rotten Tomatoes.
Experience the holy hush of The Quiet Girl
No, this isn’t about a girl who doesn’t speak. Cáit has plenty to say throughout. This is, instead, a movie about the extraordinary power of people who have the patience and generosity to listen — to the soft-spoken, the uncertain, and the insecure.
Is this the “best first film” for very young children?
This Oscar-nominated animated short is a rare wonder that will likely become an early-childhood treasure for young viewers and families.
Living: a reverent but strangely abbreviated remake of a Kurosawa masterpiece
The great Bill Nighy is masterful in a strangely simplified adaptation of “Ikiru.”
Twas the season of “comfort food” movies…
A flashback to the ’80s: Here’s a new reflection on a “comfort food” movie worth revisiting during the holidays.
Overstreet Archives: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Ten years ago, I wrote about The Muppet Christmas Carol for another website, marking the film’s 20th anniversary. Here, at the film’s 30th anniversary, I’m bringing that review to Looking Closer.
The Wonder: a film about what we believe and why it matters
On the week that I watched The Wonder , I had a challenging encounter with a stranger that brought the movie’s central tension vividly to mind. It seems that the best way I can highlight my admiration for the movie is to share my experience alongside my review.
Sparks but no fireworks from My Father’s Dragon
The source material, a 1948 children’s book by Ruth Stiles Gannett, is whimsical and funny, and has clearly influenced storytellers for generations, but it’s a meandering and episodic tale that lacks a certain gravity. Can Cartoon Saloon storytellers revise it into something resonant?
A loud recommendation for All Quiet on the Western Front
Do we need another epic war movie in 2022? Yes, if it serves to strip away any sense that battlefields are about heroes or glory. All Quiet has always been about telling the truth, and this new German-made adaptation on Netflix is no exception.