It’s rare these days to not be able to predict the end of a movie, especially one that appears to be formulaic, but I can assure you, you won’t know...
Documentary Explores Legendary Dancer Who Ignited Flames of the 1960s Sexual Revolution; Dallas’s Top Burlesque Dancers With Minxe Mimieux As The Lead...
As the leaves start to fall and the weather gets cooler, a wave of heavy dramas begins to preoccupy the box office. That’s right, it’s awards season! Us critics, usually get excited as this is equivalent to our football season. But it’s nice to get a break from all those intense storylines and be treated to a heartwarming romantic comedy. Especially, one with a charming cast and enchanting love triangle.
Director Sara Zandieh brings us this sweet story that follows Zoey Miller (Josephine Langford), a smart and somewhat cynical college student who believes finding “the one” involves science, not love. She thinks rom-coms like “Notting Hill” and “Say Anything” are idiotic and unrealistic. She even created an app that will statistically find your perfect match. But when the school’s soccer stud, Zach (Drew Starkey) gets amnesia and mistakes Zoey as his girlfriend, she unexpectedly gets caught in a love triangle between Zach and his cousin, Miles (Archie Renaux). Zoey and Miles share similar interests, but do Zoey and Zach share more chemistry?
“The Other Zoey” is almost nostalgic, referencing classic romantic comedies, while also bringing back that comfort and joy we’d feel from watching 90’s movies like “While You Were Sleeping”. It’s also nice to see stars like Andie MacDowell and Heather Graham in the rom-com setting again. The real gem is the spark that forms between Langford and Starkey. It’s hard to imagine her with anyone other than Hero Fiennes Tiffin (from the “After” series), but it’s nice to see her involved in a more wholesome relationship, even if she’s juggling two different guys.
From a distance this appears to be to be another well produced love story that could stream on Netflix, but if you take a deeper look, you will find the talented leads and quirky plot is worthy of a relaxing and fun trip to the theaters. Best of all, Zandieh provides a message about love that everyone can relate to. If we’ve only grown up around broken relationships, it’s hard not to think so critically about love. As a way to protect ourselves from heartache, we try to be logical and remove the romance part of a relationship when looking for our person. However, if you can let go of that control and lead with your heart, instead of your head, you’re more likely to FALL in love rather than FIND it.
“The Other Zoey” is a familiar but cute and entertaining tale of how opposites attract. Highly recommend everyone go see this delightful romantic comedy.
Rating: B+
THE OTHER ZOEY
Opens in Theaters October 20 & On Demand November 10.
This week I review “Killers of the Flower Moon”. It’s Martin Scorsese’s newest Oscar contender starring Leonardo Di Caprio. Critics rave this is one to look out for this award season, but is worth the 3 and half hour runtime? Watch my video review below to find out!
“Killers of the Flower Moon” opens in theaters on October 20, 2023.
NOMINATIONS UNVEILED FOR THE EIGHTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS PRESENTED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY FILMS
AMERICAN SYMPHONY LEADS WITH SIX NOMINATIONS
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, KOKOMO CITY, AND STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIERECEIVE FIVE NOMINATIONS EACH
GALA TO HONOR AWARD WINNERS ON NOVEMBER 12, 2023AT THE EDISON BALLROOM IN MANHATTAN
ACTOR AND STANDUP COMEDIAN WYATT CENAC TO SERVE AS HOST
Acclaimed Documentarian Ross McElwee to Receive The Pennebaker Award Presented by Chris Hegedus
The Ceremony Will Be Live-Streamed Through Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) at 7:00 PM ET on Sunday, November 12
Nominees for the 8th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
20 Days in Mariupol (PBS) American Symphony (Netflix) Beyond Utopia (Roadside Attractions) The Deepest Breath (Netflix) The Eternal Memory (MTV Documentary Films) Judy Blume Forever (Amazon Studios) Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures) The Mission (National Geographic) Stamped from the Beginning (Netflix) Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple TV+)
BEST DIRECTOR
Maite Alberdi – The Eternal Memory (MTV Documentary Films) Madeleine Gavin – Beyond Utopia (Roadside Attractions) Davis Guggenheim – Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple TV+) Matthew Heineman – American Symphony (Netflix) Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss – The Mission (National Geographic) Steve McQueen – Occupied City (A24)
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
20 Days in Mariupol (PBS) 26.2 to Life (Film Halau) Bad Press (Oklafilm) Bobi Wine: The People’s President (National Geographic) Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures) Orlando, My Political Biography (Sideshow) Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Greenwich Entertainment) The Thief Collector (FilmRise)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Tim Cragg – The Deepest Breath (Netflix) Tony Hardmon, Matthew Heineman, Thorsten Thielow – American Symphony (Netflix) Lennert Hillege – Occupied City (A24) Franz Lustig – Anselm (Sideshow) D. Smith – Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures) Toby Strong, James Boon, Bob Poole, Neil Fairlie, Wim Vorster, Joshua Tarr, Pete Allibone, Neil Harvey, Andreas Knausenberger – Secrets of the Elephants (National Geographic)
BEST EDITING
Sammy Dane, Jim Hession, Matthew Heineman, Fernando Villegas – American Symphony (Netflix) Madeleine Gavin – Beyond Utopia (Roadside Attractions) Michael Harte – Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple TV+ Michelle Mizner – 20 Days in Mariupol (PBS) D. Smith – Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures) Aaron Wickenden – The Mission (National Geographic)
BEST SCORE
Jon Batiste – American Symphony (Netflix) Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans – The Mission (National Geographic) Nainita Desai – The Deepest Breath (Netflix) Philip Glass – The Pigeon Tunnel (Apple TV+) Katya Richardson & Kris Bowers – The Last Repair Shop (Breakwater Studios) D. Smith – Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures)
BEST NARRATION
20 Days in Mariupol (PBS) Written and Performed by Mstyslav Chernov
32 Sounds (Abramorama) Written and Performed by Sam Green
The Disappearance of Shere Hite (IFC Films) Written by Nicole Newnham Performed by Dakota Johnson
John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial (Apple TV+) Performed by Kiefer Sutherland
Secrets of the Elephants (National Geographic) Written by Martin Williams Performed by Natalie Portman
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple TV+) Written and Performed by Michael J. Fox
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
Being Mary Tyler Moore (HBO | Max) The Disappearance of Shere Hite (IFC Films) It Ain’t Over (Sony Pictures Classics) JFK: One Day in America (National Geographic) The Lady Bird Diaries (Hulu) The League (Magnolia Pictures)
BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
The 1619 Project (Hulu/Onyx Collective) JFK: One Day in America (National Geographic) The Lady Bird Diaries (Hulu) Lakota Nation vs. United States (IFC Films) The League (Magnolia Pictures) Occupied City (A24) Stamped from the Beginning (Netflix)
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Being Mary Tyler Moore (HBO | Max) The Disappearance of Shere Hite (IFC Films) Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project (HBO Documentary Films) Judy Blume Forever (Amazon Studios) Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Hulu) Sly (Netflix) Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (Apple TV+)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
American Symphony (Netflix) Carlos (Sony Pictures Classics) Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop (Netflix) Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia Pictures/CNN Films) Love to Love You, Donna Summer (HBO | Max) Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (AMC Theatres) What the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears? (Abramorama)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
20 Days in Mariupol (PBS) Beyond Utopia (Roadside Attractions) Bobi Wine: The People’s President (National Geographic) Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court (Showtime) Every Body (Focus Features) Lakota Nation vs. United States (IFC Films) Silver Dollar Road (Amazon MGM Studios)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
32 Sounds (Abramorama) Between Earth & Sky (PBS) Life on Our Planet (Netflix) Path of the Panther (National Geographic) Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food (Netflix) Secrets of the Elephants (National Geographic) Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West (Gravitas Ventures)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Black Ice (Roadside Attractions) BS High (HBO | Max) The Deepest Breath (Netflix) It Ain’t Over (Sony Pictures Classics) The League (Magnolia Pictures) Reggie (Amazon Studios) Stephen Curry: Underrated (Apple TV+) Welcome to Wrexham (FX)
BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY
Burden of Proof (HBO | Max) The Jewel Thief (Hulu) John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial (Apple TV+) Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (Netflix) Telemarketers (HBO | Max) The Thief Collector (FilmRise) Victim/Suspect (Netflix)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
The ABCs of Book Banning (MTV Documentary Films) The Barber of Little Rock (Story Syndicate) Between Earth & Sky (PBS) Keys to the City (New Yorker) The Last Repair Shop (Breakwater Studios) Last Song From Kabul (MTV Documentary Films)
BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
The 1619 Project (Hulu/Onyx Collective) Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul (Netflix) Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court (Showtime) JFK: One Day in America (National Geographic) John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial (Apple TV+) Secrets of the Elephants (National Geographic) Shiny Happy People (Amazon Studios) Telemarketers (HBO | Max)
BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (ESPN) Frontline (PBS) Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (Netflix) POV (PBS) Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic) Welcome to Wrexham (FX)
About the Critics Choice Awards
The Critics Choice Documentary Awards are an offshoot of the Critics Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by the CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, the Critics Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.
This week I review “It Lives Inside”. It’s the new horror film by Bishal Dutta about a demonic entity that feeds on loneliness. Find out if I think the movie is as scary as it looks!
“It Lives Inside” is currently playing in theaters.
In the newest SPY KIDS movie, “the children of the world’s greatest secret agents unwittingly help a powerful game developer unleash a computer virus that gives him control of all technology, leading them to become spies themselves to save their parents and the world.”
I got a chance to speak with the legendary director, Robert Rodriguez to talk about the film, making it with his son, family, and so much more! Watch the full interview and the movie when it streams on Netflix on September 22, 2023.
“You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah” follows Stacey Friedman as she prepares for her bat mitzvah, but her plans comedically unravel and threaten to ruin the event. I got a chance to speak with the director, Sammi Cohen to discuss this new coming-of-age film. We talked about friendships, hardest part of being a teenage girl, and more!
Check out the interview and movie when it streams on Netflix August 25th! It is easily one of my favorite films of the year.
Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt, an IMF agent with a new mission to track down a dangerous weapon before it falls into the wrong hands. Here’s a review of “Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”.
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” opens in theaters July 12, 2023.
This week I review “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”. After 15 years, Harrison Ford returns as everyone’s favorite archeologist for one last adventure. Did the film provide the closure fans have been wanting? Watch my review and find out!
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” opens in theaters June 30, 2023.
This week I review “The Flash”. DC has been struggling for years to make a great superhero movie. There have been very few hits, but early reactions are saying “The Flash” might satisfy fans in more ways than one. It stars Ezra Miller, Ben Affleck, Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle. Seems like they locked down a great cast, but did DC get this one right?
“This film tells the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez who as a Frito Lay janitor disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon.”
I got a chance to sit down with the director, Eva Longoria, and the stars of the film, Jesse Garcia & Annie Gonzalez to discuss the movie, their hardships, and how much they could relate to Richard’s story.
“Flamin’ Hot” is available to stream on Hulu and Disney Plus on June 9.
