Movie Review: JACKIE

Jackie is a portrait of Jaqueline Kennedy in the period immediately after the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy. The film is directed by Pablo Larraín and stars Natalie Portman in the titular role. The film also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, and John Hurt. I will confess, at the outset, that I’m not terribly well versed the real history of this period and I can’t speak to Jackie’s accuracy. That said, this is a beautiful and touching film that is absolutely one of the best singular performances I’ve seen in a while.

Movie Review: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (2016) (Review #2)

The Magnificent Seven is director Antoine Fuqua’s remake of the classic tale first put to cinema in the Akira Kurosawa masterpiece Seven Samurai. This follows in a rich history of remakes of that film, including being a namesake remake of the John Sturges Magnificent Seven from 1960. In this story we follow Chisolm (Denzel Washington) as he sets up a team of various gunslingers and warriors after agreeing to protect a town that is being terrorized by Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard) and his gang. This film is distinct from all those previous versions with largely new characters and an action packed conclusion that makes this one of the most fun westerns we’ve seen in years.