Tag: Dakota Johnson

‘The High Note’ is flat

Jeff Mitchell

“The High Note” – Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) is a superstar!  This 11-time Grammy winner has burned up the charts and live shows for decades.  Director Nisha Ganatra showcases this woman’s voice and showwomanship during the film’s opening minutes.  With Grace’s on-stage entourage in tow, she sings her lungs out in front of sold-out audiences from Detroit, Miami, Dallas, and more. Wow! The production values soar off the charts and pop from our small screens.  Promises of bold musical numbers fill our heads, until they don’t.  It turns out…

Just Because Wednesday, Movies at Home: The “Fifty Shades” series

Jeff Mitchell

Just Because Wednesday features our favorite films, and this Wednesday is no exception.  Well, a little exception, because we aren’t highlighting one movie, but an entire series! The “Fifty Shades” series – “Fifty Shades of Grey” (2015), “Fifty Shades Darker” (2017) and “Fifty Shades Freed” (2018) – is the very best film adaptation in Hollywood history!  Yes, please step aside “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1962), “The Godfather” (1972), the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and “The Shining” (1980).  Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson have perfectly brought billionaire playboy Christian Grey…

At first pass, ‘Suspiria’ is a gorgeous work of art and a confusing mess

Jeff Mitchell

“Suspiria” – Dario Argento’s “Suspiria” (1977) is a divisive, arthouse horror film that plays long on style, sound and shimmering imagery of neon pinks and greens, but short of scares.  Inside this Munich dance studio, mysteries rule the nest of long hallways, staircases and dark secrets in hidden rooms.  Not entirely palatable, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience that deserves accolades for its unique presentation. Director Luca Guadagnino (“I Am Love” (2009), “Call Me by Your Name” (2017)) took on the Herculean task of heading a “Suspiria” remake in 2018 and succeeds…