Month: March 2021

‘The Courier’ delivers an empathetic, personal, and true Cold War spy story

Jeff Mitchell

“The Courier” – “So, tell me, what do you need?” – Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) Greville is a British businessman, and he spends his days meeting with prospective clients, taking them to lunches, dinners, and golf outings.  He’ll also miss a key putt or two on purpose to help boost his customers’ morale and, in the process, his sales commissions.  He’s middle-aged, out of shape (as described by another character), and happily married with a son. Well, relatively happy.  It’s 1960, and Greville and Sheila (Jessie Buckley) pay their bills,…

SXSW 2021: Five movies that we are excited to see!

Jeff Mitchell

ArtHouseFilmWire is going to SXSW 2021, virtually, of course.  Yes, despite COVID-19, this world famous film festival is on from March 16 – 20.  Rather than opening up Austin movie screens, SXSW is opening up its online screening app, so we can all watch features, docs, shorts, and Q&A sessions from home. The festival is not just open to movie critics, industry types, and publicists.  It’s open to the general public as well, and it’s not too late to sign up!   It’s an expensive ticket, and currently $399 for an…

‘Cherry’: This Holland/Russo brothers vehicle takes uninspired turns

Jeff Mitchell

“Cherry” – “My one true accomplishment was not dying.” – Cherry (Tom Holland) Cherry, a 21-year-old Iraq War vet, finds himself back in the U.S., and more specifically, a high school gymnasium.  A big band celebrates his and other local heroes’ return with genuine pomp and circumstance, but Cherry wasn’t impressed with his two years of service, so he broke the fourth wall and declared the aforementioned statement. Cherry breaks the fourth wall a lot in directors Anthony and Joe Russo’s adaptation of Nico Walker’s novel, a loosely-based autobiographical book,…