Month: February 2022

‘Cyrano’ has no self-doubt

Jeff Mitchell

“Cyrano” (2021) – “I like to think that (this movie) allows (the “Cyrano” story) to speak more universally, and not just specifically to someone my size or somebody who is differently-abled.  We all have that sort of insecurity when it comes to the person that we are.”  – Peter Dinklage, Dec. 26, 2021 “CBS Sunday Morning” interview with Lesley Stahl Edmond Rostand’s 1897 seminal play “Cyrano de Bergerac” – set in the 17th century – is 125 years old, but the title character’s internal struggle has existed as long as…

‘The Cursed’ conjures up a strange and spooky cinematic hex

Jeff Mitchell

“The Cursed” (2021) – “She was bitten?  Where is she?” – John McBride (Boyd Holbrook) Both brave and fearful folks will ask these two questions when hearing that a woman is hurt due to “something” terrorizing a small village and regularly ripping human flesh like a twisted animal.  McBride resides in the former camp.  Set in rural 19th-century France, writer/director/cinematographer Sean Ellis’ (“Anthropoid” (2016)) horror movie feels like a throwback to tangible, soiled Hammer Films and a rich, atmospheric 21st-century production.  Many outdoor shots trigger unsettling memories of Robert Eggers’…

‘Dog’ attempts too many tricks during this bumpy but well-intentioned road trip

Jeff Mitchell

“Dog” (2022) – U.S. Army Ranger Jackson Briggs (Channing Tatum) is struggling.  He needs a job. Briggs served in the Middle East for years and lives stateside now but suffers from concussions and post-traumatic stress.  The man searches for a purpose and – hopefully – another military assignment.  However, he deals with more rejection than a ticketless, penniless football fan negotiating with pricey scalpers outside a Super Bowl venue.   Well, finally, an old colleague grants him a chance.  It’s a weekend job but a valuable, salient one.  Sadly, a fellow…