‘French Exit’ loses its way

“French Exit” – Frances Price (Michelle Pfeiffer), a New York socialite, isn’t feeling very sociable these days.  She’s depressed, frustrated, and broke. Well, not completely broke.  Frances sells off her jewelry and art to collect a tidy sum of cash.  It’s not enough to live on, but Frances and her son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) won’t go hungry next week. Next year?  That’s a different story. You see, her late husband’s estate has become insolvent, and she has nowhere to live.  Frances isn’t the type to ask for help, but her…

‘Colette’ excels as a fresh tale of ‘He said, She wrote’

“Colette” – The phrase “He said, She said” has pushed to the front of the country’s consciousness during the last week of September, and millions of Americans have staggered to the month’s finish, looking forward to the weekend and October.  Anything to turn the page. Director Wash Westmoreland’s picture is a figurative page-turner about the world-famous writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette or Colette (Keira Knightley) in a film defined by a troubled and colorful story of “He said, She wrote.” Opportunities for women at the turn of the 20th century were limited,…

‘Paris Can Wait’ might cause impatience

“Paris Can Wait” – Cannes is a dream for anyone who loves movies. Well, this coastal city – located in the south of France and just down the road from Nice – is a dream for anyone, whether he or she enjoys movies or not. (Although, who could possibly fall into the latter category, really?) Of course, Cannes hosts the annual Festival de Cannes – a.k.a. The Cannes Film Festival – and Anne and Michael Lockwood (Diane Lane, Alec Baldwin) are completing their stay at the aforementioned event. They just…