Movies and Shakers - Rotten Tomatoes

Movies and Shakers

Movies and Shakers is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Linda and Al Lerner
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This feels like every other kind of sappy Transylvania ending and after 10 years and four movies, it seems time to turn in the key and accept check-out time for Hotel Transylvania.
Posted Jan 14, 2022
2
The Tender Bar (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This is not a great coming-of-age story, but Clooney brings out the best from Affleck showing this uncle's special relationship with his nephew. But instead of being a smooth ride like in Uncle Charlie's big old Cadillac, it just rambles along.
Posted Jan 13, 2022
3
The 355 (2022)

Linda and Al Lerner

This film definitely needed a better script to glue the predictable action together, but Chastain, Kruger, Nyong'o and Cruz kick butt together well, proving that besides being easy on the eyes, they're plenty rough around the edges.
Posted Jan 7, 2022
4
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

We appreciate the uniqueness of this production and individuality of the performances by Washington and McDormand. Although this is not your classic expectation of Shakespeare, Coen presents a new way to envision the Bard.
Posted Jan 4, 2022
5
Sing 2 (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

The music is a collection of songs from the best talents today, and the animation is eye-popping with color with a lot of movement to keep little ones as well as parents engaged. As a sequel, Sing 2 is right on key.
Posted Jan 1, 2022
6
The Lost Daughter (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

You wonder where this film is going, but Colman's performance is so subtle, yet telling and often terribly disturbing seeing her past as well as present laid out by Director Gyllenhaal with such intricate detail.
Posted Dec 29, 2021
7
Licorice Pizza (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Paul Thomas Anderson clearly likes these engaging characters & makes us care about them despite their hair-brained schemes. Like any great pizza, this film has mouthwatering layers, topped with new stars, Hoffman & Haim, who make this one fun tasty pie.
Posted Dec 27, 2021
8
Nightmare Alley (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Know that this is a dark, disturbing, violent film which is Del Toro's forte. From Cooper's first encounter with Willem DaFoe's Clem, he's too smart for his own good. Maybe, in this case, Guillermo Del Toro is too. This film may not be up your alley.
Posted Dec 23, 2021
9
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

It's good to see Keanu Reeves back as the popular iconic Neo. But this film is one convoluted mess of minutiae that uses too many scenes and characters from past installments.
Posted Dec 21, 2021
10
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Even if you haven't seen all the films in the franchise, director Watts slings a thrilling web for one of the best Marvel adventures where Tom Holland sticks the landing.
Posted Dec 16, 2021
11
West Side Story (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Spielberg gives us a vision of America that refuses to become a melting pot which is even more the case today.But one embellished with familiar songs and exciting choreography in an engaging production of a West Side Story that plays well all over town.
Posted Dec 9, 2021
12
Bruised (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

For her first time directing, Berry took on a huge project and one that was filled with physical pain. Credit her for leaving vanity behind and showing herself dripping with sweat and blood to the end.
Posted Dec 2, 2021
13
Encanto (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

So see Encanto for the splendid visual and musical experience with a heartfelt message and something to talk about.
Posted Nov 28, 2021
14
The Humans (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This is not your warm, fuzzy Thanksgiving experience, but something very dark, bordering on being a horror film. We almost gave up on it, but the performances pulled us in, especially when it started to rev up about halfway into the film.
Posted Nov 28, 2021
15
tick, tick...Boom! (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

It not only showcases the enormous talent of composer, Jonathan Larson, it's the directorial debut of Lin Manuel-Miranda and Andrew Garfield can sing!
Posted Nov 24, 2021
16
House of Gucci (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Rarely has a movie with such high hopes from director Ridley Scott and talented A-listers, including Lady Gaga, been so disappointing.
Posted Nov 23, 2021
17
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

The update slips on as nicely as the old Ghostbusters jumpsuits. There's not much new here, but Reitman and the cast, old and new, provide warm, fuzzy, ghost-like nostalgia with some laughs along the way.
Posted Nov 21, 2021
18
King Richard (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Smith is fun as the charismatic Dad who pushed to change the perception of pro tennis. Ellis and the girls ace their roles with a lot of love
Posted Nov 19, 2021
19
The Power of the Dog (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Deliberate is the word that comes to mind with Campion's dialogue and direction of superb performances, especially by Cumberbatch.
Posted Nov 18, 2021
20
Belfast (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Even though the famous actor never appears on screen, Branagh's presence infuses every scene as his 9-year-old self in this personal, painful but sweet family journey.
Posted Nov 12, 2021
21
Dune (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This updated, fresh, fully conceptualized adaptation of Frank Herbert's bestseller is a swashbuckling futuristic interplanetary epic. Writer/Director Denis Villeneuve finally brings a long pandemic delayed version of a very complicated tale...
Posted Nov 5, 2021
22
The French Dispatch (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

It's a little uneven, but as a sendoff to these legendary writers along with Anderson's love of language and painstaking presentation, the French Dispatch delivers.
Posted Nov 5, 2021
23
Eternals (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Chloe Zhao is a very talented director, but perhaps it was too much to expect her go from the sparse, quiet life of Nomadland to this special effects driven action blockbuster with a huge cast of characters who are not very exciting.
Posted Nov 5, 2021
24
Spencer (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

. Larrain directs Kristen Stewart to her best film performance yet, in a film that is magnificently crafted, but so depressing to watch.
Posted Nov 5, 2021
25
Last Night in Soho (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Wright's premise and imaginative direction bouncing between two eras grabs your curiosity, but becomes a bit contrived, stumbling by the end.
Posted Oct 29, 2021
26
Passing (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

For her first time in the director's chair, actress Rebecca Hall has cast a perfectly paced personal story on racial identity in an artistically beautiful package.
Posted Oct 29, 2021
27
Mass (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Kranz does an excellent job giving these four incredible actors such intimate dramatic material to reveal what has sadly become almost an everyday occurrence.
Posted Oct 17, 2021
28
The Last Duel (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Ridley Scott's direction of the script with committed performances by Damon, Driver, and Comer make this medieval #MeToo moment compelling and current.
Posted Oct 17, 2021
29
No Time To Die (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

More serious and long, but a fitting emotional send off for this chapter of the franchise. Apprehensive of the 2 hour 45 minute running time, weren't sure would be too much of a good thing, but Craig's performances surpasses what he's given to work with.
Posted Oct 6, 2021
30
The Addams Family 2 (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This road trip with parents is hardly original, needing to weave more dark comedy for laughs. The jokes are pretty lame, even for little ones. Instead of a family road trip which didn't provide much fun, they might have been better off staying home.
Posted Oct 4, 2021
31
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

If you're looking for a great cross-species buddy-story, this isn't it. Hardy is both funny and lovable in a movie that is way too chaotic, but still screams, "Sequel."
Posted Oct 1, 2021
32
The Many Saints of Newark (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This film is like trying to finish a puzzle where most of it is already put together. But this prequel actually makes sense and respects the tone and iconic characters David Chase created in the original Sopranos series without making it a parody.
Posted Sep 29, 2021
33
The Starling (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

There isn't much funny about this film billed as a comedy, even with a great cast including Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd and Kevin Klein. The film has some sweet moments but it is more depressing than anything else.
Posted Sep 28, 2021
34
Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Ben Platt is an enormously gifted performer who made a name for himself in the Broadway production, but, despite the amazing cast, it doesn't translate well as a movie musical.
Posted Sep 28, 2021
35
Blue Bayou (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

It's clear that Chon asks the audience to leave their cynicism at the door. While some may find the tense dramatic finale too emotionally over-the-top, the majority of the audience at our screening bought into the film's heartbreaking, tearful moments.
Posted Sep 21, 2021
36
The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This portrayal is a posthumous gift from Chastain to rehabilitate Tammy Faye's reputation from a laughingstock to a flesh-and-blood, caring human being. She was well ahead of her time in relation to prevailing evangelical dogma.
Posted Sep 17, 2021
37
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This neo-noir thriller is Japanese director Sion Sono's first English language movie and it's a visual doozie. Once you get into the rhythm, there's a fun, unhinged logic to this film.
Posted Sep 17, 2021
38
The Card Counter (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Schrader is still a master when it comes to tense drama, but clearly does better with male actors than females, and Oscar Isaac is his Ace-in-the-Hole in this film.
Posted Sep 13, 2021
39
Mogul Mowgli (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Even though this is a feature, it nearly feels like a documentary illuminating the immigrant's plight. Adding Zed's health crisis as an obstacle to fulfilling the rapper's dreams in a film released during a pandemic makes it even more visceral.
Posted Sep 10, 2021
40
Cinderella (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Ultimately this film rises or falls on the performance of the central character and Cabello's never-say-die optimism and pop-star performance of her songs successfully sets a contemporary tone in opposition to Idina Menzel's Broadway delivery...
Posted Sep 2, 2021
41
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Marvel's first Asian superhero led action-fest has exceptional storytelling, nuanced characters, spectacular choreography and special effects.
Posted Aug 29, 2021
42
Candyman (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Once again Jordan Peele (US, Get Out) uses his love for the horror film genre to drive home messages of social, economic and racial inequality. This supernatural slasher film is smart, slick and unsettling from the opening credits in mirror image...
Posted Aug 26, 2021
43
Flag Day (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This film is about a family that was a mess and the film itself is a bit of a jumbled mess, but Director Sean Penn gets to showcase his daughter, Dylan, as a competent actress in the lead.
Posted Aug 21, 2021
44
Ema (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Pablo Larrain creates a searing study of a woman who goes off the rails when tragic events upend her marriage and motherhood.
Posted Aug 19, 2021
45
Not Going Quietly (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This poignant, emotional, inspiring documentary shows how Ady Barkan, the health care activist stricken with ALS says, "The Weaker I get, the louder I become" fighting for Medicare for All as the disease ravages his own body.
Posted Aug 16, 2021
46
CODA (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Writer/Director Sian Heder assembles an extraordinary cast of professional deaf actors along with hearing actress Emilia Jones in a stellar, layered performance. There is chemistry, pathos and humor throughout.
Posted Aug 12, 2021
47
Respect (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Hudson has an amazing set of pipes and gives her all to the music. But when not singing, Director Liesl Tommy never pulls out the emotion of her Oscar performance in Dream Girls.
Posted Aug 12, 2021
48
Free Guy (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

It's "Game On" for this feel-good, fun comedic romp with heart that combines live action with the virtual world of video games and gamers.
Posted Aug 12, 2021
49
Annette (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

This avant-grade, melodramatic rock opera, is a tragic love story that is both confusing and confounding, yet often strangely captivating. It's a monumental creative undertaking. Most of the singing was actually done by the star-crossed lovers...
Posted Aug 7, 2021
50
The Suicide Squad (2021)

Linda and Al Lerner

Writer/Director James Gunn takes the original concept and turns it into ultra violent, profane bloody, funny Harley Quinn-tessential mayhem.
Posted Aug 5, 2021