Culture
End of elegance: ‘Peter Rabbit’ descends into cheap gags at a manic pace
That rustling sound you hear is famed children's author Beatrix Potter spinning in her grave. Her title character has become a fast-talking hipster with a murderous streak in this adventure comedy mixing live-action with animation.
Author brings Pilgrims’ compelling, contradictory tale to life
Jay Milbrandt puts flesh on the bones of the oft-told tale of our Pilgrim forebears, giving a readable and nuanced interpretation of their struggles and triumphs.
‘Darkest Hour’ tells of a time when statesmanship mattered most
The spotlight shines brightly on British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in this historical drama about political leadership and backroom intrigue during a pivotal moment of World War II.
After net neutrality, is children’s TV next in FCC’s sights?
FCC commissioner Michael O'Rielly said it was "time for the commission ... to reconsider the ineffective and burdensome requirements imposed on our nation's broadcasters to air educational and informational children's programming."
‘The Gilded Age’ asks poignant questions for today
The PBS documentary that airs Feb. 6 examines the inequalities of late 19th century America and asks, in the words of a historian, "Do governments represent wealth or do they represent people?"
Part 3 of ‘Maze Runner’ has run its course, mercifully
An intrepid band of teens looks positively worn out, having now spent three movies running for their lives from an evil entity in a dreary post-apocalyptic world. Unmistakable is the city with a wall impenetrable to undesirables (hint, hint).
Complex, conflicted ‘I, Tonya’ has no moral uplift but is fascinating
Nothing in this film about star-turned-disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding is pleasant. Her smile under the lights is merely a mask to cover anguish. She's a stoic, but she never seems to become any smarter.
Raffish designer gets his comeuppance in ‘Phantom Thread’
Despite the lush, appealing visuals, this bumpy trip through high fashion and passive-aggressive sniping in 1950s London, starring Daniel Day Lewis, ends on an ugly note stitched from a cheap horror film.
Rousing war pic ’12 Strong’ charges across the screen
The line between good guys and bad guys is very clear in this film of the stirring horseback raid of American and Afghan fighters in 2001. The film doesn't demand cheers, but instead lets viewers realize these events actually occurred.
‘Den of Thieves’ fails to steal the show
Violent and profane, the bank robbery farce leaves little evidence of a plot, and even less justification for the admission fee.