A gorgeous computer-generated cartoon with a human heart beating beneath its sleek, state-of-the-art surface, DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” arrives at a time when the public seems more concerned than ever about being outsmarted by artificial intelligence. It’s somewhat ironic then that the movie, a lovely chosen-family fable adapted from the first book in Peter Brown’s … Read more
“Anywhere Anytime” is, quite overtly and unapologetically, a re-tread of the beloved classic “Bicycle Thieves.” However, in modernizing Vittorio De Sica’s neorealist landmark, Iranian-born director Milad Tangshir imbues his version with both contemporary cultural nuances and a unique perspective as an immigrant to Italy, resulting in a remake that stands apart. The film follows Issa … Read more
Walter Salles‘ deeply poignant “I’m Still Here,” the Brazilian director’s return to his homeland and to the filmmaking form that yielded his Oscar-nominated “Central Station,” begins where maybe every movie set in Rio de Janeiro should: at the beach. A stray dog disturbs a game of volleyball. Girls dab Coca-cola onto their skin as tanning … Read more
It’s been a few decades since last we saw Jean Reno playing a withdrawn curmudgeon protecting a pint-sized charge in “The Professional.” Now, with director David Schurmann’s “My Penguin Friend,” it’s a welcome return to a winning formula. In the Brazilian filmmaker’s tender-hearted, all-ages adventure, Reno plays a grief-stricken father who gains a small, sweet … Read more