All tagged Meryl Streep

The Post: Film Review

The Post: Film Review

Mark Robinson
Cinematters

In a time where our government is concerned with manipulating and misdirecting the media to create doubts and confusion, it is heartening to watch a film like The Post and know that newspapers in this country were once the bastions of truth, the essential element of checks and balances that held our leaders to higher standard. Director Steven Spielberg has captured in The Post a cautionary tale, one that reminds those who deliver our news that they have a solemn duty to get at the heart of every truth, so hold our leaders responsible for their egregious choices and behavior.

Into the Woods - Film Review - Magic Beans Have Expiration Dates

Into the Woods - Film Review - Magic Beans Have Expiration Dates

Mark Robinson
Stage To Screen, Cinematters

I must preface this review by making my readership aware of my deep love affair with the stage musical of Into the Woods. James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim constructed a piece of theatre that was very personal for me and, through myriad viewings of the original Broadway cast, the show has become, not only an emotional outlet for me, but an important influence in how I view and respond to the world. 

It is with a heavy heart, then, that I left the movie theatre this Christmas Day feeling like I was given a very uneven film treatment of Into the Woods. There is a tremendous amount to admire, but there is also a tremendous amount to disappoint. Director Rob Marshall and screenwriter Lapine, in fits and starts, have crafted an Into the Woods that is streamlined and spare, having excised much of the piece's humor, heart, and gravitas in an effort to keep the film moving.