Don't Bogart My Blog: Movies Update: 'Marriage Story' and More

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November 8, 2019

By Kyle Buchanan

Hey, movie fans!

Can we all agree that the most unnerving movie news of the week — nay, the year — has gotta be that James Dean's likeness was exhumed by computers so that the long-deceased actor can co-star in an upcoming Vietnam drama called "Finding Jack"? Who wants this? Leaving aside the intense moral ickiness of resuscitating a dead man to give a performance against his will, Dean's whole screen persona was rooted in his startling realism, and now that's going to be chucked in favor of some crazy, creepy, uncanny-valley computer creation that someone else will voice.

Dean's family signed off on the cash grab, and the businessman who helped broker the deal also floated the notion that he may find new screen opportunities for dead stars like Bette Davis, Ingrid Bergman and Burt Reynolds. And here I thought "Cats" couldn't be topped when it comes to unnervingly eerie special effects.

In lighter news, this week's big releases include the Emilia Clarke/Henry Golding romantic comedy "Last Christmas," a semi-sequel to "The Shining" called "Doctor Sleep," and Roland Emmerich's war movie "Midway," as well as some very buzzy films that could factor into the awards race, Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story" and the Shia LaBeouf drama "Honey Boy."

And don't miss our culture reporter Melena Ryzik as she hosts an advance screening of the new drama "Queen & Slim" on November 18, which will be followed by a conversation with the film's Emmy-winning screenwriter Lena Waithe. You can buy tickets for the event here.

Wilson Webb/Netflix

Critic's Pick

'Marriage Story' Review: Dance Me to the End of Love

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson self-consciously uncouple in Noah Baumbach's tender, stinging tale of divorce.

By A.O. Scott

Universal Pictures

'Last Christmas' Review: Ho, Ho, Humbug

Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding star in a flatline of a romantic comedy.

By Manohla Dargis

MOVIE REVIEWS

'Doctor Sleep' Review: A Duller 'Shining'

In this Stephen King adaptation, Ewan McGregor fights old and new demons.

by a.o. scott

'Midway' Review: Pacific Theater Action. Dinner Theater Accents.

An overstuffed war movie with characters who speak the language of exposition.

by ben kenigsberg

'The Kingmaker' Review: The Power and Vainglory of Imelda Marcos

Lauren Greenfield turns a cool, clinical eye on the seemingly unsinkable, unstoppable former first lady of the Philippines.

by manohla dargis

'Honey Boy' Review: Shia LaBeouf Lets Himself Off the Hook

In a film he wrote, the actor plays a version of his own father. Too bad the bullying character based on LaBeouf has little desire for introspection.

by glenn kenny

'Klaus' Review: A Santa Origin Story

A postman dashes through the snow with a certain toymaker in this animated holiday film.

by glenn kenny

'Playing With Fire' Review: A Firefighter Comedy Running on Embers

John Cena and Judy Greer elevate this family comedy that won't quite ignite.

by teo bugbee

'Watson' Review: Environmentalism on the High Seas

Lesley Chilcott's documentary on Paul Watson includes snippets of his "eco-vigilante" group's widely publicized skirmishes.

by ben kenigsberg

'Earthquake Bird' Review: Unlikely Friends Caught in a Mystery

The film is based on a novel about a reserved Englishwoman and a good-time American living in Japan.

by glenn kenny

ANATOMY OF A SCENE

Kerry Brown/Paramount Pictures

Anatomy Of A Scene

Watch a Metal-Crushing Action Scene From 'Terminator: Dark Fate'

The director Tim Miller discusses a high-stakes sequence where a Terminator wreaks havoc in an auto factory.

By Mekado Murphy

NEWS & FEATURES

critic's notebook

The Restrained Genius of a Joe Pesci Performance

Hollywood never really knew what to do with the actor and so it put him in broad comedies. But "The Irishman" shows what we've been missing for so long.

by violet lucca

Remember Family Films? Disney Plus Is Making 'Em Like They Used To

For its new streaming service, Disney is reviving small movies in the mold of "Old Yeller." Expect to see another doggone hero, Santa's daughter and remakes of classics like "Home Alone."

by brooks barnes

Linda Hamilton on James Cameron and the First 'Terminator' Films

The actress recalls an explosive confrontation when she demanded he treat her like a human.

by kyle buchanan

Spike Lee Will Be Given Film at Lincoln Center's Highest Honor

The director is the 46th winner of the Chaplin Award. Past recipients include Martin Scorsese and Alfred Hitchcock.

by gabe cohn

talk

Shirley MacLaine on a Different Age of Sexual Harassers in Hollywood

"I wouldn't have wasted my fist on their faces."

by david marchese

Nigeria's Oscar Hopes Are Dashed Over English Dialogue in 'Lionheart'

Under academy rules, international entries must predominantly be in a non-English language. It's not the first movie to be disqualified for this reason.

by cara buckley

STREAMING

streaming movie review

'Harpoon' Review: Three Friends, One Yacht, Copious Blood

Some friendships just aren't made to last — an understatement for the one at the center of this sharp and stylish thriller.

by jason bailey

CRITICS' PICKS

Phillip Youmans/Array Releasing

Critic's Pick

'Burning Cane' Review: Poverty and Despair in Rural Louisiana

The director Phillip Youmans completed this, his first feature, while still in his teens. It feels like the work of an older, and fully formed, artist.

By Glenn Kenny