Favorite films

Recent activity

• 

  ★★★★

• 

  ★★★½

• 

  ★★½

• 

  ★★★★

Pinned reviews

• 

  Zack Snyder's Justice League 2021

  ★★★★½ Watched by Jonathan Paula 18 Mar 2021 2

  A sprawling comic book epic.

  I was completely prepared to hate this film. A $70 million cinematic do-over willed into existence by sheer fanboy entitlement. It honestly shouldn't exist, else we set a dangerous precedent that hateful, vitriolic social media outcry deserves to be rewarded with hugely satisfying movies.

  Because make no mistake: "Zack Snyder's Justice League" absolutely slaps. Despite its multitude of obvious flaws, gaping plot holes, messy production history, pointless cameos, overused slow-motion, and a disappointing score... it…

• 

  Springsteen On Broadway 2018

  ★★★★★ Watched by Jonathan Paula 17 Dec 2018 2

  Emotional and brilliant.

  A year after yet another globe-trotting tour concluded, Bruce Springsteen changed the game by doing something he had never before: hold a steady job. His 14-month residency at the Walter Kerr Theatre was met with rave reviews, packed houses, and high ticket prices. Try as I might - even after winning the 'ticket lottery' - I wasn't able to secure (let alone afford) seats to any of the 300+ shows in the tiny Broadway venue. Had I…

Recent reviews

• 

  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 2021

  ★★★★ Watched by Jonathan Paula 02 Sep 2021

  Nothing new... but nothing bad either.

  Despite being the 25th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Shang-Chi" manages to carve out a fresh style - that effortlessly blends familiar mystical Chinese story tropes with the larger Marvel mythos.

  Newcomer Simu Liu anchors the 130 minute picture with one of the better superhero origin stories; his present day adventures told in parallel with familial flashbacks of a troubled childhood. His strained and complicated relationship with his father, Tony Leung, is the…

• 

  Enoch Arden 1911

  ★★★★½ Watched by Jonathan Paula 19 Aug 2021

  "And I've lost her all over again. I'm so sad that I don't have Kelly. But I'm so grateful that she was with me on that island. And I know what I have to do now." - Tom Hanks, Cast Away.

  Like most silent films of this era, the entire 33-minute narrative is in service of the final moment (depicted on the poster) - and thankfully, this early drama from acclaimed director D. W. Griffith sticks the landing in a…

Popular reviews

• 

  Interstellar 2014

  ★★★★★ Watched by Jonathan Paula 04 Nov 2014 4

  An unqualified masterpiece.

  This captivating science fiction drama from critically acclaimed director Christopher Nolan was produced on a budget of $165 million, and released on November 5, 2014. Although it's an entirely original property with no ties to any previous works, the hype surrounding Nolan's ninth feature film was so high, Warner Bros. studios traded away the rights to its lucrative "Friday The 13th" series (among other franchises) just to secure worldwide distribution rights to this movie. So to say…

• 

  Nightcrawler 2014

  ★★★★★ Watched by Jonathan Paula 07 Dec 2014

  Gyllenhaal is masterful.

  This low-budget American crime-thriller from first-time director Dan Gilroy was a critical and commercial success following its theatrical release on Halloween, 2014. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as an enigmatic individual who muscles his way into the world of crime journalism: earning money by photographing accidents and murders late at night, and selling them to a local news station. He is a quirky, bottom-feeding opportunist, exhibiting signs of high-functioning autism... always communicating directly, if dishonestly with his mark.

  Gyllenhaal…