There's always going to be a market for a musical biopic with reassuring familiarity — a run-through of someone’s greatest hits to a rhythm of rise, fall, and redemption, touching on the darker stuff only on the way to a triumphant close. The funny thing about 'Michael,' the new movie about Michael Jackson produced by BoRhap’s Graham King and the late star’s estate, is that it hardly does that.
"Forget insight into its subject’s strange, warped personal life, or his artistry as an entertainer, or his family’s famously fraught dynamics — 'Michael' barely manages the momentum needed to propel itself between the many musical numbers that are its main reason for existing," writes critic Alison Willmore (@alisonwillmore ). "Watching it feels more like being frog-marched through a wax museum than watching a movie, each milestone restaged with an off-putting, uncanny-valley resemblance and no interiority."
Read the full review at the link in bio.
Photo: Lionsgate
And we’re back! Join Richard, Alison, and Producer Ben for a discussion about PROJECT HAIL MARY - the screen persona (and box office bankability) of Ryan Gosling, the film’s Oscar potential, and the nostalgic return of “the family-friendly alien buddy” to cinemas.
Please note that as of this week, we’re on our own podcast feed - NOT the Blank Check one. Fist our bumps by remembering to rate/review/subscribe!
sean penn said Oscars who? 👀
On the latest episode of Critical Darlings, @alisonwillmore , @rilaws , and @grifflightning break down last night's Oscars ceremony.
Did the Oscars undervalue Stellan Skarsgård's performance in 'Sentimental Value'? Joe Reid joins us on Critical Darlings this week to discuss Joachim Trier’s breakout Norwegian film, movies about making movies, and more. Listen now at the link in bio.
This week on Critical Darlings, we're discussing 'The Secret Agent' — the Brazilian Best Picture nominee that stars the dreamy Wagner Moura — and how it fits into the increasingly international Oscars. Listen now at the link in bio.
Wuthering Heights is all the rage right now, but as @hannainesflint asks: what even is it? Is it an adaptation? And if so, of what exactly? Because it sure isn’t the Emily Brönte novel!
Link in bio for the full discussion with @justsayrad@alisonwillmore and Jackson Weaver 🎧
#wutheringheights
Are the Oscar voters gonna match Guillermo del Toro’s freak once again? This week on Critical Darlings, Griffin Newman and Alison Willmore are joined by Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri to discuss del Toro's ‘Frankenstein’ remake, his history of being just weird enough for the Academy, and more. Listen to the full episode at the link in bio.
How did 'Train Dreams' go from the Sundance Film Festival to becoming an Oscar contender? Critics @rilaws and @alisonwillmore discuss the film's Best Picture nomination — and the Netflix of it all — on this week's episode of Critical Darlings. Listen at the link in bio.
This week our Critical Darlings (@alisonwillmore & @rilaws ) unpacked all the films that were nominated for Oscars this year — and the films that weren't. 👀
Tap the link in bio to listen to the full episode.
On this week's episode of Critical Darlings, critics @rilaws , @alisonwillmore , and guest David Sims discuss 'One Battle After Another' winning at the Golden Globes for Best Musical or Comedy — and if that's a sign that Hollywood has given up on comedies. Listen at the link in bio.
Is director Chloé Zhao's 'Hamnet' just Oscar bait?
On this week's episode of Critical Darlings, critics @rilaws , @alisonwillmore , and guest David Sims discuss the film's potential impact on Oscar decisions. Listen at the link in bio.
