Robert Abele
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‘Ambulance’ Film Review: Michael Bay’s Carmaggedon Chase Epic Hits All the Potholes
A heist goes wrong for Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, but so does Bay’s typically incomprehensible action editing
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‘Infinite Storm’ Film Review: Naomi Watts Anchors Visceral Mountain-Survival Drama
True story of grief and rescue works better in the thick of its intimate peril than when it tries to explain itself
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‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Film Review: Michelle Yeoh Anchors Wild, Heartfelt Action Comedy
SXSW 2022: Yeoh contains multitudes, and so does The Daniels’ surreal but sweet follow-up to “Swiss Army Man”
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‘The Desperate Hour’ Film Review: Naomi Watts Races Against Time and Tedium in Dull Thriller
The audience is always many steps ahead of this tension-free slog about a mother out to save her imperiled son
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‘The Outfit’ Film Review: Gangster Drama About Mob Tailor Loses the Thread
Berlinale 2022: Screenwriter Graham Moore’s directorial debut plays like the first draft of a theater piece rather than the thriller it intends to be
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‘Jackass Forever’ Film Review: The Johnny Knoxville Harm Offensive Is Back, Irresistibly So
When it comes to shameless 21st-century physical humor, their pain is our gain
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‘The Tender Bar’ Film Review: Ben Affleck Shines in Director George Clooney’s Mediocre Coming-of-Age Tale
JR Moehringer’s real-life story takes center stage to the film’s detriment, as the movies rarely if ever make the desire to become a writer into compelling cinema
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10 Best Documentaries of 2021, From ‘Summer of Soul’ to ‘Procession’ (Photos)
TheWrap critic Robert Abele picks the best nonfiction films from a crowded field
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‘Paper & Glue’ Film Review: French Muralist JR Serves Up More Faces and Places in Lively Documentary
Even without Agnès Varda by his side, the muralist makes a captivating tour guide through his own artistic process and the relationships he builds with his subjects
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‘Being the Ricardos’ Film Review: Aaron Sorkin’s Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Biopic Has Some ‘Splainin’ to Do
Despite valiant turns by Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, the culprit for this mess is Sorkin’s writing and direction
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‘Wolf’ Film Review: Psychological Drama About Animal-Identifying Humans Gawks From a Distance
George MacKay and Lily-Rose Depp are institutionalized and in love in a drama that lacks the depth to fully explore their relationship or their dysphoria
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‘The Humans’ Film Review: Cast Shines in Moody Adaptation of Pulitzer-Winning Family Drama
Playwright Stephen Karam’s directorial debut is overly crafted, but the writing and casting keep its offbeat intelligence alive
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‘Boiling Point’ Review: Stephen Graham’s Self-Destructive Chef Seasons One-Take Restaurant Drama
There’s stuff to savor in this fast-paced glimpse at a high-pressure restaurant, but the director’s one-take approach spoils the meal
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‘Eternals’ Film Review: Chloé Zhao’s MCU Movie Is Colossal, Cosmic and Refreshingly Close Up
The director of “Nomadland” can do spectacle, but she never loses sight of the characters standing in front of the explosions
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‘The Harder They Fall’ Film Review: Star-Studded Black Western Isn’t Always Fully Loaded
First-time director Jeymes Samuels offers up style, audacity and lots of marquee names, but not enough characterization