Folks, I have to come right out and warn you that this going to more of a blog post than a movie review, but it will count for both. I just watched Noah Baumbach's new film "While We're Young" and I learned a lot about myself, but not all in a good way. Through the title of this website, I say that "every movie has a lesson." That's my hook and that's the lens I see movies with and I stand by it. Seeing this film tonight was the kind of challenging and humbling experience I need as an amateur movie critic from time to time.

MOVIE REVIEW: Danny Collins

In the new film "Danny Collins," the directorial debut of screenwriter Dan Fogelman, the titular main character played by Al Pacino has a way with conversation that is completely charasmatic and disarming. His character can uncannily cover up his sleazy flaws, misdeeds, celebrity status, and filthy rich persona with charm, honesty, self-deprecating humor, and the right measure of heartfelt sincerity. Danny "kills them with kindness," as the expression says, but then backs it up with legitimate follow-through. This character trait is a masterful creation from Pacino and a pleasure to watch. It might as well be a microcosm for the entire film. It too will hide its flaws and charm you to pieces.

MOVIE REVIEW: Clouds of Sils Maria

The new foreign-backed "Clouds of Sils Maria" is the latest film to challenge the parallels of a performer channeling what may or not be a version of themselves. Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, "Clouds of Sils Maria" premiered in competition at last year's Cannes Film Festival and worked the film festival circuit last winter, including stops in Toronto, New York, and the 50th Chicago International Film Festival. The film finally makes its limited U.S. theatrical release on April 10th. Honed down to a serious scale far smaller and more intimate than the likes of "Notting Hill," the cinematic star in the center of this solar system microcosm is Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche. As a gracefully aging actress of peripheral prominence playing a fictional one of the same sort in a different situation, we are taken inside a phenomenal character study. "Clouds of Sils Maria" is a fascinating actor's showcase that deserves and earns your attention for the behind-the-scenes tribulations of acting and the livelihood attached to that career.

MOVIE REVIEW: Furious 7

I'm going go out on a limb right now and make a bold statement after watching the amazing "Furious 7" that I didn't think I could or would say about this series a decade ago. Outside of maybe, and I mean maybe, the "Harry Potter" film series, I don't think any singular film franchise or series in cinematic history has gotten better with age more than "The Fast and the Furious." Yeah, I said it and I dare you to name something better that has spanned five-plus entries.

GUEST CRITIC #11: Cinderella

As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, sometimes a simple sentence or two from a friend says it all. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for quick-hit movie reviews. Here's Natalie's take on "Cinderella."

MOVIE REVIEW: '71

Even as a little movie that most aren't going to see, let along hear of, "'71" enters my scorecard as the first great film of 2015. This is one is going to get remembered all year on this website. It will make the half-way "Best of 2015 (so far)" list in late June and will hang around until the year-end. Like my fervent love of "Whiplash," I may have found another hidden gem to stump for.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Salvation

American Westerns have become a lost art and a dying breed. So much has been done that it's hard to find a fresh take. If you have felt that loss and need a jolt, an extremely taut and good homage to the American Western has emerged in "The Salvation," playing now in limited release and Video on Demand, from Danish filmmaker Kristian Levring. Headlined by Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Jonathan Pryce, the film moved the needle a bit during the 2014 film festival circuit, including a pair of screenings at the 50th Chicago International Film Festival last October (where yours truly caught the ride).

MOVIE REVIEW: Chappie

The title robot at the center of "Chappie," the latest science fiction film from Neill Blomkamp ("District 9" and "Elysium") lacks the qualities to become anywhere close to one of the best movie robots of all time. Both the film and the robot lack impact, presence, purpose, distinction, and, worst of all, uniqueness. It's a shame too because there were some intriguing "big ideas" floating around in "Chappie" that could have developed into something that had the chance to be impactful, purposeful, distinct, unique, and resonating.

MOVIE REVIEW: Focus

When was the last time you saw Will Smith have fun in a movie or when do you last remember you yourself having fun at a Will Smith film? My answer is "Hitch" and that was 10 years ago. It's been too long to be able to say that. Thanks to "Focus," we don't have to ask that question anymore. As my fellow film critic peer Tim Day would say, Will Smith just got his swagger back and it's a breath of fresh air. Oh how much we missed it!

MOVIE REVIEW: The Last Five Years

When a strikingly and surprisingly good movie musical does comes around and impress, the only thing to do is shout and sing its praises from the proverbial mountaintops, just as the main characters would have the proclivity to do. Well, we've got one right here, so cover your ears, and hear me roar! "The Last Five Years," the adaptation of Jason Robert Brown's Off-Broadway hit, is a new movie musical that makes this website's handful list of true gems and delightful keepers. This is the real film the date movie crowd should be seeking out this Valentine's Day weekend instead of the whips-and-chains-handcuffs of some certain monochromatic thriller. This film simply soars in every way!

MOVIE REVIEW: Jupiter Ascending

"Jupiter Ascending" is an utter mess of missed opportunity and misguided world-building. Just as with a majority of science fiction movies, the visual panache is present in astounding detail. That, once again, is the easy part. Unfortunately, none of it (and I mean none of it), is created with purpose or direction that becomes compelling and stirring to you as the audience. None of its creative ingredients work to earn your investment, acceptance, attention, or even your basic comprehension.

MOVIE REVIEW: Mr. Turner

As beautifully presented as Mike Leigh's "Mr. Turner" is at telling the story of English Romanticist painter J.M.W. Turner, too much of it is uninteresting, familiar in tone, and predictably in execution. What normally can save a film about an artist is the subject's life beyond his or her work. An interesting person can make up for the uninteresting content. Though led by a invested performance from character actor Timothy Spall, "Mr. Turner" can't muster enough of that to separate itself as something special.

EVERY MOVIE HAS A LESSON

by Don Shanahan

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