'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Tom Cruise, Colleen Hoover, 'The Last First: Winter K2' and 'Atonement'

Lots to talk about on KCRW as Christy Lemire and I review the weekend's new releases. We discuss Digger, disagree about Verity and look at two smaller films: a documentary about a deadly mountain climb and an indie about the aftermath of the Iraq War. You can hear our conversation down below.

'Atonement' Review

It was on my second viewing of Reed Van Dyk's Atonement when its quiet power really got to me. I reviewed this sensitive, astute drama for the Los Angeles Times. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Ethan Coen Solo, Christopher Nolan Reappraised and 'His Girl Friday'

On this week's podcast, there's only one new movie, which is Drive-Away Dolls. Then, we give Tenet a second look in honor of its re-release and go back to 1940 for His Girl Friday. Dive in!

Denzel Washington, Comic Actor

We don't think of the two-time Oscar-winner as a versatile comic star, partly because he's done so few out-and-out comedies. I looked into the lighter side of the actor on screen for Cracked.

'A Haunting in Venice' Review

The third of Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot films is the best. Here's my review of A Haunting in Venice.

The Best Picture Nominees Tell a Story About Modern Masculinity

For MEL, I decided to rank the 10 Oscar nominees for Best Picture based on just how bad the men in them are. My hope was to discover Hollywood's current thinking about modern masculinity. What I found was pretty interesting.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Kimi,' 'Death on the Nile' and 'Testament'

This week was an in-person episode. (Will was in Los Angeles for the Super Bowl.) So we enjoyed recording face-to-face, with both of us tackling Kimi. Then, Will asked me about Death on the Nile and Marry Me. Finally, in our Reboot segment, we talked about Testament, a film that impacted us as teenagers. Does it hold up? You can hear the whole thing down below.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Raving About 'Passing,' Meh on 'Belfast'

Completely forgot to post this week's episode of the podcast. And it's a good one, too, tackling three very different films: Passing, Red Notice and Belfast.

Hear the whole thing down below.

Kenneth Branagh: From 'Henry V' to 'Belfast'

This Friday, the Oscar front-runner Belfast hits theaters. For MEL, I took the opportunity to reconsider Kenneth Branagh's career trajectory, starting with his splashy directorial debut, Henry V. Really enjoyed wrestling with the man's legacy. You can read my thoughts here.