The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Resident Evil,' 'The History of Concrete' and My Festival Recap

I'm back in America, so it's time for another episode of the podcast. This week, we review Zach Cregger's take on Resident Evil, John Wilson's follow-up to How To With John Wilson, and The Uprising. Plus, I share some thoughts about my experiences at Venice and Toronto. A very fun time was had by all, and you can check it out down below.

'The Uprising' Review

Andrew Garfield leads the peasants' revolt in 14th-century England in The Uprising. But the real problem is the film's director, Paul Greengrass. My review is live at Screen International. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Benny Safdie, Paul Greengrass and 'Steve'

We disagree on two of the three movies we reviewed this week. First up is the Dwayne Johnson real-life wrestling drama The Smashing Machine. Then comes The Lost Bus, which stars Matthew McConaughey. Finally, we dig into the Cillian Murphy school drama Steve. Check out our thoughts down below.

'The Last Thing I Saw': Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloe Zhao and Rian Johnson

I'm a fan of Nicolas Rapold's podcast, in which each episode is devoted to him talking to someone about movies they've seen. So I was tickled to be invited on to The Last Thing I Saw to discuss our shared experiences of going to Venice and Toronto. Naturally, we also went through a lot of films, including One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Hedda and The Lost Bus. Check it out down below. 

'News of the World' and the State of the Dad Movie

Why does everyone think of the new Tom Hanks film as a Dad Movie? And what does it say about dads that we do? My piece on News of the World is up at MEL.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: So Many Movies, So Little Time

We went through eight new movies on this week's episode:

Wonder Woman 1984
Soul
The Father
News of the World
Promising Young Woman
One Night in Miami
Education
The Midnight Sky

We gave ourselves about seven minutes for each film. Let the lightning-round begin!

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Astronauts, Bad Times, Kindergarten Teachers, '22 July' and 'Beautiful Boy'

Five new movies are reviewed on this week's podcast, and I'm pretty lukewarm on most of them. I explain why First Man is just OK, Bad Times at the El Royale is superficially entertaining, The Kindergarten Teacher is merely modest and Beautiful Boy is minor. Of the lot, 22 July is my favorite. Hear the whole thing down below.

In Praise of Paul Greengrass and '22 July'

With his new film 22 July, director Paul Greengrass completes a trilogy of sorts grappling with post-9/11 life. It's very interesting how different United 93, Captain Phillips and 22 July are, though. My essay is up at MEL.

Venice 2018: '22 July' Review

Paul Greengrass, the man behind United 93 and Captain Phillips, takes on another harrowing true story: the terror attacks that shocked Norway in 2011. In some ways, this story is terribly, awfully familiar. But Greengrass finds new things to say with this subject matter. My review is up at Screen International.

What's the Better Trilogy: The Dark Knight or Jason Bourne?

The latest Debate Club pits Christopher Nolan's Batman movies against Matt Damon's original Jason Bourne trilogy. There can only be one winner, which Will and I break down over at SyFy.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Jason Bourne,' 'Quiz Show' and Chevy Chase

On this week's Grierson & Leitch podcast, Will and I disagree about Jason Bourne. But in our Reboot segment, we're closely aligned on the very fine Quiz Show. And, boy oh boy, do we both hate Fletch. Or do we both just hate Chevy Chase? You can check it out right here.

'Jason Bourne' Review

Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon swore they'd never make another Jason Bourne movie. Guess what? They did. Jason Bourne is perfectly solid, but nothing special -- and also a bit unnecessary. But in a summer in which good-enough has been the high-water mark of rave reviews, this sequel is among the season's better offerings. My review is up at Screen International.

My Best Picture Ballot for the 2014 Oscars

The Academy Awards are on Sunday. You know that. But what you might not know is that, for Best Picture, the Academy uses a "preferential process" for balloting. With that in my mind, here's how I would fill out my Oscar ballot if I was an AMPAS member. And, just so we're clear, these aren't predictions -- just my personal preferences among the nominees...

1. American Hustle    
2. Captain Phillips    
3. Gravity
4. 12 Years a Slave 
5. The Wolf of Wall Street
6. Her     
7. Nebraska
8. Dallas Buyers Club            
9. Philomena        

And, in case you missed it, here's my quick overview of 2013's actual best movies.

Should You Be Cheering at the Ending of 'Captain Phillips'?

I'm a big fan of The Dissolve, so I was thrilled to write a piece for them based on my experience of seeing Captain Phillips at an industry screening. Some in attendance cheered near the end of the film, a response I think is unwarranted. But it got me wondering about why we react in certain ways to certain movies that are actually seeking a more nuanced response. Moral ambiguity, it's a tricky thing. Here's my piece, which I hope you enjoy.