BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Spike Lee co-writes and directs this comedic drama that, like many of Spike’s films, dips back to the past to comment on the present day. In BlacKkKlansman, based on Ron Stallworth’s memoirs, published in 2014...
Spike Lee co-writes and directs this comedic drama that, like many of Spike’s films, dips back to the past to comment on the present day. In BlacKkKlansman, based on Ron Stallworth’s memoirs, published in 2014...
by Vincent Leo · Published September 27, 2017 · Last modified August 1, 2018
Director Kathryn Bigelow, collaborating with favorite screenwriter Mark Boal (who penned her The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, takes on the challenge of crafting a drama based on the true events of one particular tragedy that occurred...
by Vincent Leo · Published February 28, 2017 · Last modified January 20, 2021
Funnyman Jordan Peele’s (of TV’s “Key and Peele”) feature-film directorial debut proves he has quite an eye for filmmaking, crafting a comedy with horror-movie leanings, along with elements of science fiction and thrillers to success,...
Nate Parker’s Birth of a Nation is based on real-life events that occurred in Virginia in 1831, where a slave named Nat Turner (Parker, Beyond the Lights) would lead a revolt against the white slave-owners. The film showcases...
by Vincent Leo · Published November 23, 2007 · Last modified February 20, 2019
Spike Lee (Clockers, He Got Game) tackles the racism issue head on once again with his provocative drama, Jungle Fever, which deals with the complications of an interracial relationship in the racially charged environs of metropolitan...
1990s / Action / Comedy / Fantasy / Romance
by Vincent Leo · Published July 18, 2007 · Last modified August 26, 2019
Bob Hoskins plays bigoted cop Jack Moony, who spends much of his time becoming irate, eating the worst foods, chain-smoking, and swilling in booze. It eventually leads to a stroke. Moony is lucky enough...
It’s evident to anyone that has seen enough historical or biographical movies that the term “Based on a true story” has no real, practical meaning. Hollywood has almost always changed the real story of...
by Vincent Leo · Published October 20, 2005 · Last modified December 18, 2019
One of the grittiest and most violent films of its era, Across 110th Street, is a reliable police action vehicle made especially compelling with its claustrophobic location work, giving us a feel of the bleakness and...
With its large cast and interweaving storylines of tragedy, the comparisons to Magnolia are probably warranted, although Paul Haggis’ Crash doesn’t come close to capturing the inspiration and artistic heights of the film it emulates. Still, the...
A remake (of sorts) of the 1967 classic comedy, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, except with the races reversed. While the original film had the breaking of racial stereotypes in mind, this updated version has...
Reviews from film writer Vince Leo, covering all eras and genres of films from classics to the latest releases.
Film reviews from Vince Leo, from classics to new releases, since 1996.