Franz Jägerstätter’s arm would not rise. It couldn’t, not for Der Führer or any man, for that matter. His life belonged to the Lord. To the land. And his conviction condemned him to death at the hands of the Nazis … Continue reading A HIDDEN LIFE
Jo March is elated. A few moments earlier, she was in excruciating pain: Another pie-eyed scribbler stranded on the non-editorial side of the desk. Too shy to admit the truth, Jo (Saoirse Ronan) claims the story is a creation of … Continue reading LITTLE WOMEN
Silent pictures are the purest form of cinema. —Alfred Hitchcock For many, he was the Master of Suspense. The eyes and hands behind Rear Window, Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds. The droll voice and the rotund figure behind the popular TV show, Alfred … Continue reading Hitchcock: British International Pictures Collection
When Jose Bergoglio was elected pope in 2013, it was the first time a Jesuit held the position, the first time a priest from the Americas was elected, and the first non-European to serve as the bishop of Rome since … Continue reading POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD
Before the 1990s, animated family films were in the gutter. Deemed too expensive, too labor-intensive, their demise was certain. But then came The Little Mermaid, and a decade-long renaissance of hand-drawn and computer-generated animation followed. It culminated with 1999’s, The Iron Giant, … Continue reading THE IRON GIANT
Truth is one, but the sages speak of it by many names. —The Rig Veda The Two Popes, one of the most anticipated movies of the holiday season, arrives on the silver screen Dec. 13 before heading to Netflix on … Continue reading THE TWO POPES and THE BELLS OF ST. MARY
Three men work the line at the Checkered Taxi auto plant in Detroit, Michigan. Their lives revolve around hard labor and heavy drinking, getting yelled at by their supervisors and trying to keep their heads above water at home. They’re … Continue reading BLUE COLLAR
Who is Frank talking to? That was the question posed as a group of us exited The Irishman. One was a film programmer, the other four: film professors—the fixating kind. But the question was valid. Who is Frank Sheeran (Robert De … Continue reading THE IRISHMAN
It all started so well. There was love, and there was kindness. There was understanding, and there was support. And then one day, there wasn’t. The supports were taken out, kindness gave way to cordiality, and romantic love dissolved into … Continue reading MARRIAGE STORY
Michael J. Cinema 
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