Movie Reviews & News

Get the latest news about what's going on at the Tropic, plus movie reviews from our in-house critics, Shirrel Rhoades and Ian Brockway. You’ll also find reviews from film festivals and advance screening movies. Want to make sure you never miss a thing? Follow the Tropic on Facebook for daily updates!

Front Row at the Movies: BlackBerry

This is not a conventional tale of modern business failure by fraud and greed. The rise and fall of BlackBerry reveals the dangerous speed at which innovators race along the information superhighway.

READ MORE

Tropic Sprockets: Tampopo

Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” (1985) is probably the first fetish film about Japanese noodles. While it is debatable whether it is uproariously funny as a comedy, the film is surreal, quirky, freewheeling and risky as well as risqué.

READ MORE

Front Row at the Movies: Ninotchka

Considered one of the greatest actresses of all time, Swedish-born Greta Garbo was known for her “melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic characters, and her subtle and understated performances.” So a rom-com was certainly a change of pace.

READ MORE

Tropic Sprockets: Book Club: The Next Chapter

Suffice to say, the plot is formulaic and manufactured a bit like looking at a spread from Vanity Fair magazine. But there is comfort in watching the four actors. They all have a rapport.

READ MORE

Front Row at the Movies: The Wizard of Oz

“The Wizard of Oz” was always about a search: a winding journey toward figuring out something about yourself. Yes, Oz exists in our imagination – and on the silver screen. And you can go there for the price of a movie ticket.

READ MORE

Front Row at the Movies: Book Club: The Next Chapter

This seems to be a new trend, movies about elderly women having adventures and going places. “80 for Brady” was one of these. So was “Moving On.” These national treasures seem to be constructing their own girls-night-out genre.

READ MORE

Tropic Sprockets: Vertigo

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” is a tour de force. Slick, vivid and gorgeously filmed, it is now noted as one of cinema’s greatest films.

READ MORE

Front Row at the Movies: Showing Up

There’s nothing flashy here, just a slow paced well-meaning film looking at the everyday life of an artist who finally stands up for herself, her art, and life in the end.

READ MORE

Tropic Sprockets: Showing Up

Reichardt is appealingly consistent, and her films are a refreshing antidote to the bombastic blockbuster. By focusing on the minutia of her characters, the director reveals certain quirks and eccentricities within, creating a compelling experience.

READ MORE

Front Row at the Movies: Return to Seoul

Total Film observes, “Ji-min’s electric lead energizes a nimble investigation into identity.” That’s impressive, considering this is her first film role.

READ MORE