This banner is for a review of The Phoenician Scheme.

‘The Phoenician Scheme’ Movie Review: Wes Anderson’s Stylish Misfire

Everybody knows the greatest thing about Wes Anderson’s movies is their sense of style. Style is the tool he uses to bring lightness to dark and complex subjects such as grief, the creeping threat of fascism and being an insufferable young person. The staging and blocking, the centering of images, …

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‘Carême’ Season 1, Episode 4 Review: Buy the Crown!

On the one hand, this is the weakest episode yet of Carême, full of characterisations that are regrettable cliche. On the other, director Matias Boucard, cinematographer Julio Ramón Ribeyro and editor Jean-Baptiste Beaudoin managed to create a mood that makes palpable both the price of power and the cost of …

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‘Carême’ Season 1, Episode 3 Review: A Recipe for a Disaster

Everybody clearly had a wonderful time making this episode of Carême, in which they either very politely make vicious threats to each other, or create a colossal mess. Best of all, nudity! Sorry, this is France: nudité. One bottom belongs to a male extra who has evidently just participated in …

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‘Carême’ Season 1, Episode 2 Review: Blackmail

What happens throughout this episode is, in the very best sense of the word, adult. Carême’s understanding that people’s motivations and people’s desires do not necessarily reflect their best selves is unknown in American art. But the French are perhaps more capable of acknowledging the gap between their best and …

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This is a review of the spy movie, The Amateur.

‘The Amateur’ Movie Review: Can Revenge Heal Grief?

I consider James Hawes’ feature directorial debut, One Life, one of the most memorable films of its release year. Based on the director alone, expectations for his sophomore effort were already high. Add to that The Amateur being a spy thriller starring Rami Malek – whose career-best performance remains his …

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‘The Agency’ Season 1 Review: Secrets and Intrigue in Fassbender’s CIA Thriller

Media like James Bond and Mission Impossible deliver a sleek, action-packed adventure in the spy genre. However, what many would consider the best spy material does things differently. Instead, more thought-provoking spy-fare focuses on the process and tradecraft. Films like Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, and A Most Wanted Man are …

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The November Man Movie Review - vizio

‘The November Man’ Review: Pierce Brosnan in another Cold War Style Thriller

Pierce Brosnan became an action icon when he portrayed the most iconic secret agent, James Bond. Throughout his four films with the franchise, he appeared in some of the most popular films of the recent era, including Goldeneye. Lately, Brosnan has engaged in action flicks as an experienced agent who …

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Black Doves Netflix Review

‘Black Doves’ Review: Whishaw and Knightley Illuminate Familiar Festive Spy Fare

Well, it seems that we need to say happy holidays to Netflix. Black Doves is the Christmas present you never knew you needed. Think…socks. An expensive, robust pair of socks that doesn’t have holes in them by March. They might not be what you asked for, might not have been …

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The Union Movie Review - 2

‘The Union’ Review: A Netflix Flick That Proves Forgettable is Worse than Bad

The term “Netflix flick” doesn’t usually carry a positive connotation – quite the opposite. It’s typically used to describe yet another generic film lacking creativity or innovation, without even memorable moments through impressive action set pieces, hilarious jokes, or, at the very least, outstanding performances. That said, the streaming service …

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The Sympathizer Miniseries Review

‘The Sympathizer’ Series Review: An Equal Parts Complex and Entertaining Spy Story

Author/Vietnamese-American Professor Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel The Sympathizer is a spy novel unlike any other. The Pulitzer Prize-winning book balances many different themes and ideas. Following an unnamed narrator, it tells a story that is equal parts political thriller, romance, and occasional comedy. That helped make the novel a resonatory and powerful piece of …

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Argylle Movie Review

‘Argylle’ Movie Review – A Jackson Pollock of fun and familiar spy humor

Argylle sees Matthew Vaughn return with another silly, over-the-top spy movie. Mercifully, it’s not the Kingsman characters for once and a brand new story for the Kick-Ass filmmaker (Well, kind of). The film has a lot of derivative qualities, but for the most part, Argylle excels in its enjoyable casting and sequences, which are willing to go for …

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This is a banner for a review of the TV show Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman and on Apple TV+.

Review: ‘Slow Horses’ on Apple TV+ is fast paced and extraordinary with a sharp wit

Slow Horses, now in a third season on Apple TV+,  is one of my new favorite TV shows. It’s been a long time since I’ve found a show that has grabbed my interest and hasn’t left my mind since I finished it, so this show is exhilarating. Slow Horses is adapted from a book …

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