Caught somewhere between a movie and a series, “Willie Nelson & Family” doubles down on the history and mythology of its namesake to stretch the latter into what would have been better served as the former.  Honest, introspective, yet rarely revelatory, the anthology often mistakes the comprehensive for the essential, and while it succeeds in explaining Willie Nelson to its audience, that’s about all it does. For fans of the Red Headed Stranger, that might be enough, but anyone looking to explore Willie’s place in the intersection of country music, pop culture, and the sociopolitical fabric of 20th America might be disappointed.

Continue reading ‘Willie Nelson & Family’ Review: Docuseries Mistakes The Comprehensive For the Essential In Well-Meaning Slog [Sundance] at The Playlist.

A good biopic has to come from a variety of areas. First, the subject has to be interesting enough to warrant a feature film. Then you definitely need a quality filmmaker to bring it to life. And finally, the cast really should be solid, otherwise the filmmaking and subject are all for naught. (Now, that I think about it, this is true of all films, but I digress.) All that to say, the cast and crew for the new film, “Raised Eyebrows,” sure does tick a lot of those boxes.

Continue reading Oren Moverman’s ‘Raised Eyebrows’ Stars Geoffrey Rush As Groucho Marx, Sienna Miller & Charlie Plummer at The Playlist.

Nothing busts canons quite like living in interesting times. In our ongoing Inflection Point series, we look back at the films that have taken on new relevance due to our ongoing cultural and political upheaval. Some beloved, some undiscovered, these titles deserve newfound consideration as film criticism evolves to meet the moment.

In 1997, a pair of high-profile incidents put a national spotlight on the Los Angeles Police Department.

Continue reading Oren Moverman’s ‘Rampart’ Takes An Unconventional Approach To Bad Cop Cliches at The Playlist.

Writer/director Oren Moverman (“The Messenger,” “Rampart,” “Time Out Of Mind“) doesn’t do formulaic cinema. His latest movie, “The Dinner,” is no exception. The challenging film, with difficult characters, uncomfortable dialogue, and an intricate narrative structure, makes for an ambitious monster of a movie.

Richard Gere plays Stan Lohman, a controversial politician whose political life keeps being sidetracked by his clinically depressed brother Paul (Steve Coogan).

Continue reading Oren Moverman Talks ‘The Dinner’ & Wanting To Make A Bruce Springsteen Biopic [Interview] at The Playlist.

“Apes.” It is high school teacher and avid history scholar Paul Lohman’s preferred term of abuse for his congressman brother Stan (Richard Gere) and his wife Katelyn (Rebecca Hall). And it is spat out by him, as played by a revelatory Steve Coogan, several times over, often to his wife Claire (Laura Linney) in Oren Moverman‘s unfeasibly compelling “The Dinner,” based on Herman Koch‘s bestselling novel.

Continue reading ‘The Dinner’ Is A Savage Satire With Stand-Out Performances From Steve Coogan & Richard Gere [Review] at The Playlist.

“Apes.” It is high school teacher and avid history scholar Paul Lohman’s preferred term of abuse for his congressman brother Stan (Richard Gere) and his wife Katelyn (Rebecca Hall). And it is spat out by him, as played by a revelatory Steve Coogan, several times over, often to his wife Claire (Laura Linney) in Oren Moverman‘s unfeasibly compelling “The Dinner,” based on Herman Koch‘s bestselling novel.

Continue reading Everyone Is Eaten Alive In Savage ‘The Dinner’ With Steve Coogan, Laura Linney, Richard Gere & Rebecca Hall [Berlin Review] at The Playlist.

If you put Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, and Rebecca Hall around a table — real or cinematic — we’d gladly break bread with them. And the cast alone, coupled with the talented Oren Moverman (“The Messenger,” “Rampart“) behind the camera, make “The Dinner” one we’re keen to see.

Continue reading Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan & Rebecca Hall Break Bread In First Trailer For Oren Moverman’s ‘The Dinner’ at The Playlist.

With the best will in the world, we can’t pretend that the 2017 Berlin Film Festival lineup has that many major buzz titles in comparison to previous years. But it pays to remember that the Berlinale is a peculiar festival in that even when it has a high-profile, established-auteur-laden programme, it’s inevitably not those movies that really punch hardest in the end (we’re looking at you, Terrence Malick, Werner Herzog, Wim Wenders and more, all of whom debuted disappointing work at the festival in recent years).

Continue reading The 10 Most Exciting Films In The 2017 Berlin Lineup at The Playlist.

Movies That Changed My Life: 'Time Out Of Mind' Director Oren Moverman

Continue reading Movies That Changed My Life: ‘Time Out Of Mind’ Director Oren Moverman at The Playlist.

Watch An Exclusive Clip Of Richard Gere's Great Performance In Oren Moverman's 'Time Out Of Mind'

Continue reading Watch An Exclusive Clip Of Richard Gere’s Great Performance In Oren Moverman’s ‘Time Out Of Mind’ at The Playlist.

Review: Oren Moverman's 'Time Out Of Mind' Starring Richard Gere Is A Humanist Triumph

Continue reading Review: Oren Moverman’s ‘Time Out Of Mind’ Starring Richard Gere Is A Humanist Triumph at The Playlist.

Watch: Richard Gere Is Homeless In The First Trailer For Oren Moverman’s ‘Time Out Of Mind’

Continue reading Watch: Richard Gere Is Homeless In The First Trailer For Oren Moverman’s ‘Time Out Of Mind’ at The Playlist.

Review: Brian Wilson Biopic 'Love & Mercy' With Paul Dano & John Cusack Is A Fascinating Portrait Of A Musical Genius

Continue reading Review: Brian Wilson Biopic ‘Love & Mercy’ With Paul Dano & John Cusack Is A Fascinating Portrait Of A Musical Genius at The Playlist.

Casting: Michael Shannon & Kevin Spacey Are 'Elvis & Nixon,' Chris Cooper Is J.D. Salinger & More

Continue reading Casting: Michael Shannon & Kevin Spacey Are ‘Elvis & Nixon,’ Chris Cooper Is J.D. Salinger & More at The Playlist.

TIFF Interview: Oren Moverman Talks Homelessness, Compassion And Making 'Time Out Of Mind' Starring Richard Gere

Continue reading TIFF Interview: Oren Moverman Talks Homelessness, Compassion And Making ‘Time Out Of Mind’ Starring Richard Gere at The Playlist.

Casting: Maude Apatow Joins 'Girls,' Uma Thurman Cooks Up 'Adam Jones' With Bradley Cooper & More

Continue reading Casting: Maude Apatow Joins ‘Girls,’ Uma Thurman Cooks Up ‘Adam Jones’ With Bradley Cooper & More at The Playlist.

Oren Moverman To Direct 'Time Out Of Mind' Starring Richard Gere

Continue reading Oren Moverman To Direct ‘Time Out Of Mind’ Starring Richard Gere at The Playlist.

HBO Picks Up PTSD Drama 'Laughs Unlimited' From 'Rampart' & 'The Messenger' Director Oren Moverman

Continue reading HBO Picks Up PTSD Drama ‘Laughs Unlimited’ From ‘Rampart’ & ‘The Messenger’ Director Oren Moverman at The Playlist.

Ben Foster Prepping Directorial Debut With Oren Moverman Producing, Gregg Araki's Next Is Cop Thriller 'The Womb'

Continue reading Ben Foster Prepping Directorial Debut With Oren Moverman Producing, Gregg Araki’s Next Is Cop Thriller ‘The Womb’ at The Playlist.

Oren Moverman Talks Taking A Paranoid Woody Harrelson To Dark Places For The Searing Police Drama 'Rampart'

Continue reading Oren Moverman Talks Taking A Paranoid Woody Harrelson To Dark Places For The Searing Police Drama ‘Rampart’ at The Playlist.

Review: Woody Harrelson Stands Tall Amidst Crumbling LAPD In Riveting 'Rampart'

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Oren Moverman Says His Brian Wilson Biopic Script Is Done, Takes "Unconventional Storytelling" Approach

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Oren Moverman Attached To Direct Turn Of The Century Pic 'The Big Blow'

Continue reading Oren Moverman Attached To Direct Turn Of The Century Pic ‘The Big Blow’ at The Playlist.

Woody Harrelson Says He'll Re-Team With Oren Moverman Again For A "Manhattan Murder Mystery"

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2011's Potential Oscar Nominees For Acting, Directing & Writing Get Together To Talk At THR's Awards Roundtable

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