Film Critic
Vice president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association; Senior critic for Screen International, chief film critic for Paste, and film critic for the New Republic
PROFILE
Tim Grierson
Guest
FROM Tim Grierson
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Will fans of 'A Wrinkle in Time' be happy with Ava DuVernay's film adaptation? Our critics review “A Wrinkle In Time,” the first $100+ million dollar film directed by a black woman; “Thoroughbreds,” an R-rated movie about two upper-class teenage girls, and one of them has a cruel stepfather; “The Death of Stalin,” a political satire by the creator of “Veep;” and “Gringo,” a dark comedy starring Charlize Theron and David Oyelowo.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Is Jack Black over the top in 'Polka King?' Our critics review “Paddington 2,” the second live-action adaptation of the iconic British children’s book; “The Polka King” on Netflix, starring Jack Black as a Polish immigrant and polka band leader; and “The Commuter,” starring Liam Neeson as an insurance salesman who meets a stranger on a train.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How does 'Justice League' stack up to other DC superhero movies? Our critics review “Justice League,” where Ben Affleck’s Batman and Gal Gadot’s Super Woman assemble a team of heroes to avenge Superman’s death and save the planet; “Mudbound,” where a white man and a black man return home to rural Mississippi after fighting in World War II; “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” starring Denzel Washington as a gifted and idealistic defense attorney who eventually finds himself in trouble.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Can 'Marshall' teach more about Thurgood Marshall's personal life than history books? Our critics review “Marshall,” starring Chadwick Boseman as the first African-American Supreme Court Justice; “78/52,” a documentary about one of the most famous scenes in cinema history; “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” a superhero origin story; and more.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What to expect from Telluride Film Festival 2017 The Telluride Film Festival kicks off today. It’s not as glitzy as Venice, Toronto or Cannes, but it has a good track record of hosting future Oscar winners. We look at what’s being screened there this weekend. Our critics also weigh in on new releases out today: “I Do...Until I Don’t,” “Tulip Fever,” and “Dolores.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Can Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' rake it in at the box offices? What are the highlights from Comic Con? We also get reviews of “Dunkirk,” about an epic battle and troop evacuation in World War II; “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” a sci-fi thriller in which 1000 planets are threatened by a dark force; and “Landline,” an indie about a family in Manhattan.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
'Transformers: The Last Knight' links to legend of King Arthur Our critics review the latest installment in the “Transformers” franchise, where Optimus Prime is gone and a war is on between humans and transformers; “The Bad Batch,” in which the world’s undesirables are cast off into the desert to be chased by cannibals; and the romantic comedy “The Big Sick.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
With women at the helm, 'Wonder Woman' wows Our critics review the long-awaited “Wonder Woman” blockbuster, starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins; “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” based on a popular children’s book series; and “Band Aid,” about a couple who hopes to alleviate their marriage problems by forming a band together.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Remembering Jonathan Demme and his impact on the concert film Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme died today in New York at age 73. He made “Silence of the Lambs,” “Philadelphia,” and the seminal Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How is the "Fast and Furious" franchise holding up? Our critics review “The Fate of the Furious,” the eighth installment of the “Fast” franchise, which now includes Charlize Theron; “The Lost City of Z,” an old-fashioned epic about an explorer in the Amazon in the early 1900s; and “Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer,” which stars Richard Gere.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Reviews: Harry potter-esque flick, family drama, and teen humor "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is a new film set in the Harry Potter universe. "Manchester by the Sea" deals with grief and recovering from loss. "The Edge of Seventeen" is possibly the teen movie you’ve been waiting for.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Justin Timberlake and concert films Whether you’re driving back from weekend two of the Desert Trip concert, or preparing for next year’s Coachella, shelling out hundreds of dollars to watch live music is a price some of us will gladly pay. But there’s always been the cheaper, less time-consuming option: watching a concert film. There’s a new one on Netflix that’s attracting some positive reviews. Not just for the artist, Justin Timberlake, but for the filmmaker, Jonathan Demme. He directed what’s considered one of the best concert films of all time called Stop Making Sense, about the band Talking Heads. The new film is called Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What to see at the movie theater this weekend New releases at the cinema this weekend include: “Deepwater Horizon,” a film based on the explosion on an oil rig that led to the BP oil spill in 2010; Tim Burton’s “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children;’ “Napoleon Dynamite” director Jared Hess’s new flick, “Masterminds,” and Cannes indie fave “American Honey.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Film: Adults-only ‘Sausage Party’, Kid-friendly ‘Pete’s Dragon’ The weekend’s movies include something for everyone – a sex comedy about food (or is it a food comedy about sex?), a terrible opera singer, an animated dragon and mustachioed bank robbers. What’s worth heading out to the cineplex for?
Recommended
The Treatment
Jordan Peele: Get Out Comedian Jordan Peele joins Elvis Mitchell to discuss his directorial debut Get Out. (REPEAT)
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Terrorism in London: Lessons for the US This weekend’s terrorist attack in London left seven people dead and almost 50 injured. London police fatally shot the attackers, and ISIS claimed responsibility.
The Business
In 'Speechless,' Scott Silveri combines comedy, family & disability Scott Silveri has written and produced sitcoms for more than 20 years. In all that time, he never encountered a TV family that looked anything like the one he grew up in -- with a mom, a dad...and a brother with cerebral palsy. He changed that with his show Speechless on ABC. Silveri tells us about looking to his own past for stories, and why he was determined to make a family comedy and not just a "disability show."
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How do Trump supporters feel about the Paris Accord? Globally and around the U.S., there are strong opinions whether or not the Paris Climate Accord is a good idea. The American exit is either a horrifying abdication of American leadership or a forceful and long overdue statement about U.S. sovereignty.