At The Movies Archive

Project Hail Mary & Sirāt

Project Hail Mary" has been a hit movie this spring, and so HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano consider the reasons why in this podcast episode. In this sci fi adventure, Ryan Gosling gives a fine performance as a middle school science teacher whose academic background prompts government officials to send him on an outer space mission to study a mysterious alien force that likes to eat stars. Hey, our sun is a star and so we have reason to worry back here on planet earth! It's a tense story that is leavened with a lot of comedy. Marie loved this movie and Mike not so much, because he found it too cutesy for his curmudgeonly taste. Marie and Mike also discuss "Sirāt," a powerful Spanish drama about a father's journey to find a daughter who went missing in Morocco. This film deliberately does not explain every plot point, leaving viewers with much to contemplate during an existential trip through a beautifully bleak landscape.

Wuthering Heights & Midwinter Break

Emily Bronte's 1847 novel "Wuthering Heights" has inspired various film versions over the years, and now the latest iteration stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as the ill-fated lovers on the Yorkshire Moors. In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano get all academic with their page-to-screen analysis. Although Marie and Mike have their share of negative observations to make about this screen adaptation, they acknowledge that it's the sort of boisterous, lavishly produced film that's sure to get people talking about it.  As they keep talking, Marie and Mike go on to discuss "Midwinter Break." This modestly scaled character study features Lesley Manville and Ciaran Hinds as a long-married couple who take a vacation trip to Amsterdam. Our critics carp about a number of things in the script, but agree that the actors are really fine.

No Other Choice & 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

The South Korean director Park Chan-wook made an international name for himself with "Oldboy," and he has continued to tackle edgy material. In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano talk about his new film, "No Other Choice." It's about a longtime paper company employee who is suddenly downsized and embarks on an extreme form of revenge. Marie and Mike agree that this dark comedy meanders and has an excessive running time, but it's disturbingly entertaining. Marie and Mike also talk about "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." The fourth installment in this postapocalyptic zombie franchise, it's technically well-crafted and yet our critics are bothered by its relentlessly sadistic violence and think that much of what should be scary instead comes across as borderline camp. But Marie and Mike are enthusiastic about Ralph Fiennes' terrific performance as a doctor seeking a cure for whatever it is that has turned so many people into zombies. The good doctor sure has his work cut out for him.

Avatar: Fire and Ash & Marty Supreme

In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano go on at length about the lengthy "Avatar: Fire and Ash." They have mixed feelings about this latest installment in James Cameron's blue-hued franchise, because they think the immersive 3-D filmmaking yields wonderful action sequences, yet the dramatic scenes suffer from ponderous dialogue. Marie and Mike also discuss "Marty Supreme," which is anchored by the reliably terrific Timothee Chalamet as a table tennis player in the early 1950s. Although the supremely flawed title character is entertaining to watch as he mistreats everyone around him, too many scenes simply reinforce that point, and the subplots seem arbitrary.

Wicked: For Good & Rental Family

The Broadway musical "Wicked" spawned a two-part movie version. Part I was a box office hit in 2024 and now "Wicked: For Good" is a box office hit in 2025. In this podcast episode, HCC film professors Marie Westhaver and Mike Giuliano take a long walk on that Yellow Brick Road as they discuss the things they like and the things they do not like about this colorful spectacle. They're in strong agreement that Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba and Ariana Grande's Glinda/Galinda are a dynamic vocal duo. Marie and Mike also talk about "Rental Family," in which Brendan Fraser portrays an American actor in Japan who is hired to impersonate participants in real-life family situations. This is an actual cultural practice there, so the film is sociologically fascinating. Although our critics think there are some missed scripted opportunities, this film has definite sentimental appeal.