“Red Sparrow” – Jennifer Lawrence Sizzles in This Underrated Spy Thriller

If you missed “Red Sparrow” when it hit theaters in 2018, you’re not alone. Despite starring Jennifer Lawrence at the peak of her fame, the film flew under the radar, earning mixed reviews and a modest box office return. But make no mistake—this psychological spy thriller is a hidden gem that deserves a second look, especially for fans of slow-burn espionage stories and complex female leads.

Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova, a Russian ballerina whose life is upended after a career-ending injury. Forced into a brutal intelligence training program known as “Sparrow School,” she’s molded into a weapon of seduction and manipulation. It’s a chilling premise, and the film doesn’t shy away from the trauma and violation involved—but Lawrence elevates the material, delivering one of the boldest and most emotionally raw performances of her career.

At 5’9” with a striking, athletic build, Lawrence may not have convinced everyone as a prima ballerina (a role typically reserved for more petite dancers), but once the story shifts into espionage territory, she absolutely commands the screen. Dominika isn’t your typical “femme fatale.” She’s reluctant, emotionally scarred, and constantly calculating her next move. Lawrence captures that complexity perfectly, blending vulnerability with icy resolve.

What makes her performance so powerful is the emotional cost of seduction. Dominika doesn’t wield her sexuality with ease—she uses it because she has to, and Lawrence never lets the audience forget that. Her portrayal is layered, sensual, and often uncomfortable in the best possible way. You’re not watching a fantasy—you’re watching a woman learn to survive a brutal system by turning it against itself.

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“The Fall Guy” generates tons of buzz at SXSW premiere

“The Fall Guy” starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt had its world premiere this past week at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. This new action film will be released on May 2, 2024 and it generated a ton of buzz at the festival with rave reviews from critics.

The movie is directed by David Leitch, known for action films like “Bullet Train” and “Deadpool 2.” The film combines action with heart and a large dose of comedy. It’s based on the television show from the 80s of the same name with Gosling playing daredevil stuntman named Colt Seavers.

The movie keeps the core concept of a stuntman-bounty hunter and delivers a worthy tribute to the original show starring Lee Majors and the beautiful Heather Thomas.

After the premiere, social media sites were flooded with positive reactions as both fans and critics seemed to love the movie. All of this buzz and the reaction of critics has led to a very positive score so far on Rotten Tomatoes.

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“Sideways” is a fantastic and influential comedy drama

“Sideways” is a fantastic 2004 comedy-drama film that tells the story of Miles, a depressed, unsuccessful writer and wine enthusiast, and his old college roommate, Jack, a soon-to-be-married actor. The two embark on a week-long road trip through California’s wine country near Santa Barbara. Along the way, their misadventures involve wine tasting, romance, self-discovery, and some pretty wild scenes. This leads to some hilarious and also poignant moments as they confront their personal and professional failures.

The enseble cast is brilliant, with Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh delivering memorable performances. Haden Church and Madsen recived Oscar nominations though all of them deserved recognition. The film won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture while Alexander Payne earned a Best Director nomination.

The film was so influencial that sales of pinot noir spiked in the years following the release of the film. We highly recommend this film.

Movie Flashback: “The Bourne Legacy” (2012)

Screenshot The Bourne Legacy 2012

What’s more important to a movie studio executive than creating a movie franchise? Keeping a successful franchise going.

That’s been the reality of Hollywood for decades, and we’ve seen the results with the utter lack of creativity with respect to new titles.

So, when Matt Damon didn’t want to continue the Bourne franchise after three monster hits, the producers had to improvise.

Enter Jeremy Renner and a new character, Aaron Cross. Renner was an ascending star at the time, so casting him in the lead role made sense. But while the film did fairly well at the box office, it suffered a significant drop off from the previous installment.

The movie isn’t bad, and it delivers the frenetic actions sequences we’ve come to expect from the Bourne films. The movie takes place concurrently with the events of “The Bourne Ultimatum” and follows Cross, a member of Operation Outcome, an offshoot of the CIA’s black ops program Treadstone which created Jason Bourne. The writers add a new wrinkle to the story, as Outcome agents are genetically enhanced through a series of pills known as “chems” that improve their physical and mental abilities.

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David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan cast as Clark Kent and Lois Lane

Rachel Brosnahan screen shot in Marvelous Mrs Maisel season two

DC Studios has bet the farm on James Gunn and rebooting the DC universe. Gunn will write and direct “Superman: Legacy” to kick things off, and a ton is riding on that film.

Naturally, the casting of this film is critical. Many DC fans aren’t happy that Gunn decided to move on from Henry Cavill as Superman.

We now have the highly anticipated announcement of the new Clark Kent and Lois Lane with David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan playing these iconic characters in James Gunn’s film.

Brosnahan is a brilliant choice. She’s beautiful and has the look that makes her an easy fit for the role. Just take a look at the photo above. She was brilliant in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” showing off her comedic skills and boundless charisma. She’ll be a perfect Lois Lane.

As for David Corenswet, we’ll see if he has the gravitas to pull of Superman, but he certainly has the look. Just go to his IMDb page and check out the photos. He’s a dead ringer for a stereotypical Superman, just like Henry Cavill and Christopher Reeve.

We’ll see what happens with “Superman: Legacy,” but DC and Gunn seem to be off to a good start.

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