Johanna Lester

Grab your best slip skirt and fuzzy cardigan, because we are back, witches.  “Practical Magic,” the 1998 film directed by Griffin Dunne starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as Sally and Gillian Owens, sister witches burdened by a generational curse, was, like so many romantic comedies (then and now), a bit of a flop at […]

American cheesemongers have a chip on their shoulders.  It’s not entirely unwarranted. American cheese (the category) is fairly young, all things considered, gaining traction only in the 1970s, and is often conflated with the giant bricks of yellowish-orange American cheese (the product) found in grocery stores across the country. “The Big Cheese,” a new documentary […]

“You, Me & Tuscany,” directed by Kat Cairo, is less its own film and more a patchwork of other, better films that came before. Escape to an Italian villa? “Under the Tuscan Sun” and “Only You.” A heated moment during an impromptu rain (or in this case, sprinkler) shower? “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” A […]

Despite solid lead performances by Robert Pattinson and Zendaya, this dramatic character study can’t justify doing it for the plot.

This uneven (Heath)cliff’s notes adaptation hits some hot highs.