Film reviews

Paper Tiger Review

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When I go to see a film that centers around mobster territory, I know I am instantly in for a treat. That is because there are always the gray areas of who to trust and where loyalty stands. This is especially true with writing around family dynamics and operations. A thought-provoking finale from the 62nd Chicago International Film festival, writer and director James Gray brings his audiences into the world of the Russian mafia in Paper Tiger. Following up from his previous film Armageddon Time, which revolved around families and a pursuit of the American Dream, he brings his audiences into darker territory that is spellbinding and mentally intriguing. 

 

The film takes place in Queens, New York, and the year is 1986. The family man is Irwin Pearl,  played by Miles Teller and hiswife is Linda Pearl, played by Scarlett Johansson. They have two sons, Scott and Benjamin Pearl, played by Gavin Poudeyand Roman Engel. Irwin works hard to give his family a good life. He’s a family man with a lot of inspirations. He finds himself with an opportunity to start a business with his brother. His brother is Gary Pearl, played by Adam Driver. The operation deals primarily in oil and other partnerships. For Irwin, he views this as a positive step up in life, yet slowly the dangers creep up on him and his family.

 

The film goes into a downward spiral in an innovative way, asthe dangers come around right when Irwin introduces his boys to what his new business opportunities might be.  When he does that, the Russian mob targets them instantly. Irwin must figure out all of the moving parts to keep his family safe, with his wife on the edge as well. Gary though, is connected to both the police and the Russian mafia, but his many operations put him in a life-threatening situation. His abuse of power is not enough to truly suffice what he needs to manage the many dangerous issues he has built up over the years. With that, it can all come down with him.

 

What is spellbinding is the levels of loyalty portrayed.  While timing is of the essence, Irwin continuously finds himself as the target, while Gary keeps stringing him along with his useless promises. At the same time, Linda is in the place where she feels her life with her boys is bound to be destroyed. It is a life of danger that was never asked for, and they must learn to stand their ground. The direction of Gray is strong with audiences to be reminded that loyalties can be deceiving and manipulated, and that with the mob, everyone must be prepared for everything.

 

A vibrantly twisted, dangerous and extremely thought-provokingfilm. Paper Tiger is one of the best films of 2026. The political aspects of the Russian mob and the era depicted are all intertwined with mixed messages to deliver a cinematic epic of wonders. I was very sold on Paper Tiger. Four out of four stars.

 

Film reviews

The Mosquito Bowl Review

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This is a film that is based on a true story revolving around football and war. The Mosquito Bowl is directed by Peter Berg, who took audiences on a journey of realism in his films Lone Survivor and Patriots Day. Both of these defined real events of war with important details. There are plenty of these “details” in The Mosquito Bowl. I will say this one feels like the most historic adaptation I have seen from Berg.

 

The film opens with football as the focus. It begins with universities such as Brown University in 1945. Then it jumps to Harvard Vs. Brown University in 1941, and from there, Purdue Vs. Wisconsin in 1941—the presence of football players and establishing a championship carries a big sports vibe at the beginning of The Mosquito Bowl. It is an introduction with a lotof touchdowns, and I say this because I felt sold by the determination that starts off this film. It is of those working to get to the top to become champions. Football players, parties, and presence—the rising stars in the world of sports are thematic from the opening moment in The Mosquito Bowl.

 

The main heroes of the film are Tony Butkovich (Ray Nicholson), Bob Baumann (Bill Skarsgaard), Dave Schreiner (Tom Francis), and John McLaughry (Nicholas Galitzine). They enlist to serve in the United States Marine Corps. They chose to do this because of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Their biggestupcoming match yet is The Mosquito Bowl. This game is their preparation for war in Okinawa. Football is no longer the life of these four players; it is also their double life. They must do what they can to fight their way back to play on a real field again, and to serve their country.

 

Throughout the film there are archived war moments.  Berg does create a space for audiences to clear their mind with The Mosquito Bowl, with a cushioned room approach where their minds can take a break from all the horrid war that happens on and off throughout the film. This aspect was one that I found to be exhilarating—because I was in constant expectation of elements either intense or calm—most of The Mosquito Bowl is however wretched and violent with war moments. 

 

The battle scenes are lengthy at ten-to-twenty-five-minutes sequences. My mind was blown by the acoustics. They were blended with the visual intensity, which was audacious and stunning. I did not want The Mosquito Bowl to end. I wanted to know if the players would ever make it to a football field again. At the same time, I felt their new home was on the battlefield. Especially with bigger powers being in control of their destiny. Many heroic elements rise in The Mosquito Bowl. With Okinawa as the center of a heavy war, The Mosquito Bowl is a match where audiences are rooting for the football legends. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for The Mosquito Bowl.

 

Film reviews

Godzilla Minus Zero Review

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A continuation from Godzilla Minus One, and the very first Godzilla film that roars with a R rating.  Godzilla Minus Zero is magnificent, spellbinding, loud, and enticing. The scenes filled with monstrous battles left me breathless, especially due to the IMAX format. I felt surrounded by the presence of monsters on the largest scale possible. There is so much to Godzilla Minus Zero that my mind was blown and the thoughts lingered with me long after the credits rolled.

Following the events of Godzilla Minus One, the Shikishima family is the focus as they face a new disaster. It has been two years since surviving the monsters, but the chaos is not over yet. In Godzilla Minus Zero, there are more creatures and additional battles.That is why the film was slapped with the R rating—there is more violence than before. The main characters (many of whom are returning from the previous film) are Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe), Dr. Ogata (Jun Kunimura), Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), Makoto Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa), Shiro Mizushima (Yuki Yamada), Sosaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), and Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka). They will have to face uncharted territory. They survived the monsters once, can they survive again? The answers are waiting in the fighting pits.

The newest enemy is Ghidorah, a dragon with multiple heads. The newest threatening monster swarms throughout the film. There are new powers based on advanced science to be unleashed. Godzilla is the only one that can take Ghidorah down. Throughout the film, there are waves of trials and errors, and fragments of what is untold from the previous film. There is much more theory in Godzilla Minus Zero and it roars with elements that count. From the very opening of the film, Godzilla is stirring up all kinds of mayhem. 

My experience of this movie was at the Cinemark Seven Bridges & IMAX in Woodridge, Illinois. The one IMAX everyone traveled miles to experience The Odyssey on 70 MM. Godzilla Minus Zero was digital in the IMAX format, but the scenes of the film shot with IMAX cameras made all the monsters and action feel like such a spectacle of an experience.

Loud roars are mixed with cinematically daring damage in this film which loops in science to bring the two heroes together for a showdown. The other element that is well written involves the impact from Godzilla in the previous film. There is more of that ahead, but the pattern used in the writing is spot-on. Godzilla Minus Zero pulled me in deep with a strong, inspirational storyline. The message that the world will keep facing new challenges is handled effectively in this franchise. Fortunately, Godzilla Minus Zero has a director who knows what he is doing. Four out of four stars. 

 

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