GENERAL NEWS

Movie reviews from some of summer 2022’s biggest films

Aug 16, 2022, 9:30 PM

Mrs. Harris wants to add a bit of couture to her closet, Marcel is the sweetest squatter you’ll ever meet and a murder mystery in the marshes. All from Gayle Bass on films released in July.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: Even trash piled high on the streets courtesy of a workers strike doesn’t diminish the loveliness of the City of Light, or Lesley Manville as the titular character. Mrs. Harris is a working-class cleaning woman and war widow who dreams of a simple thing – a lovely dress by Christian Dior – to wear to a dance. How could she resist, after cleaning homes for the wealthy and titled and savoring the beauty and craftmanship of couture gown? Set in the 1950s, the film is a delight, with Manville’s working-class charm winning enough to win over the French, at least most of them. But Mrs. Harris is more than just a simple cleaning woman; she represents many women of her age who know that just because their 20s and 30s are in the past, their desirability and depth don’t simply disappear.

Where The Crawdads Sing: Another book-turned-movie will delight fans, in that it sticks very closely the bestseller by Delia Owens. Part-mystery, part Southern romance (executive produced by Southern Reese Witherspoon) the film follows the story of Kya, known to locals as the “Marsh Girl.” Abandoned by parents and siblings, Kya lives in the family home in a North Carolina marsh, surviving on her smarts. But she isn’t completely without help: a kindly African-American couple help her navigate the world, along with a male friend of her absent older brother. Heartbreak and a judgmental town make her the prime suspect in the death of one of her few paramours. The film is a study in utility – it has beauty and some charm, but it doesn’t quite capture the enchantment of the book. But it was still enjoyable and worth the price of a matinee ticket.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On: Adorable google-eyed Marcel opines “an audience is not a community” when observing that he has become an internet sensation. This and other observations clue you into how delightful and relatable Marcel is. A documentarian finds Marcel and his grandmother Connie living quietly and nearly invisibly in an AirBnB. They farm, watch what they lovingly call “the Show,” what we mere humans call “60 Minutes” and love Leslie Stahl as a revered muse. While sharing Marcel’s story online, the filmmaker discovers the shell’s family is missing. What’s missing for Marcel is that connection, even with millions of online followers. Marcel is about so many things: longing, lack of connection in a digitally connected world, elder care and friendship. So here come the shell puns: I’m not going to conch you over the head, but I’m urchin you to see this because it’s a shell of a good time. It’s one of the best films of the year so far.

...

KTAR Video

Video: Andy Biggs discusses campaign as 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race begins to take shape

Andy Biggs discusses campaign as 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race begins to take shape.

36 minutes ago

FILE - State Sen. Niraj Antani, R-6th District, listens during a debate in the Senate Chambers in C...

Associated Press

Amid ‘new dynamic,’ former state Sen. Niraj Antani drops one statewide campaign, launches another

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Former Republican state Sen. Niraj Antani is suspending his 2026 campaign for Ohio secretary of state to run for state treasurer. Antani, 33, of Miamisburg in the Dayton area, on Wednesday cited the “new dynamic” injected into the contest last week when Ohio’s sitting statewide officeholders finally settled into their lanes. […]

51 minutes ago

An egg on a mural displaying breakfast items as Teaira Booker sweeps, at The Breakfast Brothers res...

Associated Press

Breakfast is booming at US restaurants. Is it also contributing to high egg prices?

It’s a chicken-and-egg problem: Restaurants are struggling with record-high U.S. egg prices, but their omelets, scrambles and huevos rancheros may be part of the problem. Breakfast is booming at U.S. eateries. First Watch, a restaurant chain that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, nearly quadrupled its locations over the past decade to 570. Eggs Up Grill […]

51 minutes ago

The evacuation order for the Brady Fire was lifte on Wednesday....

KTAR.com

Evacuation order lifted for residents near Brady Fire south of Prescott

The evacuation order for a community threatened by the Brady Fire south of Prescott was lifted on Wednesday evening, authorities said.

1 hour ago

A bouquet of white flowers placed outside the headquarters of the United States Agency for Internat...

Associated Press

USAID employees want a judge to keep blocking Trump’s effort to pull most of them off the job

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employees at the U.S. Agency for International Development are asking a federal judge on Thursday to keep blocking an effort by President Donald Trump’s administration meant to pull all but a fraction of worldwide staffers off the job. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated by Trump, handed the administration and […]

2 hours ago

FDNY firefighters respond to a deadly fire at a Buddhist temple in the Bronx borough of New York on...

Associated Press

A fire at Buddhist temple in New York killed 2 people, including a monk

A fire at a Buddhist temple in New York City has left two people dead, including a Buddhist monk. New York City fire officials say the fire broke out around 6 a.m. Wednesday in the Bronx. “We had fire throughout two buildings, and unfortunately, we did have two fatalities,” FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito […]

2 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Collins Comfort Masters: Your go-to plumbing experts in Arizona

Collins Comfort Masters, a trusted name in HVAC, water and plumbing since 1985, is you go-to plumbers for the residents of Phoenix and the Valley.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

Movie reviews from some of summer 2022’s biggest films