Allison Janney – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MINIONS & MONSTERS – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

June 29, 2026July 1, 2026 Valerie Kalfrin Allison Janney, Christoph Walz, George Lucas, Illumination Entertainment, jeff bridges, jesse eisenberg, Minions & Monsters, Pierre Coffin, Zoey Deutch

Minions & Monsters is adorably meta, a loving salute not just to movies but to filmmakers, artists, and audiences. It’s easily the best of the three Minions films, packed with affectionate and funny nods to silent and Golden Age movies, from Georges Méliès’s A Trip to the Moon to Citizen Kane. Illumination Entertainment’s typical opener of three greeting Minions becomes black-and-white rubber-hose-style animation this go-round as Minions & Monsters begins, teasing the references in store. These immortal imps soon gallop behind Eadweard Muybridge’s horse in motion and wait for the Lumière brothers’ train as a modern-day tour guide schools children and adults on their place in Hollywood history.

Festivals Reviews

EVERYTHING’S GOING TO BE GREAT (Tribeca 2025) – Review by Beth Accomando

June 16, 2025June 19, 2025 Beth Accomando Allison Janney, bryan cranston, Chris Cooper, Everything’s Going to Be Great, Jack Champion, Jon S. Baird, Tribeca 2025

Everything’s Going to Be Great is a sweet film that hits a lot of familiar notes about a theater kid in a small town and a father who dreams big at the expense of his family. Everything’s Going To Be Great is about family, and about how families navigate ever changing dynamics that pull them apart and then bring them back together. There are no bold strokes of originality here or surprises, but there is genuine comfort in a film about recognizing each other’s weaknesses and strengths, and learning to appreciate each other despite ourflaws.

Reviews

ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

April 30, 2025May 1, 2025 Valerie Kalfrin A Simple Favor, Allison Janney, amazon prime, anna kendrick, Another Simple Favor, blake lively, Darcey Bell, Elizabeth Perkins, Jessica Sharzer, Laeta Kalogridis, Paul Feig

Another Simple Favor is more a travelogue for Italy’s stunning island of Capri than a satisfying mystery, with more twists to track than the island’s jackknifing roads. The film reunites Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively of 2018’s comedic thriller A Simple Favor, where mommy vlogger Stephanie (Kendrick) tracked down the disappearance of her friend, upper-class mom Emily (Lively). The script leans heavily on expository dialogue, which fills in anyone who missed or forgot the earlier film.

Reviews

PALM ROYAL – Review by Susan Granger

June 10, 2024June 15, 2024 Susan Granger Abe Sylvia, Allison Janney, Apple TV+, carol burnett, Josh Lucas, kristen wiig, Laura Dern, Mr. and Mrs. American Pie, Palm Royale

Loosely inspired by Juliet McDaniels’ 2018 novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie, the comedy series Palm Royale, set in the late 1960s, follows the misadventures of former Tennessee beauty queen Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig), a desperate social climber determined to join South Florida’s most elegant, exclusive country club. Created as a darkly comedic melodrama by showrunner Abe Sylvia, this flimsy, farcical, frivolous frolic starts out deceptively shallow but slowly builds in depth and intensity, incorporating a beached whale and an astronaut falling from the sky

Reviews

THE CREATOR – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

September 29, 2023September 30, 2023 Valerie Kalfrin Allison Janney, chris weitz, Gareth Edwards, gemma chan, John David Washington, The Creator

Gareth Edwards’ The Creator, is a mixed bag. It’s a visually stunning, intriguing tale with echoes of the Vietnam War and science-fiction classics such as 1982’s Blade Runner. Yet in crafting a world where artificial intelligence—and simulated people—have branched into every aspect of life, the film leaves little room for nuance. In a nutshell, most humans in The Creator are bad, and the good robots just want to live in peace.

Reviews

THE CREATOR – Review by Susan Granger

September 27, 2023September 30, 2023 Susan Granger Allison Janney, chris weitz, Gareth Edwards, gemma chan, John David Washington, The Creator

British filmmaker Gareth Edwards’ ambitious The Creator abounds with extraordinary visuals, utilizing the very best technology available today – which is why it’s a shame that he neglects to supply an intriguing plot to support his timely spectacle. It’s all about Hollywood’s current obsession with artificial intelligence, exploring AI’s utopian and dystopian possibilities.

Reviews

TO LESLIE – Review by Diane Carson

February 5, 2023February 5, 2023 Diane Carson Allison Janney, Andre Royo, Andrea Riseborough, marc maron, Michael Morris, Stephen Root, To Leslie

The title woman in director Michael Morris’ To Leslie has one defining characteristic. Leslie is an alcoholic with all the baggage destructive to any healthy relationship; that is, Leslie will beg, borrow, or steal money to support her illness and the dysfunctional behavior resulting from it. Inspired by actual events, the story begins more upbeat, with Leslie winning a $190,000 lottery.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK October 7, 2022: TO LESLIE

October 2, 2022October 2, 2022 Jennifer Merin Allison Janney, Andrea Riseborough, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, marc maron, Marilyn Ferdinand., Michael Morris, motw, Movie of the Week, nell minow, Owen Teague, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, To Leslie

Andrea Riseborough adds yet another memorable performance to her impressive filmography in director Michael Morris’ wrenching drama To Leslie. She’s heartbreakingly vulnerable as a West Texas woman who gets one last chance to turn her life around after she squanders a $190,00 lottery win and her drinking spirals out of control. At stake is her self-respect, any hope of happiness, and her relationship with her son.

Reviews

BAD EDUCATION – Review by Martha K Baker

May 7, 2020May 8, 2020 Martha K. Baker (Archived Contributor) 0 Comments Allison Janney, Annaleigh Ashford, bad education, Cory Finley, hbo, Hugh Jackman, ray romano, truth-based

Bad Education tells well the true story of a bad principal. Frank Tassone is one of those principals who knows each student’s name — and probably what his history project is or what sport she plays. He is compassionate, considerate, competent. He also harbors a secret worth millions.

Reviews

BAD EDUCATION – Review by Susan Granger

April 28, 2020April 30, 2020 Susan Granger 0 Comments Allison Janney, bad education, Cory Finley, Hugh Jackman, truth-based

Based on a real embezzlement scheme that stunned suburban Roslyn, Long Island in 2004, it’s as timely as last year’s college admissions scandal. Perceptively acing a diabolically complicated character, Hugh Jackman oozes charismatic charm as the slick yet sinister administrator, a perfect counterpart to Allison Janney’s brash budget director.

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