Linda Cardellini – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

DTF ST. LOUIS – Review by Lynn Venhaus

March 3, 2026 Lynn Venhaus David Harbour, DTF St. Louis, HBO limited series, jason bateman, Joy Sunday, Linda Cardellini, peter sarsgaard, richard jenkins, Steve Conrad

Despite its titillating title, DTF St. Louis is not as cringy as it may seem, but yes, frank sexuality is a major part of the HBO limited series. Writer-director Steve Conrad’s aim is to explore what repressed desires and temptation lead to in a typical Midwest suburb – the holy trinity of modern crime dramas: betrayal, double-crosses, and secrets. And a healthy dose of awkwardness. As he probes middle-age malaise in an offbeat, but familiar way, Conrad’s seven-episode arc centers on an unusual murder mystery.

Reviews

NONNAS – Review by Susan Granger

May 28, 2025May 28, 2025 Susan Granger Brenda Vaccaro, Drea de Matteo, Enoteca Maria, Jody Scaravella, Joe Manganiello, Karen Giordano, Linda Cardellini, Liz Maccie, Lorraine Bracco, netflix, Nonnas, Stephen Chbosky, susan sarandon, Talia Shire, vince vaughn

Feel-good films are few and far-between these days, so discovering Nonnas was an unexpected delight. Nonnas was inspired by the true story of Jody Scaravella who, after the death of his mother, opened a restaurant called Enoteca Maria. Always captivated by watching his Italian mother and grandmother (‘nonna’) in the kitchen, the words of comfort that touched inconsolable Joey (Vince Vaughn) the most were: “You need to feed your grief. It’s your only way through.” .A middle-aged M.T.A. mechanic living in Brooklyn, Joey knew nothing about opening and running a restaurant when he impulsively bought the run-down Staten Island property in 2007 and recruited four elderly ‘nonnas’ to cook authentic, traditional Italian dishes.

Reviews

NONNAS – Review by Lynn Venhaus

May 9, 2025May 11, 2025 Lynn Venhaus Brenda Vaccaro, Drea de Matteo, Enoteca Maria, grandmothers as the cooks, Jody Scaravella, Joe Manganiello, Karen Giordano, Linda Cardellini, Liz Maccie, Lorraine Bracco, netflix, Nonnas, Stephen Chbosky, susan sarandon, Talia Shire, vince vaughn

Lasagna Della Nonna, Polla Alla Cacciatora, Polpetta, Burrata and Capuzzelle are on the menu at Enoteca Maria. On screen, in the charming Nonnas, you can imagine smelling the basil and garlic, and tasting a flavorful meal that will feed your soul, made from time-honored family recipes. To honor his mother and grandmother, Jody Scaravella wanted to share the pleasures of Italian American cuisine at a restaurant where breaking bread would create a sense of home. The comedy Nonnas is based on his bumpy true story of opening a convivial trattoria on Staten Island in 2007, with a lively group of local grandmothers as the cooks.

Reviews

THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA – Review by Brandy McDonnell

April 23, 2019June 1, 2019 Brandy McDonnell 0 Comments horror, Linda Cardellini, The Conjuring, The Curse of La Llorona

A standalone entry in the growing “The Conjuring” horror universe – Tony Amendola makes a cameo as his priest character from the franchise’s 2014 installment “Annabelle,” but it’s not necessary to have actually seen any other movies in the series to follow this one – it is set in 1970s Los Angeles and follows Anna Garcia (the underrated Linda Cardellini), a social worker and widow struggling to raise two children.

Reviews

HUNTER KILLER – Review by Brandy McDonnell

October 29, 2018November 1, 2018 Brandy McDonnell 0 Comments gerard butler, Hunter Killer, Linda Cardellini, military dramas submarines

It may not be as useless as a screen door on a submarine, but “Hunter Killer” doesn’t come close to threatening “The Hunt for Red October’s” status as the stuffed-bear prize-holder for top sub thriller, either. South African director Donovan Marsh isn’t the steadiest at the helm with this latest entry into the submerged subgenre of military dramas, but he and his stalwart cast manage to make an engaging if ultimately forgettable undersea adventure.

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AWFJ Movie of the Week, April 27-May 3: AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

April 28, 2015May 3, 2015 Nikki Baughan 0 Comments Andy Serkis, anne brodie, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Don Cheadle, elizabeth olsen, James Spader, Jeremy Renner, Julie Delpy, Linda Cardellini, Mark Ruffalo, maryann johanson, Paul Bettany, robert downey jr, samuel l. jackson, Sandra Kraisirideja, scarlett johansson, Stellan Skarsgård, Thomas Kretschmann

Opening May 1, AWFJ’s Movie of the Week is Avengers: Age of Ultron, the latest instalment in the superhero franchise from writer/director Joss Whedon. This time round, the Avengers must team up to defeat the villainous Utron (voiced by James Spader). Read on…