stanley tucci – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 – Review by Susan Kamyab

April 29, 2026 Susan Kamyab Anne Hathaway, David Frankel, emily blunt, Justin Theroux, kenneth Branagh, lady gaga, lucy liu, Mackenzie Scott, meryl streep, Miranda Priestley, stanley tucci, TDWP2, The Devil Wears Prada 2

Twenty years later Andy is an awarding winning journalist, who has just been let go from her publication, along with her fellow journalism colleges. She receives a life-changing phone call to return to Runway and become the magazine’s features editor in hopes of saving the company from financial struggles and the decline of print journalism. Things have changed since the last time Andy was here. These days, the things Miranda used to say to her employees are not appropriate anymore and she even has to hang her own coat. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a luxurious theatrical joy.

Reviews

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 – Review by Leslie Combemale

April 29, 2026April 29, 2026 Leslie Combemale Anne Hathaway, David Frankel, emily blunt, Justin Theroux, kenneth Branagh, lady gaga, lucy liu, Mackenzie Scott, meryl streep, Miranda Priestley, stanley tucci, TDWP2, The Devil Wears Prada 2

The budget for The Devil Wears Prada 2 was significantly higher than the original 2006 film. Meryl Streep, beloved for her love-to-hate character Miranda Priestly, is quoted as saying, “on this one honey, they spent the money”. She’s right. Every dime shows up onscreen. From the opulent, sophisticated locations and sets to the gorgeous costumes and haut couture designs worn by a parade of star cameos, TDWP2 is serving SERVINGGG LEWKS. The eye candy is everywhere. Fans of the original will love this film for that alone, but they’ll also get a long awaited reintroduction to Miranda Priestly (La Streep), her ever-under appreciated right hand man Nigel Kipling (Stanley Tucci) and her erstwhile nemeses Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) and Emily Charlton (Emily Blunt).

Guest Posts Reviews

JULIE & JULIA – Review by Walker Conger (Mentorship Program Critic)

March 23, 2026March 24, 2026 Guest Post amy adams, AWFJ/UNCSA MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, guest post, ju;ie powell, Julia Childs, julie & julia, Mentorship Program Critic, meryl streep, nora ephron, stanley tucci, walker conger

Nora Ephron said in a 2009 NPR interview that she “…learned to cook from that cookbook [Mastering the Art of French Cooking], and, what’s more, became completely infatuated with the person who’d written it.” Food was a very important part of Ephron’s life and her cinematic career, so it’s fitting that her final film would cover a woman and a topic that has been with her nearly her entire life.

Reviews

CONCLAVE – Review by Susan Granger

October 29, 2024 Susan Granger Carlos Diehz, Conclave, isabella rossellini, John Lithgow, ralph fiennes, Robert Harris, stanley tucci

The psychological thriller Conclave revolves around the selection of a new Pope, a mysteriously secretive process that begins with the death of the Holy Father whose private chambers are immediately sealed as Roman Catholic Cardinals from all over the world descend on the Vatican to be locked in the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes for his successor. “Certainty is the great enemy of unity. Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance. If there was only certainty and no doubt, there would be no mystery and therefore no need for faith,” intones British Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), the anguished, reform-minded Dean of the College of Cardinals who presides over the proceedings. “Let us pray that God grants us a pope who doubts.”

Reviews

CONCLAVE – Review by T.J. Callahan

October 21, 2024October 20, 2024 T. J. Callahan Carlos Diehz, Conclave, isabella rossellini, John Lithgow, ralph fiennes, Robert Harris, stanley tucci

As the Chalice Turns, Conclave isn’t non-fiction, but it plays like the ‘E! True Vatican Story’ of the search for a new Holy Father. The saintly soap opera is full of secrets, scandals and sacraments. The Robed and the Popeless. Based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris, Conclave follows Dean Lawrence, played impeccably by Ralph Fiennes, as he’s tasked with organizing and carrying out the selection of a new pope after the current pontiff unexpectedly dies. His fellow cast of Cardinals, including Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow, begin drawing battle lines for succession until the all knowing Sister Agnes, played by a stone faced Isabella Rossellini, and an unknown clergyman from Kabul (Carlos Diehz) arrive and place a pall on everyone’s plans.

Reviews

CONCLAVE – Review by Diane Carson

October 18, 2024 Diane Carson College of Cardinals, Conclave, Edward Berger, John Lithgow, ralph fiennes, stanley tucci, Vatican

In director Edward Berger’s Conclave, Roman Catholic cardinals convene to choose a new Pope, a formidable task given the political intrigue and jockeying for power. With everyone sequestered for the duration of the election, the twists and turns keep revealing depths of deceitful, cunning machinations. Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow hold center stage in dynamic, combative performances. Unfolding like an intricate, masterfully played chess match, Cardinal Lawrence guides the proceedings: seeking the truth, reacting to dangerous revelations, fighting for spirituality, and fearing the outcome of the virulent power plays. A taut thriller and a fascinating dramatization of religious duplicity, Conclave is one of this year’s best films.

Reviews

WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY – Review by T.J. Callahan

December 20, 2022December 22, 2022 T. J. Callahan biopic, i wanna dance with somebody, kasi lemmons, naomi ackie, stanley tucci, whitney houston

As special a voice as Houston had, I Wanna Dance With Somebody is your typical homogenized PG 13 bio pic to appeal to the masses. Domineering parents, talent discovered, fast rise to fame, breakneck touring schedule, unraveling relationships, a fall from grace, rehab, a failed comeback and a sentimental conclusion.

Reviews

JOLT – Review by Leslie Combemale

July 22, 2021July 23, 2021 Leslie Combemale jolt, kate beckensale, stanley tucci, Tanya Wexler

Kate Beckinsale pummels, punches, kicks and shoots her way through new action comedy Jolt, and looks spectacular every minute doing so. But, don’t look for too much in Jolt. If you forgive its predictability and accept it for the explosive fun it’s meant to be, it might be just the right amount of shock to your system on a Saturday night.

Reviews

SUPERNOVA – Review by Lois Alter Mark

February 25, 2021February 27, 2021 Lois Alter Mark colin firth, harry macqueen, stanley tucci, supernova

“You’re not supposed to mourn someone while they’re still alive,” says Tusker (Stanley Tucci) in Supernova, a quietly powerful movie in which he and his longtime partner, Sam (Colin Firth), are doing just that. Tusker is suffering from early onset dementia and they both know that he doesn’t have long to remain himself. There’s a tenderness to their love that is so rare in movies – especially between two men – and it is a joy to watch. In fact, the world would probably be a better place if more moviemakers featured male characters with this depth of emotional intelligence.

Reviews

SUPERNOVA – Review by Diane Carson

January 29, 2021January 31, 2021 Diane Carson colin firth, dick pope, harry mcqueen, stanley tucci, supernova

This past year’s shift to streaming has invited an increase in films that don’t need to wow with explosions, car chases, and superheroes battling villains on enormous screens. This has brought some superb, thoughtful character studies with emotional and psychological insights. Writer/director Harry Macqueen’s Supernova falls into that category with moments of heartrending emotion.

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