JAKE COYLE

Film writer and critic

Coyle is a film writer and critic for The Associated Press.
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Kingsley Ben-Adir in "Bob Marley: One Love." (Chiabella James/Paramount Pictures via AP)
‘Bob Marley: One Love’ stirs up $27.7M weekend, ‘Madame Web’ flops
Paramount Pictures’ Bob Marley biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” outperformed expectations to debut at No. 1 at the box office with a $27.7 million opening weekend.
 
Takashi Yamazaki poses for a portrait during the 96th Academy Awards Oscar nominees luncheon on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Godzilla, Oscar newbie, stomps into the Academy Awards
Godzilla has been to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, San Francisco, Boston, Moscow, London and Hawaii. But before now, he’s never been to the Oscars.
 
Sean Wang, from left, Yi Yan Fuei, Sam Davis, and Zhang Li Hua pose for a portrait during the 96th Academy Awards Oscar nominees luncheon on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Sean Wang made a home movie. Now, he and his grandmothers are going to the Oscars
The 29-year-old filmmaker Sean Wang can’t believe it, himself, but he’s going to the Oscars with his grandmothers.
 
Former NASA astronaut Ed Dwight poses for a portrait to promote the National Geographic documentary film "The Space Race" during the Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, at The Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Ed Dwight was to be the first Black astronaut. At 90, he’s finally getting his due
It wasn’t until 1983 that the first African American, Guion Bluford, reached space. But two decades earlier, Ed Dwight found himself at a fulcrum of 20th Century American history, where the space race and the struggle for social justice converged.
 
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Kingsley Ben-Adir in "Bob Marley: One Love." (Chiabella James/Paramount Pictures via AP)
Review: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ doesn’t stir - Test
“Bob Marley: One Love” is a noble but uninspired attempt to capture some of the essence of a monumental musical force.
 
★★★★
This image released by IFC Films shows Juliette Binoche, left, and Benoît Magimel in a scene from "The Taste of Things." (Stéphanie Branchu/IFC Films via AP)
Catering to the food movie, ‘The Taste of Things’ serves up a mouthwatering feast
Since before Charlie Chaplin made bread rolls dance in “The Gold Rush,” cinema and cuisine have been as intertwined as the spaghetti of “The Lady and the Tramp.” But a real food movie is a rarer delicacy.
 
This image released by Neon shows Kôji Yakusho, left, and Arisa Nakano in a scene from "Perfect Days." (Neon via AP)
Movie Review: Wim Wenders’ ‘Perfect Days’ is sublime - test
Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” is set among the crowded skyscrapers of Tokyo and the quiet urban parks that Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho) traverses daily in his job cleaning public toilets.
 
This image released by Apple shows Dua Lipa, left, and Henry Cavill in a scene from "Argylle." (Peter Mountain/Apple via AP)
‘Argylle,’ with checkered reviews, flops with $18M for the big-budget Apple release
Apple has had its first box office flop. “Argylle,” the $200-million star-studded spy thriller from Apple Studios, debuted with $18 million in ticket sales.
 
This image released by Apple shows Bryce Dallas Howard, left, and Sam Rockwell in a scene from "Argylle." (Peter Mountain/Apple-Universal Pictures via AP)
Movie Review: ‘Argylle’ won’t blow your socks off
Criss-crossing patterns of ridiculousness and self-satisfaction run through “Argylle,” a tiresome meta movie that puts an awful lot of zest into an awfully empty high-concept story, writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review.
 
This image released by Sundance Institute shows Residente, right, in a scene from "In The Summers" by Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. (Sundance Institute via AP)
‘In the Summers’ and ‘Porcelain War’ win top prizes at Sundance Film Festival
“In the Summers,” an affecting, years-spanning drama about a complicated parent-children relationship, nabbed the Grand Jury prize at the 40th Sundance Film Festival, while the top honor for documentary went to “Porcelain War,” about a Ukrainian couple who craft fragile, intricately painted ceramics
 
Greta Gerwig, left, and Margot Robbie accept the award for best comedy for "Barbie" during the 29th Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
‘Barbie’ Oscars snubs prompt a backlash, even from Ken (and Hillary)
When the Academy Awards passed over Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie for best director and best actress for “Barbie,” many saw some the patriarchy of their film at work.
 
This image released by Universal Pictures shows actor Emily Blunt, left, with writer-director-producer Christopher Nolan, center, and actor Cillian Murphy on the set of "Oppenheimer." (Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures via AP)
Christopher Nolan on ‘Oppenheimer’ Oscar success: ‘Sometimes you catch a wave’
Christopher Nolan was still sleeping when his film, “Oppenheimer,” landed a leading 13 Academy Awards nominations Tuesday.
 
FILE - Photographer Evgeniy Maloletka, from left, "Frontline" producer/editor Michelle Mizner, director Mstyslav Chernov, and field producer Vasilisa Stepanenko pose for a portrait to promote the film "20 Days in Mariupol" at the Latinx House during the Sundance Film Festival on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, in Park City, Utah. The film is a joint project between The Associated Press and PBS "Frontline." (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, File)
Oscar nomination for ’20 Days in Mariupol,’ AP’s first, comes as bombs fall on filmmaker’s hometown
“20 Days in Mariupol,” Mstyslav Chernov’s harrowing chronicle of the besieged Ukrainian city and the international journalists who remained there after Russia invaded, has been nominated for best documentary at the Academy Awards.
 
This combination of images shows Margot Robbie in a scene from "Barbie," left, and Cillian Murphy in a scene from "Oppenheimer." (Warner Bros Pictures/Universal Pictures via AP)
‘Oppenheimer’ dominates Oscar nominations, Gerwig passed over for best director
The 2024 Oscar nominations have been announced. The nominees for best picture are: “American Fiction”; “Anatomy of a Fall”; “Barbie”; “The Holdovers”; “Killers of the Flower Moon”; “Maestro”; “Oppenheimer”; “Past Lives”; “Poor Things”; “The Zone of Interest.”
 
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Avantika, from left, Angourie Rice, Renee Rapp and Bebe Wood in a scene from "Mean Girls." (Jojo Whilden/Paramount via AP)
‘Mean Girls’ fetches $11.7M in second weekend to stay No. 1 at box office
On a quiet weekend in movie theaters, “Mean Girls” repeated atop the box office with $11.7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, while a handful of awards contenders sought to make an impact ahead of Oscar nominations on Tuesday.
 
The image released by Bleecker Street shows Ariana DeBose in a scene from "I.S.S." (Bleecker Street via AP)
Movie Review: In ‘I.S.S.,’ war on Earth disrupts life aboard the International Space Station
After decades when fears of mutual destruction and nuclear fallout filtered into movies from “Fail Safe” to “WarGames,” anxiety over current Russian-American geopolitics plays a provocative role in the new space thriller “I.S.S.” writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review.
 
★★★★
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, left, and director Ava DuVernay pose for a portrait to promote the film "Origin" on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
In ‘Origin,’ Ava DuVernay and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor seek the roots of racism
Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” takes a heavyweight work of historical and sociological inquiry and transforms it into a deeply humanistic drama and globe-trotting detective story.
 
Best film and best director honoree for "Killers of the Flower Moon" Martin Scorsese attends the National Board of Review awards gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Daniel Day-Lewis breaks from retirement to fete Martin Scorsese at National Board of Review Awards
Daniel Day-Lewis took a break from retirement to present Martin Scorsese the award for best director at the National Board of Review Awards in midtown Manhattan.
 
FILE - The Hollywood sign is pictured on Sept. 29, 2022, in Los Angeles. A new survey of the entertainment industry finds that the culture of Hollywood has shifted in the years since the downfall of Harvey Weinstein and the launch of the #MeToo movement, but many still don’t trust that sexual harassers will be held accountable. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
7 years after Weinstein, commission finds cultural shift in Hollywood but less accountability
A new survey of the entertainment industry finds that the culture of Hollywood has shifted in the years since the downfall of Harvey Weinstein and the launch of the #MeToo movement, but many still don’t trust that sexual harassers will be held accountable.
 
This image released by Amazon MGM Studios shows Jason Statham in a scene from "The Beekeeper." (Amazon MGM Studios via AP)
Review: In the bonkers ‘The Beekeeper,’ Jason Statham has more than a bee in his bonnet
If you’ve been searching for a movie where Jason Statham gravely vows to “protect the hive” an implausible number of times, you have found it.
 
★★★★
Martin Scorsese arrives at the Governors Awards on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Ballroom in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Directors Guild nominates Greta Gerwig, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese
Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig and Martin Scorsese have been nominated by the Directors Guild for its top award. The nominations to the 76th DGA Awards, which followed those by the Screen Actors Guild earlier in the day, went as expected.
 
This image released by Universal Pictures shows Cillian Murphy in a scene from "Oppenheimer." (Universal Pictures via AP)
SAG Awards nominate ‘Barbie,’ ‘Oppenheimer,’ snub DiCaprio
The 30th Screen Actors Guild Awards heaped nominations on “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie” and “American Fiction,” while snubbing Leonardo DiCaprio for best actor.
 
Andrew Scott poses for a portrait to promote the film "All of Us Strangers" on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Christopher Smith/Invision/AP)
Even Andrew Scott was startled by his vulnerability in ‘All of Us Strangers’
Andrew Scott, known to many as the “Hot Priest” of “Fleabag,” has found even greater acclaim for his latest performance.
 
This image released by CBS shows host Jo Koy during the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via AP)
Golden Globes ratings rebound to 9.4 million viewers, up from 2023 telecast
Reviews have been poor for Sunday’s 81st Golden Globes, but the telecast pulled in an average of 9.4 million viewers, up about 50% from last year, according to CBS.
 
This image released by CBS shows producer Emma Thomas, foreground left, accepting the award for best motion picture drama for "Oppenheimer" as cast and crew members, background from left, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, composer Ludwig Göransson, Florence Pugh, director Christopher Nolan, actor Cillian Murphy and presenter Oprah Winfrey look on during the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. (Sonja Flemming/CBS via AP)
‘Oppenheimer’ dominates Golden Globes, ‘Poor Things’ upsets ‘Barbie’ in comedy
“Oppenheimer has dominated the Golden Globe Awards, taking home the night’s top honor. Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” has won best comedy or musical at the 81st Golden Globes, an upset victory over the category favorite, “Barbie.”
 
This image provided by Sony Pictures Classics shows Matthew Goode as C.S. Lewis and Anthony Hopkins as Sigmund Freud in a scene from "Freud's Last Session." (Sabrina Lantos/Sony Pictures Classics via AP)
Movie Review: Anthony Hopkins shines in ‘Freud’s Last Session’
“Freud’s Last Session,” starring Anthony Hopkins as Sigmund Freud, adds to a string of sterling late-chapter performances by the 86-year-old actor.
 
★★★★
Timothee Chalamet arrives at the premiere of "Wonka" on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, at Regency Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
‘Wonka’ ends the year No. 1 at the box office, 2023 sales reach $9 billion in post-pandemic best
Hollywood closed out an up and down 2023 with “Wonka” regaining No. 1 at the box office, strong sales for “The Color Purple” and an overall $9 billion in ticket sales that improved on 2022’s grosses but fell about $2 billion shy of pre-pandemic norms.
 
This image released by Disney shows Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in a scene from "The Marvels." (Laura Radford/Disney-Marvel Studios via AP)
Was 2023 a tipping point for movies? ‘Barbie’ success and Marvel struggles may signal a shift
For the first time in more than two decades, the top three movies at the box office this year didn’t include a sequel or a remake. “Barbie,” “The Super Mario Bros.
 
Adam Driver, left, and director Michael Mann pose for a portrait to promote "Ferrari" on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)
Michael Mann still has another gear. At 80, he’s driving ‘Ferrari’
Even at age 80, Michael Mann has lost little of his velocity. “Ferrari” is Mann’s first film since 2015’s “Blackhat.” He’s wanted to make it for three decades.
 
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows a scene from "The Color Purple." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
Movie Review: ‘The Color Purple’ is a stirring big-screen musical powered by its spectacular cast
Exuberant performances from a cast led by Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson and Danielle Brooks breathe life into Blitz Bazawule’s stirring “The Color Purple,” adapted from the Tony-winning Broadway production, AP Film Writer Jake Coyle writes in his review.
 
★★★★
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