JAKE COYLE

Film writer and critic

Coyle is a film writer and critic for The Associated Press.
This image released by A24 shows a scene from "Occupied City." (A24 via AP)
Holocaust past meets Amsterdam present in Steve McQueen’s ‘Occupied City’
In “Occupied City,” a young woman with an even voice narrates Nazi encounters and crimes throughout Amsterdam during World War II. The accounts go address by address, and so does director Steve McQueen’s camera.
 
Director Andrew Haigh 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)
Andrew Haigh on the collapsing times and unhealed wounds of his ghost story ‘All of Us Strangers’
The British filmmaker Andrew Haigh is accustomed to strong responses from his films. But his latest, “All of Us Strangers,” may be his most shattering.
 
This image released by Illumination Entertainment & Universal Pictures shows, from left, Uncle Dan, voiced by Danny DeVito, Gwen, voiced by Tresi Gazal, Dax, voiced by Caspar Jennings, Mack, voiced by Kumail Nanjiani and Pam, voiced by Elizabeth Banks in a scene from "Migration." (Illumination Entertainment & Universal Pictures via AP)
Movie Review: A helicopter father flies his duck family south in ‘Migration’
Illumination’s “Migration” is vividly animated with warm cartoon tones that would do Daffy proud. But it never quite spreads its wings, writes AP Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review. A cautious family of ducks set out on their first trip south.
 
★★★★
Jonathan Majors, third from left, leaves a courtroom in New York, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Majors was convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend during a confrontation in New York City earlier this year. A Manhattan jury convicted the Marvel star Monday of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Marvel kicked out Jonathan Majors after his conviction. It’s thrown years of plans into disarray
Marvel had more riding on Jonathan Majors than perhaps any other actor. Now it’s parting ways with him, and throwing years of plans for its cinematic universe in disarray.
 
Jeffrey Wright poses for a portrait to promote the film "American Fiction" on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP)
Jeffrey Wright, shape-shifter supreme, sees some of himself in ‘American Fiction’
Jeffrey Wright has played Jean-Michel Basquiat, Martin Luther King Jr. and Muddy Waters. Across an expansive array of roles both small and large for more than two decades, Wright has been among the most malleable of actors, able to transform endlessly while still maintaining a singular screen presen
 
Jonathan Majors leaves a courtroom in New York, Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Majors was convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend during a confrontation in New York City earlier this year. A Manhattan jury convicted the Marvel star Monday of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Marvel, Disney drop actor Jonathan Majors after he’s convicted of assaulting his former girlfriend
Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. have dropped actor Jonathan Majors after his conviction on charges of assaulting his former girlfriend in New York City earlier this year.
 
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Timothee Chalamet in a scene from "Wonka." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
‘Wonka’ waltzes to $39 million opening, propelled by Chalamet’s starring role
“Wonka” debuted with $39 million in box office sales in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend. It’s a strong start for the musical starring Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka, and underscores Chalamet’s drawing power.
 
This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo on the set of "Poor Things." (Atsushi Nishijima/Searchlight Pictures via AP)
Behind the sumptuous, monstrous craft of ‘Poor Things’
“Poor Things” is a Frankenstein-esque fantasia about a young woman (Emma Stone) reanimated by a demented surgeon (Willem Dafoe).
 
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Timothee Chalamet in a scene from "Wonka." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
Review: Timothée Chalamet waltzes through the whimsical ‘Wonka’ but Roald Dahl’s daring is missing
“Wonka,” starring Timothée Chalamet, has two things going for it: the dazzling designs of “Paddington 2” director Paul King and the charisma of its leading man.
 
Lily Gladstone poses for a portrait on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in New York. Gladstone has been named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2023. (Photo by Victoria Will/Invision/AP)
AP Breakthrough Entertainer: Lily Gladstone is standing on the cusp of history
Lily Gladstone is the anguished heart and compassionate conscience of Martin Scorsese’s Osage tragedy “Killers of the Flower Moon.” She embodies not just Mollie Burkhart but generations of Native joy, grace and pain.
 
From left, Gabrielle Roitman, Kayla Seffing, Maddy Hiller and Casey Myer take a selfie in front of an "Oppenheimer" movie poster before they attended an advance screening of "Barbie," Thursday, July 20, 2023, at AMC The Grove 14 theaters in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The Golden Globe nominees are out. Let the awards season of Barbenheimer begin – Analysis
Early awards in Hollywood’s unfurling awards season have gone to films like Celine Song’s tender relationship drama “Past Lives,” Jonathan Glazer’s piercing Holocaust film “The Zone of Interest” and Martin Scorsese’s sprawling Osage murders epic “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
 
This image released by GKIDS shows Mahito Maki, voiced by Luca Padovan in English and Soma Santoki in Japanese, left, and Grey Heron, voiced by Robert Pattinson in English and Masaki Suda in Japanese, in a scene from Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy And The Heron." (Studio Ghibli/GKIDS via AP)
Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ is No. 1 at the box office, a first for the Japanese anime master
Japanese anime master Hayao Miyazaki’s is No. 1 at the North American box office for the first time in his decades-spanning career. According to studio estimates Miyazaki’s latest enchanting film “The Boy and the Heron” debuted with $12.8 million.
 
This image released by MUBI shows Alma Pöysti, left, and Jussi Vatanen in a scene from "Fallen Leaves." (MUBI via AP)
Best movies of 2023: ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘Fallen Leaves,’ ‘May December’
Associated Press film writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle have named their best movies of 2023. Christopher Nolan’s epic biopic “Oppenheimer” tops Bahr’s list, while Aki Kaurismäki’s Finnish romance “Fallen Leaves” leads Coyle’s top 10.
 
This image released by GKIDS shows Himi, voiced by Karen Fukuhara in English and AIMYON in Japanese, left and Mahito Maki, voiced by Luca Padovan in English and Soma Santoki in Japanese, in a scene from Hayao Miyazaki's "The Boy And The Heron." (Studio Ghibli/GKIDS via AP)
Review: Swan song or not, Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ is a master surveying his empire
Watching Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” is like returning to a faintly familiar dreamland.
 
Paul Giamatti poses for a portrait in New York on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, to promote his film "The Holdovers." (Photo by Victoria Will/Invision/AP)
20 years after ‘Sideways,’ Paul Giamatti may finally land his first best actor Oscar nomination
“The Holdovers” marks the long-in-coming reunion of Paul Giamatti and director Alexander Payne, 20 years after “Sideways.” And just as in “Sideways,” their alchemy produces something wry and moving.
 
This image released by Apple TV+ shows Lily Gladstone, left, and Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from "Killers of the Flower Moon." (Melinda Sue Gordon/Apple TV+ via AP)
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ named best film of 2023 by New York film critics
Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” has been named the best film of the year by the New York Film Critics Circle.
 
Leonardo DiCaprio, left, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone pose with the Gotham historical icon & creator tribute for "Killers of the Flower Moon," at the Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
‘Past Lives,’ Lily Gladstone win at Gotham Awards, while Robert De Niro says his speech was edited
Celine Song’s wistful romance “Past Lives” has earned top honors at the Gotham Awards at an award-season kickoff where the night’s biggest drama came in a political speech by Robert De Niro that the actor claimed had been edited.
 
This image released by Disney shows Asha, voiced by Ariana DeBose, in a scene from the animated film "Wish." (Disney via AP)
‘Hunger Games’ feasts, ‘Napoleon’ conquers but ‘Wish’ doesn’t come true at Thanksgiving box office
The Walt Disney Co.’s “Wish” had been expected to rule the Thanksgiving weekend box office, but moviegoers instead feasted on leftovers, as “The Hunger Games: Songbirds and Snakes” led ticket sales for the second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
 
This image released by Netflix shows Carey Mulligan as Felicia Montealegre, right, and Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in a scene from "Maestro." (Jason McDonald/Netflix via AP)
Review: Bradley Cooper’s ‘Maestro’ leaves many notes of Bernstein unplayed
Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” a high-wire act of a biopic, leaps constantly between on stage and off, flying through Leonard Bernstein’s very public life as a conductor while diving into his more private marriage to Felicia Montealegre.
 
FILE - Colman Domingo poses for a portrait during the Toronto International Film Festival, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, in Toronto. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File)
Colman Domingo’s time is now
Colman Domingo has a commanding physical presence, an expressive face and soulful eyes. But his most limber and powerful tool is his voice. It can go low in a bone-rattling baritone.
 
FILE - In this Jan.. 6, 2009, file photo, Golden Globe statuettes are seen during a news conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. The 2024 Golden Globe Awards will be broadcast on CBS. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)
Golden Globes find new home at CBS after years of scandal
The Golden Globes have found a new broadcast home at CBS after the troubled awards show lost its longtime home at NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was dissolved after years of scandal.
 
This image released by MUBI shows Alma Pöysti, left, and Jussi Vatanen in a scene from "Fallen Leaves." (MUBI via AP)
Movie Review: ‘Fallen Leaves’ is deadpan nirvana - Test2
In a movie year rife with grand, three-hour opuses from auteur filmmakers comes a slender 81-minute gem that outclasses them all.
 
This image released by Apple TV+ shows Joaquin Phoenix in a scene from "Napoleon." (Apple TV+ via AP)
Review: In Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon,’ the emperor has no clothes but plenty of ego
Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” subscribes to the Not-So-Great Man theory of history. This Napoleon, as played by Joaquin Phoenix, isn’t extraordinary nor is he much of a man.
 
FILE - Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 4, 2018. Kimmel is returning as host of the Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)
Jimmy Kimmel to host the Oscars for the fourth time
Jimmy Kimmel is returning as host of the Academy Awards for the second straight year and fourth time overall. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Kimmel’s return on Wednesday.
 
Director Taika Waititi poses for a portrait to promote his film "Next Goal Wins" during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11, 2023, in Toronto. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)
Taika Waititi on ‘Next Goal Wins’ and his quest to quit Hollywood
Taika Waititi would really rather just go to the beach. In an interview, the 48-year-old Māori filmmaker of the upcoming “Next Goal Wins” says he’s already begun planning how he can quit Hollywood, which he calls “just sad people eating lukewarm food out of cardboard boxes in offices.”
 
This image released by Disney shows, from left, Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, and Teyonah Parris as Captain Monica Rambeau in a scene from "The Marvels." (Laura Radford/Disney-Marvel Studios via AP)
‘The Marvels’ melts down at the box office, marking a new low for the MCU
Since 2008’s “Iron Man,” the Marvel machine has been one of the most unstoppable forces in box-office history. Now, though, that aura of invincibility is showing signs of wear and tear.
 
SAG-AFTRA captain Mary M. Flynn rallies fellow striking actors on a picket line outside Netflix studios, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Hollywood’s strikes are over, but a painful industry-wide transition isn’t
Hollywood’s months of labor unrest are coming to an end, but the post-strike landscape that awaits actors and writers may be far from happy-ever-after.
 
This image released by Lionsgate shows Tom Blyth, right, and Rachel Zegler in a scene from "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." (Lionsgate via AP)
Review: The Hunger Games return in ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,’ with the odds in its favor
Two hours and 37 minutes is pretty long for a “ballad,” but you can’t call it “The Hunger Games: The Three-Cycle Opera of Songbirds and Snakes” now, can you?
 
★★★★
Director Alexander Payne poses for a portrait to promote the film "The Holdovers" on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)
Alexander Payne on the inspirations of ‘The Holdovers’ and the movies that shaped him
A deep affection for cinema tends to run alongside the moviemaking for Alexander Payne. “The Holdovers” is his attempt to make not just a ’70-set film but an actual ’70s film, styled after some of the movies he grew up with.
 
FILE - Director Nia DaCosta poses for a portrait in London on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023, to promote her film "The Marvels." (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Nia DaCosta makes her mark on Marvel history with ‘The Marvels’
Director Nia DaCosta is the first Black woman to helm a Marvel movie. She’s also, at age 33, the a youngest filmmaker to so. “It just happens to me,” the filmmaker says in an interview.
 
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