Ballerina has all the dazzling visuals, lavish sets and spectacularly inventive stunt work you'd expect from a film set in the John Wick universe. It's more tightly plotted than recent entries in the franchise, and the locations that travel around the world are narrative-driven; it is not just an excuse to organize a spectacle. As always, the fight choreography is perfection. Eve is smaller than most of the men she faces, but that doesn't make her any less deadly, especially when she's more than willing to fight dirty. A fight scene with dueling flamethrowers is one for the ages. Despite a few minor hiccups, Ballerina is a hugely entertaining and action-packed addition to the franchise.
—Jennifer Ouellette
The Baltimorons
The Baltimorons is a quirky love story about an unlikely couple who find each other by chance during the holidays. Didi (Liz Larsen) is a divorced, middle-aged dentist whose ex-husband has just married his much younger girlfriend – on Christmas Eve no less, so the wedding reception gets ahead of Didi's scheduled time with her daughter. So she's on call when Cliff (Michael Strassner), a bumbling former improv comedian and recovering alcoholic, has a dental emergency.
Cliff's car gets towed while she treats him (apparently this is a regular occurrence) and Didi offers to drive him to the impound lot. They eventually go on a quixotic journey through Baltimore, including crashing the family wedding reception and performing at a pop-up improv show, and find themselves drawn together despite their significant age difference.
Director Jay Duplass has a talent for this kind of quirky fare with deeply imperfect yet likable characters, who has written, directed and/or produced gems like Safety not guaranteed, Horse Girl, Table 19And Jeff, who lives at home. It's up to Strassner – a Baltimore native who co-wrote the script – and Larsen to carry the film, which they do with great charm. You understand why Didi and Cliff forge such a bond, even if you wonder how long it will likely last. The film is also a kind of love letter to Baltimore, also known as “Charm City”; when everything you know about Baltimore comes from watching it The wire, The Baltimorons gives you a glimpse into the city's many other neighborhoods and sights.
