Lack of subtlety hobbles “Badman” A common lament among older moviegoers is that “they don’t make ’em like they used to.” This sentiment is a double-edged sword. While the wish for a certain degree of consistent craftsmanship that was part-and-parcel of studio filmmaking is understandable, the more complex subject matter dealt with in modern films […]
Film
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Digger one of year’s best movies, Heart a moving experience
Ambition of Digger dwarfs competition It would be easy to dismiss Tom Cruise’s latest as Oscar bait – and let’s be honest, it is – but there’s much more at play in Alejandro G. Inarritu’s Digger. Brilliant and daring, this instant classic takes no prisoners in going after myriad institutions, the film a primal scream […]
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The Stunt Driver has heart, Charlie Harper almost bearable
The quest for validation propels Driver Ken Polsjek lived his life with a well-earned chip on his shoulder. Abandoned by his father, brought up in poverty and likely struggling with an undiagnosed learning disability, the cross-eyed young man was bullied and ostracized, desperate to find a place where he belonged. Fortune shone on him when […]
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The Weight is thoughtful and compelling, Uprising lacks heart
Physical and emotional burdens drive compelling Weight On April 5, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102. This step toward righting the floundering U.S. economy dictated “the hoarding of gold coin, gold bullion and gold certificates” over the amount of $100 was now forbidden. The reasoning behind that was this act was leading […]
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The Runner and Runner both fall short, Fix lacks a purpose
Logic trips up The Runner You gotta give it to Gal Gadot. She can run, and do so in a variety of ways. If you need her to run with joy, she’s on it. If she needs to run with desperation, no one does it better. Throw in being able to commit this act in […]
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Portraits of grit and determination in “Her Game is Hardball”
A revelatory dive into baseball history as well as a testament of hope, Mark Durand’s Her Game is Hardball is a fascinating documentary that looks at many forgotten eras of American sports history while portending the birth of another. Nine years in the making, the film examines the struggles of women’s baseball in America, while […]
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Mayday is smart and funny, realistic Sun shines
Reynolds, Branagh energize Mayday With the exception of 1988’s Red Heat, I’d be hard-pressed to name a Cold War buddy movie. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein set out to double the total of this subgenre with Mayday, a surprisingly entertaining piece of ridiculousness. Smart, funny and driven by as an unlikely duo of actors […]
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Acme is imaginative and fun, great acting saves Tony
Satire and humor run riot in Acme Propelled by the kind of publicity money can’t buy as well as a cleverly subversive advertising campaign, Dave Green’s Coyote vs. Acme arrives in theaters with great fanfare, an event that seemed destined never to occur two years ago. This was one of three films that David Zaslav, […]
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Faraway Tree provides a magical escape, Oak Street is a half-baked dino film
Tree casts a delightful spell A fantasy for both children and adults, Ben Gregor’s The Magic Faraway Tree finds the perfect balance of whimsy and post-modernism to make it work for both groups. Based on the novels by Enid Blyton, the film leisurely casts its spell, its story unfolding effortlessly between an idyllic rural landscape […]
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Don’t Say Good Luck realistic and moving, subplots derail Brink of War
Realism buoys Good Luck There are numerous ways a film like Don’t Say Good Luck could go wrong and yet director Julia Hart applies just the right touch to pull off this small miracle of a movie. Working from a script she co-wrote with husband Jordan Horowitz and first-time scribe Laura Hankin, the filmmaker handles […]
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Night lacks chemistry, Man is a vile piece of work
Narrative pieces lack chemistry in Night Your ability to compartmentalize will determine whether you like Will Gluck’s odd new rom-com One Night Only. If you can accept an oppressive dystopian society pitched in a kinda light-hearted tone and forget about a key part of the premise, you’ll likely be charmed. But if, like me, you […]
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Latest Spider-Man film effectively restarts franchise, I Want Your Sex a sharp satire on art world
Spidey begins anew with Day One of the unavoidable consequences springing from the success of the MCU has been its narrative growth. What with its stable of thousands of characters, producer Kevin Feige has been more than willing to bend the knee toward fans to provide as many big-screen representations of their favorites as possible. […]
