About 15 minutes into Paul Weitz’s fine new film Admission, Princeton admissions officer Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) is put through the ringer by a group of exceptionally smart high schoolers who question the need for higher education and wonder why the esteemed institution she works for remains behind the times in its stance on certain […]
Chuck Koplinski
Posted inArts & Culture
Wonderstone encourages us to be amazed
My obsession with film began at an early age, and I got my hands on every book I could find on the subject at the local library. It was my father’s fault that I had gotten hooked on cinema, and while he had no objections to my mania, he warned that if I learned how […]
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Raimi and Franco save new Oz
Is Sam Raimi’s Oz the Great and Powerful a foolhardy endeavor to cash in on one of the most beloved films of all time or an honorable addition to the folklore of this classic slice of Americana? Actually, it’s a little bit of both and then some. This Disney production contains more than its share […]
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Johnson shows surprising range in compelling Snitch
Based on a true story, Ric Roman Waugh’s Snitch is far better than it has any right to be. As a vehicle for Dwayne Johnson, going a far way toward putting his “Rock” image in the past here, it includes elaborate action scenes. However, there are far fewer explosive moments than usual for this kind […]
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Quartet a showcase for veteran English cast
Sporting much the same vibe that made The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel a surprise hit and even featuring one of the stars of that sleeper, Dustin Hoffman’s directorial debut, Quartet is a pleasant enough diversion that gets by on the charm of its actors and the rapid pace the filmmaker adapts for his maiden voyage […]
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Jack revitalizes classic tale
While Hollywood studios are often criticized for having a lack of imagination where feature films are concerned (too many sequels and reboots, thank you) and have been knocked recently for plumbing the fairy-tale vault far too often, if each retold legend is as well-crafted and smart as Bryan Singer’s Jack the Giant Slayer, I’d willingly […]
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Sluggish Skies fails to realize potential
There’s a fine line between building suspense and testing an audience’s patience as well as having the instinct to know when you’ve crossed it. With his first two features, Legion and Priest, director Scott Stewart proved that he has a way with creating intriguing set pieces but had yet to master any sense of pacing. […]
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Thief steals nothing but viewer’s time
Identity Thief is the sort of film that attempts a great deal and succeeds at nothing. At once a slapstick comedy, a chase film and an exercise in tear jerking, director Seth Gordon fails to achieve a consistent tone throughout as madcap hijinks, mortal peril and a pathetic attempt at pathos are all thrown at […]
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Die Hard 5 an abusive exercise in mayhem
1980s action heroes have been taking it on the chin lately. In his comeback to the big screen, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s The Last Stand brought in a measly $12 million while Sylvester Stallone’s Bullet to the Head fared even worse, bringing in only $8.5 million. Ironically, with his latest, their contemporary Bruce Willis will score the […]
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Shameless melodrama kills Haven
I think I could make an argument that romantic movies are the hardest sort to make successfully. Tone and sincerity are so important in exercises of this sort and probably the most tenuous elements of these films. One moment that comes off as too sappy or melodramatic and the spell is broken. Thinking back on […]
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The Bard meets the undead in Warm Bodies
By now, one would think that the whole zombie thing had been played out. However, Jonathan Levine delivers something quite unique with his adaptation of Isaac Marion’s Warm Bodies, a zombie love story that is far more interested in what it means to be alive than dead. Using Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as its template, […]
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Side Effects effective on two fronts
Though it is difficult to get a solid number, it is estimated that over 10 million Americans are currently being treated for depression through the use of prescription drugs. Counseling and exercise play a large part in treatment as well, however, prescription drugs have the most profound and direct effect on patient behavior. That most […]
