Director Denis Villeneuve sets out to examine many substantial themes in his gripping thriller Prisoners, chief among them the burden of guilt and the quest for redemption. These are heady issues for a Hollywood production and during the first two hours of the movie, the filmmaker takes an unflinching approach toward the lofty narrative goals […]
film and movie reviews
Posted inArts & Culture
Realism propels Spectacular Now
I grew up during the age of the John Hughes film and I seemed to be the only one who didn’t jumped on the bandwagon that proclaimed him the voice of my generation. While everyone was raving about how Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off were timely movies that accurately portrayed […]
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Riddick: A bit of B-movie heaven
While some may say that Will Smith and Tom Cruise are the biggest movie stars in the world, I’d make a case that Vin Diesel is right on their heels. As proof, I submit his latest action epic Riddick, a sequel that only a star with major clout could get made. After all, the previous […]
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Closed Circuit a gripping thriller for our times
As conspiracy thrillers go, John Crowley’s Closed Circuit is one of the best in recent memory. Tautly told and smartly executed, the film rips a page from today’s headlines. It not only opens with a brutal terrorist attack but then focuses on the lack of trust that exists between citizens and their governments. What with […]
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One Direction impresses in Us
Not sure if I should admit this, but the earworm that is One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” is among 2,000 songs on my iPod. Occasionally, that snappy pop ditty starts rattling around in my head and my thumb is furiously working the selection wheel, flying down the list of songs until I find it […]
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Jasmine finds Blanchett in full bloom
I always look forward to Woody Allen’s annual movie if for no other reason than to hear his witty dialogue performed by whatever top-notch cast he’s happened to assemble. Very few writers are able to capture the sound of true conversation as he does and the performers in his films seem to rise to the […]
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Kick-Ass 2 a surprisingly effective look at identity confusion
Though not a complete success, Jeff Wadlow’s Kick-Ass 2 is far superior to its predecessor, a blood-soaked surprise hit from 2010 that wallowed in excessive violence and lacked the awareness to turn the film into a postmodern take on the superhero genre. That’s not to say that this sequel is squeaky-clean – far from it […]
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Sea of Monsters a bland, rote exercise
Fox 2000 Pictures had their hopes set high for the Percy Jackson series. With all the bestselling novels among the teen set, the series had all the earmarks of being the next Harry Potter. Several other failed launches were touted in the same way (How about the Lemony Snicket series or Beautiful Creatures from earlier […]
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Millers only half a movie
There’s a good idea rattling around in Rawson Thurber’s We’re the Millers. Unfortunately, it’s a premise that only makes for about half a movie and it’s an ironic state of affairs what with four credited writers. Yeah, there are a few laughs along the way – a couple of them of the “very big” variety […]
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Muddled Elysium
In 2009, writer/director Neill Blomkamp got the film world’s attention with District 9, a powerful sci-fi allegory that examined the vagaries of Apartheid that plagued his native South Africa. Inventive, uncompromising and a reminder that the best futuristic fiction deals with issues of today, the movie ended up scoring an Academy Award nomination for Best […]
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Ludicrous 2 Guns a fun exercise for its two stars
While taking in Baltasar Kormakur’s action epic, 2 Guns, I was waiting for a kitchen sink to be thrown in at some point during the bloody proceedings. After all, here’s a movie that makes sure to include every trope of the genre. Double-crosses, shootouts, explosions, dirty federal officers, a Mexican drug cartel, wisecracks and a […]
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To Do a definite don’t
If Maggie Carey’s The To Do List proves anything, it’s that young women can be just as crude and insensitive where sex is concerned as young men. It also shows how difficult it is to make a clever comedy where this subject is concerned. So many of the “jokes” here are simplistic while the script […]
