FYC 2014: Magnolia Films and Magnet Releasing
We’re approaching the end of the year, and I’ll be using these FYC posts to share as many thoughts as I can about 2014’s crop of movies. And while I, like most others, might be considering these films for categories like Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay, I’m going a little more creative. First […]
Gone Girl Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) There’s an interesting correlation that exists within David Fincher’s filmography: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button aside, the more shocking and memorable a film’s chief psychopath is, the better the film is as a whole. Kevin Spacey’s John Doe made Se7en one of the most horrifying films of all time, and characters […]
2015 Best Supporting Actor and Actress Predictions: Simmons, Arquette, and…
Since my last 2015 Oscar predictions update, Interstellar landed…interestingly. I actually haven’t seen the film yet, so I can’t say too much, but it’s discouraging to see how much Nolan-related baggage—both positive and negative—writers are bringing into their reviews of the guy’s movie. But that’s neither here nor there for the purpose of this post […]
Obvious Child Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Obvious Child will always bear the distinction of being an “aborition movie” before a “romantic comedy” in the eyes of many because, well, movies about the termination of a woman’s pregnancy simply don’t get made in today’s risk-averse marketplace. It’s much easier to trot out Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler and make […]
2015 Oscar Predictions: Riddle, Mystery, Enigma, Etc.
It feels like I’ve been gone a long time. Since my last 2015 Oscar predictions post, a bunch of potential awards films screened and opened. (I also visited three other countries. That was fun.) Some of those films have exited the Oscar conversation before I even had a chance to contemplate their chances. (I’m looking […]
The Lovers on the Bridge Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) With a production history as troubled as just about any movie this side of Apocalypse Now, Leos Carax’s The Lovers on the Bridge is a startling depiction of love at its most foolish. Juliette Binoche’s Michele and Denis Lavant’s Alex are far from a perfect match—he’s an addict, she’s going blind, and […]
10 Movies I Can Watch Any Time
My favorite movies are The Godfather, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Psycho. But I’m not always in the mood to watch three hours of the mafia, apes and wormholes, or Janet Leigh getting murdered. There’s a big difference between best movies and favorite movies, and there’s an even bigger difference between favorite movies and most […]
The Drop Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Anyone going into The Drop should know not to expect much in the way of plot surprises. It’s a thriller, yes, but it’s very straightforward, and it treads territory covered in films all too regularly. That said, there’s something very surprising about how fresh the material seems. Lowlife criminals find themselves in […]
Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) It’s been a long time since a Marvel movie totally worked. When Iron Man premiered in 2008, it was so tonally unique and such a breath of fresh air. But The Incredible Hulk was dull and overly moody. Iron Man 2 proverbially shot first and asked questions later. Thor, Thor: The Dark […]
Post-TIFF Best Picture Power Rankings
Now that the fall festivals have come and gone, it’s time to start thinking seriously (and in a guilt-free way) about the 2015 Oscars. Pundits everywhere have been sharing their 2015 Oscar predictions for weeks, sometimes months, and I’m no different (check out my first set of 2015 Oscar predictions, published about a month ago). […]
Mean Streets Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) With Mean Streets, Martin Scorsese became a made man. The semi-autobiographical 1973 film unquestionably represents the director’s coming out party as a major talent, and it does so without even the slightest hint of the man abandoning the principles of his low-budget debut—Who’s That Knocking at My Door. Mean Streets is film […]
34 Things That Are Wrong in Draft Day
Ivan Reitman’s Draft Day—I’m not sure I’ve ever reacted to a movie the way I did to this one. It tells the story of Sonny Weaver, Jr. (played by Kevin Costner)—the embattled general manager of a fictional version of the Cleveland Browns. This version of the Browns is similar to the real one insofar as […]
Only Lovers Left Alive Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Only Lovers Left Alive might not amount to a hill of beans, but damn if it isn’t one sexy, crazy, wildly enjoyable movie. Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton) are two vampires trying to get by. That’s the film. But what it’s lacking in plot and, I guess, purpose, it more […]
Don’t Sleep on These Early 2015 Oscar Contenders
With Venice and Telluride in the books—not to mention TIFF on the horizon—2015 Oscar talk has ratcheted up in a big way. (Incidentally, so has the annual anti-Oscar talk, to which I say “Chill out and be nice.”.) Birdman, The Imitation Game, and Foxcatcher are the contenders du jour, but it’s way too early to […]
2014 TIFF Preview
The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival is fast approach, and as I usually do, I’ve combed through every lineup and pulled out the 50 most exciting films for my 2014 TIFF preview. I won’t be attending the fest, but I’ll be waiting with bated breath for news about the quality of these and other great […]
