Another Year Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) If you’ve ever read this blog before, you probably know how much I adore the films of Mike Leigh. He has an uncanny ability to take seemingly mundane material and make it supremely insightful and emotionally involving. The director’s latest, Another Year, is no different. On the surface, it’s a hodgepodge of […]
The Adjustment Bureau Review
RATING: (3 STARS) There was plenty of reason to worry about George Nolfi’s The Adjustment Bureau. The film was originally slated for a late summer 2010 release. It was then bumped back to the fall, and again to this March. But besides the delays, the film’s trailers hinted at a slightly off-putting mixture of heady […]
2012 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: One Year Out
I realize it’s a bit silly for 2012 Oscar predictions this far out, but I can’t help it. With the multiplex fare so bad this time of year, I need something to be excited about, so why not dig into the prestige films later this year? The odds say much of what looks Oscar friendly […]
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Review
RATING: (1.5 STARS) There’s nothing worse than a film that feels like a total waste of time. Even the worst films I’ve seen recently (like Somewhere, from last year) have some redeeming qualities. Woody Allen’s latest, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, is not only pointless, but also the worst Allen film I’ve ever […]
West Side Story Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a sucker for musicals. The silly songs and choreography—on top of typically outstanding technical—generally sweep me up despite the inherent cheesiness of these affairs. Actually, the cheesier the better. I guess that’s why I enjoyed West Side Story so much. It’s beyond cheesy, but the […]
Ranking the 2011 Oscar Nominees
I’m totally stealing this idea from In Contention, but I thought it would be fun to look at the Oscar field as a whole this year. I’ve seen 29 of the nominated features. I’m missing: Another Year, The Wolfman, Barney’s Version, The Way Back, The Tempest, In a Better World, Incendies, Outside the Law, Dogtooth, […]
2011 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: Best Live-Action Shorts
Compared to this year’s Oscar-nominated animated shorts, the live-action shorts were a bit off. I loved one of them, but on the whole the group of films feels flat, not to mention I’m having a very hard time nailing down a prediction. The best of the group by a mile is The Crush. It’s a […]
2011 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: Final Forecast
Nothing like waiting to the last minute, right? It’s finally here, and frankly, I can’t wait until it’s over. I’m very ready to move on to what will hopefully be a great crop of films in 2011. But here’s what I think will be taking home the prizes this year, as well as what could […]
2011 OSCAR PREDICTIONS: Best Animated Shorts
iTunes, in its infinite wisdom, has made just 4 out of the 5 films up for Best Animated Short available for purchase. Despite this seemingly silly oversight, it was a treat to watch these films and have the chance to make an informed opinion in this category for the first time in my Oscar-watching career. […]
Biutiful Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Calling Biutiful challenging is a major understatement. It’s easily one of the most difficult pictures of 2010. It’s just a brutal look at a man trying to survive—and barely succeeding. Javier Bardem completely disappears into the role of Uxbal—our modern-day Job. He’s as good as he’s ever been, as is director Alejandro […]
Casino Jack Review
RATING: (3 STARS) I’m not sure any actor last year had more fun with a part than Kevin Spacey seemed to in Casino Jack. His performance is larger than life, and appropriately so, for this true story is just too crazy to believe. During the height of the Bush administration, lobbyist Jack Abramoff took a […]
Marty Review
RATING: (3 STARS) In many ways, Marty is an atypical Best Picture winner—especially when you consider the time period in which it came out. Bridge on the River Kwai, Ben-Hur, Around the World in 80 Days—all these films are (for better or worse) big, lavish, and epic. Marty, however, is a small-scale romantic comedy. It’s […]
Never Let Me Go Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Not having read Kazuo Ishiguro’s beloved novel Never Let Me Go, I wasn’t sure how I’d react to Mark Romanek’s polarizing film adaptation. Fans of the novel seemed taken with the film’s deeply tragic themes. Others reported being unfazed, even bored, by the proceedings. I guess I fell somewhere in the middle. […]
The Company Men Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) John Wells’ The Company Men is a film I wanted to like more than I actually did like it. Where 2009 masterpiece Up in the Air looked at mass firings from the corporate point-of-view, this film takes a look at the personal difficulties that come as a result of being fired. What […]
The Last Emperor Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) It’s somewhat ironic that I watched 1987 Best Picture winner The Last Emperor so soon after seeing 1996 winner The English Patient because the two share so many techniques, strengths, and weaknesses. It’s a gorgeous piece of work in every way. The way director Bernardo Bertolucci rendered this world is astounding. It’s […]
The Illusionist (2010) Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The Illusionist is an odd little film that doesn’t do much but is charming enough to get away with it. The film is Sylvain Chomet’s follow-up to The Triplets of Bellville, and anyone who’s remotely familiar with that film won’t be surprised to hear that this features some unique animation. Even more […]
