Raising Arizona Review
RATING: (3 STARS) If Blood Simple was our introduction to Joel and Ethan Coen as smart, talented filmmakers, Raising Arizona is our introduction to them as crazy geniuses. At times, the comedy is laid on a little thick, but for the most part, this is a fantastically fun and breezy ride and a total departure […]
I Am Love Review
RATING: (1.5 STARS) I Am Love is a fascinating example of how a film can try to do many things and fail at pretty much all of them. It’s a film with two very different halves. The first is a well-intentioned, meandering ensemble piece. The second is a comical descent into overblown melodrama. It’s full […]
Blood Simple Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple is about as assured a directorial debut as I’ve ever seen. It’s a film noir very reminiscent of classics like Double Indemnity, but it has a tone that’s all its own. It’s a quiet film—one that relies a lot on atmosphere to build suspense. But I have […]
The Ten Best Films of 2005
10.) Syriana It’s easy to get lost in this film’s labyrinthine plot, but thanks to a number of great performances (especially by Jeffery Wright and George Clooney, who won an Oscar for his work) and some exceptionally strong writing, this film beats out the likes of Crash, King Kong, and Capote for the tenth slot […]
I’m Still Here Review
RATING: (0 STARS) I don’t even know where to begin reviewing a film as vile and pointless as I’m Still Here, the “documentary†that follows actor Joaquin Phoenix’s “retirement†from acting and the beginning stages of his hip-hop “career.†I could decry it for its whiny star and his Jackass-lite antics. I could bitch about […]
Singin’ in the Rain Review
RATING: (4 STARS) When I watched My Fair Lady for the first time a few weeks ago, I was forced to ask myself a difficult question: “Is this film better than Singin’ in the Rain?†For as long as I’ve been watching movies, I’ve adored Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s musical send-up of the silent […]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The decision to release the seventh and final Harry Potter film in two parts gives the filmmakers the chance to give every Potter-phile what they want: a vivid to-the-book adaptation of the saga’s darkest chapter. No longer would these folks (myself included, to a certain degree) leave the theater grumbling over the […]
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Coming off the high that was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, my anticipation was off-the-charts for the sixth film in J.K. Rowling’s hugely popular series—Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Not only is the film based on what is, in my opinion, the strongest novel in the series, but […]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Finally, the Harry Potter series has really come alive. Order of the Phoenix, the fifth installment of J.K. Rowling’s hugely popular series, is far and away the best of the bunch so far. Now that the kiddy stuff has been dispensed of, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and all the others can begin dealing […]
A Dangerous Method Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) A Dangerous Method is a case of a film not equalling the sum of its parts. There were aspects of the film I loved (such as Viggo Mortensen’s brilliant portrayal of Freud), but the film doesn’t really amount to much, ultimately. I think that’s because it doesn’t know what it’s about. Is […]
Fair Game Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Sometimes a film doesn’t need a unique look or style to succeed. Take Fair Game, director Doug Liman’s take on the Valerie Plame/Joe Wilson/Scooter Libby saga. His matter-of-fact approach to the material makes this a film I can see being easily written off, but it’s this very same approach that elevates it […]
Once Upon a Time in the West Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Once Upon a Time in the West is like the ultimate adult fairy tale. It takes place long ago in a land far away (if not in distance, than in memory). It features clearly defined protagonists and antagonists, and in the end, just about everything is as it should be. But it’s […]
Anatomy of a Murder Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Anatomy of a Murder is a conventional court drama masquerading as an all-time great. Much of director Otto Preminger’s film is unsurprising and unoriginal. Some of it is downright uninspired. But two things make this film a must-watch for any movie buff: the sensational writing and the brilliant performance by Jimmy Stewart. […]
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Review
RATING: (3 STARS) With Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the series’ filmmakers reached their biggest obstacle to a successful adaptation thus far—condensing the enormous fourth Harry Potter novel into a manageable 150 minutes. Of course, purists fumed over the cuts, but on the whole, I think screenwriter Steve Kloves did a solid, if imperfect, job. […]
Morning Glory Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Morning Glory reminded me of eating Oreos. It’s rather hollow—a comfort film, if you will—but settles in a place so easygoing and feel-good that you can’t help but smile. This is a crowd pleaser, plain and simple. But sometimes that works, and director Roger Michell’s film has all the right ingredients. It […]
Sweet Smell of Success Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Films that revel in mankind’s more seedy traits often walk a tricky line. On the one hand, they must remain true to themselves and deal with their characters’ flaws in believable and honest ways. But they can’t make these characters so unlikeable that they prevent any kind of audience connection. As sick […]
