The Day of the Jackal Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The Day of the Jackal reminds me why I love the spy genre. A brilliant cat-and-mouse game between two great minds, the film follows a terrorist on a quest to assassinate Charles de Gaulle and the cop in charge of the investigation. It’s a real slow-burn thriller, and director Fred Zinnemann’s cold […]
Three Days of the Condor Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The decade of the 1970s were a tumultuous one for Americans—war, scandal, oil crises, etc. As a result, many people thought the government was untrustworthy, the enemy. Three Days of the Condor is a terrific thriller that preys on that distrust. It portrays the government as the ultimate big brother and as […]
The Ten Best Films of 2010 So Far
Most people compiled lists of their favorite films from January through June—a first-half of the year top 10. I decided to wait. I hadn’t seen enough films through the end of June to make such a list worthwhile. But with the end of summer upon us, I thought it was appropriate to do such a […]
The Art of the Steal
The Art of the Steal—another great doc in what’s already being dubbed the best documentary year in a long time—does something seemingly impossible. It crafts a compelling and informative story about art galleries. It sounds as dry as the Sahara on paper, but the story is surprisingly engaging. I objected to director Don Argott’s almost […]
City Lights Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Charlie Chaplin is undoubtedly one of film history’s most beloved figures, and City Lights is one of Chaplin’s most beloved films. I found it to be a poignant love story, but the comedy was a little uneven for my taste. Some of the gags are great; others are a little awkward. The […]
Edge of Darkness Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) I sat down to watch Edge of Darkness wondering if I’d still be able to separate Mel Gibson the actor from Mel Gibson the lunatic. I was happy that I still possess that skill. However, that doesn’t mean this is a good movie. Nor does it mean that Gibson gives a good […]
The Other Guys Review
RATING: (3 STARS) When I first saw Anchorman back in 2004, I thought Will Ferrell was the king of the world. He could do no wrong in my book. It was by far the funniest movie of that year, and it remains one of my favorite comedies of the past decade. Slowly but surely, Ferrell […]
Boys Don’t Cry Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The story of Brandon Teena is a tragic one, and knowing its outcome ahead of time makes watching Boys Don’t Cry a difficult, but interesting experience. Brandon was born a female—Teena Brandon—in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was a pre-op transgender in late 1993. When his true identity was revealed to his friends, John […]
The Godfather: Part III Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I recently read an article calling The Godfather: Part III the “most reviled sequel of all-time.” It’s a debatable point, but I honestly can’t understand why. While imperfect on its own, it’s a very good addition to director Francis Ford Coppola’s transcendent crime saga. It brings the focus onto its tragic main […]
Up Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Up is without a doubt one of Pixar’s best films. The film’s first scene is one of the most sublime cinematic moments I’ve ever experienced. And while the rest of the film doesn’t quite measure up to that level of greatness, it’s still a rousing adventure, complete with all the humor and […]
The Book of Eli Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Post-apocalyptic films have been big over the past year or so. The Road, 2012, even Zombieland touch on the human condition at a time when society has collapsed—all to varying degrees of success. The Book of Eli is 2010’s entry into the genre, and it does nothing new, nothing interesting to set […]
Chloe Review
RATING: (2 STARS) There’s no doubt Atom Egoyan is a talented director. The Sweet Hereafter is one of the most devastating movies I’ve ever seen. And he’s certainly capable of crafting a smart, adult, and erotic motion picture—as evidenced by Exotica. Unfortunately, while ‘adult’ and ‘erotic’ would describe his latest film, Chloe, well, ‘smart’ certainly […]
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Forget Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Forget Max Payne. Forget every other shitty video game adaptation you may or may not have seen in the past few years because Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is the movie gamers out there have been waiting for. No, it’s not technically based on […]
Erin Brockovich Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I don’t really understand the whole “Julia Roberts is America’s sweetheart†thing. Sure, Pretty Woman is great fun, but she spent most of the ‘90s doing average (or in many cases, below average) romantic comedies. For some reason, people ate it up, and by 2000, she was one of the biggest movie […]
2010 Fall Movie Preview
This past week, EW released its Fall Movie Preview issue, and I’m not lying when I tell you this is one of the 10 most anticipated events of the year for me. And speaking of 10 anticipated events, I’ve poured over the issue from cover to cover and decided to give you the 10 films […]
Platoon Review
RATING: (4 STARS) I never thought I’d see a war film as brutal and uncompromising as The Deer Hunter, but Oliver Stone’s quasi-autobiographical film Platoon comes awfully close. The film’s you-are-there approach isn’t totally unique, but it has rarely been put to better use. Platoon gives you an idea of what war does to you […]
