United 93 Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Perfectly capturing the chaos of the defining moment of my generation, “United 93†is not about the events of September 11, 2001 per se. Instead, it celebrates the human spirit. It’s a phenomenal achievement, a film of unparalleled power and emotion. I named the film my favorite from the last decade. A […]
Star Trek Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I have no connection whatsoever to the “Star Trek†franchise. I haven’t seen any of the first ten films or the television show. I have some passing knowledge of the characters, but that’s about it. In fact, the only thing that really attracted me to this film was J.J. Abrams (I’m a […]
It’s Complicated Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Nancy Meyers is part of a rare breed, directors capable of making a good adult comedy. It’s a hard thing to do, crafting a film full of laughs that’s commercially viable while avoiding gross-out humor and raunchy Apatow-style sex jokes. She did it with “Something’s Gotta Give” (a bloated but enjoyable film), […]
Up in the Air Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Sometimes a film comes along and does more than simply entertain; it speaks to people, sends them a clear message. Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” is such a film. It so perfectly captures the zeitgeist of American today, it’s almost scary. It says to those millions of unemployed Americans “It’s OK. […]
The Messenger Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Oren Moverman’s “The Messenger†is an effective drama about the tragedy of war. It focuses on two men who might have one of the worst jobs imaginable. They are responsible for delivering death notifications to the families of fallen soldiers. It’s a premise ripe for powerful moments and intense drama. The film […]
Nine Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I watched Fellini’s “8 1/2,†the inspiration for “Nine,†a few weeks ago in preparation for Rob Marshall’s big and bold musical. It was a heady trip into a film director’s fantasy. “Nine†proves to be a worthy follow-up, and it improves on Fellini’s film in one important way. As interesting as […]
Away We Go Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The first time I heard about Away We Go I was excited. Scranton-ite that I am, I’ll watch almost anything with The Office’s John Krasinski, and Sam Mendes is a great director (although I think American Beauty is vastly overrated). But there was one thing that was really bothering me about this project: I […]
Julie and Julia Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Many have said that “Julie and Julia†is half a great film and half a poor one. I don’t think that’s necessarily true, but I do think the disjointedness of the film causes some problems. Still, it was a thoroughly enjoyable love letter to the kitchen featuring one of the best performances […]
Two Lovers Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Love isn’t easy, despite the tendency for films to make it seem that way. Movies like “The Proposal†present falling in love as this series of hyjinks. The only difficulties are related to the just kooky situations the two subjects find themselves in. Occasionally, a film, such as “(500) Days of Summer,†[…]
25th Hour Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) After September 11th, films set in New York were forever changed. Any shot of the World Trade Center towers would always be thought of differently, and in some cases they were digitally removed from the film. Spike Lee’s “25th Hour†is the first film to use explicit footage of post-September 11th New […]
The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Tony Scott is no Scorsese. It’s not like I expected “The Taking of Pelham 123†to be a masterpiece. However, I don’t think it was unreasonable to expect this film to be an entertaining and somewhat thrilling diversion. Scott’s “Déjà Vu,†which also starred Denzel Washington, was just that. But “Pelham†isn’t […]
Invictus Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Clint Eastwood’s career this decade has followed an interesting trajectory. He started out with the pure popcorn “Space Cowboys” and the instantly forgettable thriller “Blood Work.” His next two trips behind the camera, however, resulted in two of the finest films of the decade, “Mystic River” and “Million Dollar Baby.” Those hoping […]
Duplicity Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Tony Gilroy knows the spy genre. He’s written the Bourne movies and “Michael Clayton” in addition to directing the latter (although Clayton isn’t a spy film per se, it follows many of the same conventions). The tone of those features was deadly serious. In “Duplicity,” Gilroy switches things up. He takes what […]
World’s Greatest Dad Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) “World’s Greatest Dad” is a gutsy film from rookie filmmaker Bobcat Goldthwaite. It does things with a typically taboo subject (death) that are shocking. It also raises some fascinating questions. Is it better to lionize the dead and gloss over some of the less flattering details of his or her life? Or […]
The Aviator Review
RATING: (3 STARS) When you sit down for a Martin Scorsese film, it would be fair to expect some fast-talking Italians, profanity laced-tirades, extremely violent killings, and of course, The Rolling Stones. But in “The Aviator,” we get the glamorous stars of old Hollywood, some beautifully photographed flying sequences, a sweeping romance, and the music […]
Avatar Review
RATING: (4 STARS) James Cameron’s “Avatar” is unlike any experience I’ve ever had at the movies. It’s the kind of movie I expect people will feel like they need to see in order to be part of the popular culture. In ten years, when people look back on the films of 2009 (and of this […]
