Arthur (2011) Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) I went into Arthur expecting the worst. The film’s trailers were universally awful, and my general antipathy toward sequels left me feeling nervous. The original Arthur, a 1981 romantic comedy starring Dudley Moore, is a relatively delightful romp. But Russell Brand just didn’t seem like he belonged in this world. And he […]
Rango Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The best comparison I can come up with for Gore Verbinski’s Rango is last year’s Kick-Ass. While the two share little in common thematically, they both succeed on multiple fronts. They are great genre films—Rango, a western; Kick-Ass, a superhero movie—while simultaneously sending up that same genre. Fans of westerns will love […]
The Lincoln Lawyer Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The Lincoln Lawyer is the perfect kind of March movie. It’s not all that challenging, and it follows the formula of its genre to a T, but it’s quite entertaining. The script is well-developed, and Matthew McConaughey—yes, that Matthew McConaughey—turns out a surprisingly good performance. The ending tries too hard to wrap […]
Battle: Los Angeles Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Battle: Los Angeles, I think, is a fair approximation of what would happen if aliens invaded the world of 24. The film is full of one-dimensional freedom fighters, as well as a badass, capable-of-anything superman. But it’s entertaining in a mindless sort of way. It definitely doesn’t live up to its amazing […]
Barney’s Version Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Barney’s Version is probably one of the most problematic films you’ll ever see me fully recommend. Narratively, it’s a bit of a mess. It’s a biopic about a fictional man, which allows it to essentially do whatever it wants (within the framework, of course, of the novel upon which it’s based). Screenwriter […]
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 […]
Somewhere Review
RATING: (1 STAR) Somewhere is a very inaccurate title for Sofia Coppola’s latest film for it begins nowhere, goes nowhere, and ends nowhere. I’d love to sit down with the director and ask her why she felt this was a necessary film to make because after sitting through nearly two hours of just nothingness, I […]
Rabbit Hole Review
RATING: (4 STARS) John Cameron Mitchell’s Rabbit Hole takes you to an emotional place no man or woman ever wants to experience, but it does so with such unflinching honesty that it’s hard not to admire it. Is it a film I love? That’s a tricky question because I love what the filmmakers accomplish. I […]
The King’s Speech Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The King’s Speech has all the pieces necessary to be a masterpiece. The ensemble is as good as any this year. The writing is spot-on. The cinematography, art direction, and score are all fantastic. And Tom Hooper’s direction is confident and smart. The only thing missing is that little extra umph—the quality […]
True Grit (2010) Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) If the Coen Brothers’ trademark is unpredictable and unexpected, True Grit is another solidly Coen-esque film. Why? Because it’s such a straight-forward well-told Western that we keep waiting around for some standard Coen twists and turns. But they don’t arrive. I didn’t have a problem with that per se, but it did […]
The Fighter Review
RATING: (3 STARS) In this corner, weighing in at approximately 700 pounds—the dynamic acting foursome of Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, and Mark Wahlberg. And in this corner, weighing in at a whopping 2,000 pounds—a ton of dysfunctional family- and boxing-movie clichés. David O. Russell’s The Fighter was a real slugfest between these two […]
TRON: Legacy Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) TRON: Legacy is a film essentially devoid of any surprises. Anyone who has seen the original TRON will likely go in expecting something great-looking, great-sounding, and incredibly goofy. And that’s precisely what this film is. The plot is laughable, but there is some fun to be had. The visual effects, however, are […]
Black Swan Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Black Swan represents the kind of ambitious, stylish filmmaking that’s easy to admire, tough to love, and impossible to forget. It’s a very visceral film that gets under your skin and stays there. Comparisons to director Darren Aronofsky’s last film—The Wrestler—are apt, though where that film was a quiet contemplation on a […]
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 […]
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 […]
