From Paris with Love Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Pierre Morel’s “From Paris with Love†is the kind of generic action film that would’ve been right at home in the summer of 2010. It tried to capitalize on the early-year success of last year’s “Taken,†which is also directed by Morel, but it flamed out. It’s not as bad as its […]
The Last Station Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) “The Last Station†sounded like it would be a fascinating experience. It tells the story of the final years of one of the greatest writers in history—Leo Tolstoy—while examining whether one can believe in an ideology while not following it religiously. It’s a relevant subject, and with Oscar-nominated performances from Helen Mirren […]
French Connection II Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) I immediately fell in love with The French Connection after seeing it for the first time. I found it gritty and exciting, as well as a brilliant and influential character study. I actually didn’t even know there was a sequel. It’s so rarely mentioned that it completely slipped under my radar. But […]
North by Northwest Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) In the realm of Hitchcock, few titles are as universally revered as “North by Northwest.†My preference is Psycho, but I’m sure there are plenty of cinephiles out there who would label this film as the Master of Suspense’s greatest. But I’m not really sure why. It’s a serviceable mystery that plays […]
Whip It Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) The best thing I can say about “Whip It†is that it’s competent. It doesn’t make any major mistakes, and it tells its story well. Unfortunately, it’s all so safe that it’s hard to muster up much enthusiasm about it. The only interesting thing about it is the device it uses to […]
Date Night Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) As I said in my review of The General, action comedies are hard to pull off. Usually a film focuses too much on forced laughter, which inevitably takes away from the action. A perfect example of this is Shawn Levy’s “Date Night,†a film that does both the comedy and the action […]
Iron Man 2 Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Iron Man 2 could’ve been a disaster. The film was rushed out only two years after its predecessor captured the hearts (and dollars) of audiences across the country. The high number of new characters made me shudder—thinking of the disastrous Spider-Man 3. And while the post-credits teaser after the original “Iron Man†[…]
Kramer vs. Kramer Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) “Kramer vs. Kramer†stars Dustin Hoffman, one of the greatest actors of his generation, and Meryl Streep, probably the greatest actress ever. Both actors won Academy Awards. Robert Benton won two Academy Awards (for directing and writing the picture), and the film won the big award back in 1979, Best Picture. With […]
Whatever Works Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Perhaps a more apt title for Woody Allen’s “Whatever Works†would have simply been “Whatever,†because that’s exactly what I felt about the film when it finished. It was whatever. I didn’t dislike it, but almost nothing about it was original, and while it was clever in parts, it didn’t measure up […]
Cyrus Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Few films received as much positive buzz out of Sundance as “Cyrus,†the latest from the Duplass Brothers, Jay and Mark. Many hailed it as a film of rare emotional honesty. Festival-goers in Austin for South by Southwest responded in kind, but I couldn’t help but think the film didn’t live up […]
The Blind Side Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Many of you probably think I hate “The Blind Side.†That’s understandable. I vaguely remember saying something like “I almost vomited when the film was nominated for Best Picture.†But I don’t hate it. I actually kind of like it. I just think it’s so derivative that to nominate it alongside films […]
Amelia Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) How can a film about one of the most legendary figures of the 20th century, who has such a mysterious story, be so bland? Neither the performances of Hilary Swank and Richard Gere, nor the direction Mira Nair (in my opinion, a great filmmaker) can get this film off the ground. I […]
Deliverance Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Deliverance is part rousing adventure, part cautionary tale, part criminal cover-up, and part fish-out-of-water story, all thrown together and mixed with a little violence and humor. And that’s the film’s problem; It doesn’t have a strong identity (though its sense of place is exceptional), and its tone is all over the place. […]
Sherlock Holmes Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) If Sherlock Holmes had a somewhat decent story to go along with its enjoyable characters and great technical work, I’m sure I would be more enthusiastic about it. As it is, however, I can’t quite recommend it. The story isn’t even derivative, it’s a mess. Despite the fact that we are spoon […]
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 […]
Marnie Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) I’m not familiar enough with Hitchcock’s entire body of work to say where “Marnie†would rank, but I have to imagine it would be near the bottom. This is half a good movie, but the deeper we get into the past of the title character, the less successful it is. Of course, […]
