Spy Game Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Spy Game is a film that carries over Tony Scott’s interest in the people who watch us from Enemy of the State, but it does so in a much different way. I had assumed going into this film for the first time that it would be a close sibling to Scott’s previous […]
The Royal Tenenbaums Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The Royal Tenenbaums is Wes Anderson‘s masterpiece. As much as I admire and enjoy some of the man’s other films, this 2001 gem is unequivocally his most satisfying work to date. It’s easy to simply label it a quirky family dramedy, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Royal Tenenbaums […]
The Man Who Wasn’t There Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The Man Who Wasn’t There is a deliciously offbeat, darkly comic noir that could only come from the minds of Joel and Ethan Coen. The story’s twists are painfully clever, and its performances are nearly perfect. It’s a little long-winded, which prevents it from being among Fargo and No Country for Old […]
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Review
RATING: (3 STARS) In 2001, the Harry Potter phenomenon finally hit the big screen. The first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, perfectly captures the sense of childlike wonder any of us would feel if we went to a school of magic. The film adaptation, directed by Chris Columbus, does the […]
Gosford Park Review
RATING: (3 STARS) It takes great skill to make a film like Gosford Park. Besides the obvious technical work needed to create the world of this film, director Robert Altman also must work hard to manage a group of nearly 25 important characters. And each actor needs to know his or her place in the […]
Memento Review
RATING: (4 STARS) It was the film that introduced us all to Christopher Nolan. But “Memento†is more noteworthy than that. It’s a sensational story of a damaged man and his backward quest for revenge. The film does so many things right, but its premise and style are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. “Memento†[…]
Training Day Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Training Day is a rare beast—a cop movie that’s about more than a clichéd crime and investigation. This film, a very personal one for director Antoine Fuqua, raises questions about the meaning of justice, the point of it, and the lengths one will go to in order to ensure it. And it’s […]
A.I. Artificial Intelligence Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The origins of A.I. are well-known. The story was the brainchild of Stanley Kubrick, but he refused to make it into a film until technology was advanced enough to do it justice. He died before ever getting the chance to make the film. Enter Steven Spielberg, who was entranced by Kubrick’s story. […]
Monsters, Inc. Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “Monsters Inc.†doesn’t often come up in discussions of the best Pixar films. So I had never made it a point to see it. But with the announcement of a sequel (coming in 2012), I thought it was time to take a look at the only Pixar film I haven’t seen, and […]
In the Bedroom Review
RATING: (4 STARS) “In the Bedroom†is an incredibly thoughtful story about grief, how people cope with it differently, and how these differences drive people apart. This was Todd Field’s directorial debut, and it set the independent film world on fire in 2001. It does a marvelous job of drawing us into the world of […]
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Review
RATING: (4 STARS) When New Line Cinema executives agreed to bankroll this massive project, to be filmed in New Zealand by a relatively unheralded director, they were risking their entire company. Sure, J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is beloved by many around the world, but plenty of folks in the know at […]
