Take Shelter Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Psychological character studies seem to be all the rage right now on the indie circuit, but as compelling as this subgenre often is, it’s also one that feels a little played out. I love films like Shutter Island and, more recently, Martha Marcy May Marlene, but somewhere in the back of my […]
Tower Heist Review
RATING: (3 STARS) In a post-Bernie Madoff world, it’s hard not to enjoy Tower Heist at least a little. Yes, it’s a heist film with plot holes the size of craters and leaps in logic Evel Knievel and his motorcycle couldn’t jump. But there’s a great deal of pleasure in seeing a corrupt billionaire get […]
Martha Marcy May Marlene Review
RATING: (4 STARS) As far as gritty character studies go, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a recent one quite as good as Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene. The writer/director, wearing both hats for the first time, proves adept at two very difficult things: Structuring a film to maximize tension and emotional impact, as well […]
Attack the Block Review
RATING: (3 STARS) A few weeks ago, I foolishly turned to Michael Bay and Transformers: Dark of the Moon to satisfy a “mindless entertainment” craving. If only I held off a little longer… Attack the Block is exactly what I hope for from an action movie. It’s fast-paced, witty, goofy in all the right ways, […]
Margin Call Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Margin Call does for business what The Ides of March did for politics. It tells a familiar, high-stakes story about people making difficult and morally-questionable decisions. And like George Clooney’s film from earlier this month, rookie writer/director J.C. Chandor’s film isn’t afraid to get very technical on its viewers. If you’re unfamiliar […]
Melancholia Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Lars von Trier’s Melancholia defies classification about as much as it does your expectations. What else is there to expect, really, from the director of Antichrist and from a very personal story of depression and the end of the world. I guess the easiest thing to call it would be the anti-Tree […]
Like Crazy Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Like Crazy, one of the most buzzed about films coming out of Sundance earlier this year, is about love at its most frustrating. The film’s protagonists can’t see the forest for the trees. They’re so caught up in how they feel in the moment that they make foolish decisions that threaten to […]
Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review
RATING: (1.5 STARS) Oh, Michael Bay. You fooled me again. Here I am thinking Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third film in a franchise I’ve despised to this point, might be some mindless fun. After all, reviews weren’t quite as savage this time around. But no, this film is basically a carbon copy of […]
Meek’s Cutoff Review
RATING: (2 STARS) I’m not one to complain about a movie being slow. After all, I’m a big supporter of movies like The American and Drive. Hell, my favorite movie of all-time—2001: A Space Odyssey—is really slow. But when a movie goes nowhere and takes a really long time to do so, I’m more inclined […]
The Big Year Review
RATING: (2 STARS) The Big Year is a movie about competitive birdwatching—or “birding” as the film’s main characters would insist you call it—and it’s about as forgettable a movie experience as I’ve had in some time. Not atrocious, like Colombiana or Dream House, just insignificant. And that would be fine, I guess, except for the […]
Incendies Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Incendies (meaning “destruction by fire”) was Canada’s representative in last year’s Best Foreign Language Film race at the Oscars, and it’s an absolute punch to the gut. The film is all story and plot—there’s no clear, obvious message coming from writer/director Denis Villeneuve. But the film doesn’t need one, for it more […]
The Ides of March Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The Ides of March is a slick thriller with a clear message: Idealism and hope have no place politics. Succumb to these feelings and you’re finished. Yes, it’s not a new thesis, but it’s one that director George Clooney presents unflinchingly. There are moments in this film that I felt real despair, […]
Dream House Review
RATING: (1 STAR) Dream House is a B-movie with A-list talent and a story that’s an F-minus, maybe worse. It’s not just that we’ve seen elements of this film a thousand times before. Rather, it’s the nonsensical composition of them that boggles my mind. Where’s the sense of dread, the slow-burn pacing that’s so integral […]
Moneyball Review
RATING: (4 STARS) While Moneyball might seem like an odd cinematic fit, the dream writing team of Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zailian transform the story of the 2002 Oakland A’s into something exciting, emotionally-involving, and surprisingly thoughtful. Though the film (thankfully) doesn’t shy away from the nuts and bolts of building a successful baseball team, […]
Senna
Senna takes the idea of a non-fiction film to a whole new level. The film’s presentation isn’t that of your average documentary. Instead of talking heads and flashy visuals, the film is composed entirely of archival footage, with an unseen first-hand interview thrown in here and there. It makes the film, about the life and […]
Drive Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Drive occupies a totally unique space on the cinematic continuum, existing somewhere among Death Wish, Double Indemnity, Batman, and Miami Vice. However, it’s not the pulse-pounding, excitement-generating movie you might expect. It unfolds at a very slow pace, and the plot is kept to a minimum. The film instead relies on style […]
