2010: The Year We Make Contact Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) It was with great trepidation that I sat down to watch “2010: The Year We Make Contact.†It’s the sequel to my all-time favorite film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it’s generally regarded as a massive step back in quality from its predecessor. The argument essentially boils down to director Peter Hyams […]
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 […]
The Shawshank Redemption Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) It’s the highest rated film of all-time on IMDb, but is “The Shawshank Redemption†worthy of that title? Well, no. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad film by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a powerful look at the prison system and raises questions regarding what it means to be guilty […]
Alien Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “In space, no one can hear you scream.†What a tagline! It perfectly describes the feeling of helplessness present in Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror classic, “Alien.†The 1979 film about a group of commercial astronauts being terrorized by a vicious creature hiding in the air ducts of their ship is really, really […]
The General Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) This year, I’ve seen my first Charlie Chaplin, Marx Brothers, and Buster Keaton films. First was The Gold Rush, an incredibly charming gem by Chaplin. Next was Duck Soup, which upped the ante in terms of comedy with its hilarious one-liners and musical numbers. Now that I’ve seen a Buster Keaton film, […]
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. […]
Philadelphia Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) I went into “Philadelphia†knowing exactly what was going to happen and expecting it to be a manipulative courtroom drama – kind of like Kramer vs. Kramer. I was quite surprised, therefore, when I actually found it genuinely moving and honest. The three-dimensional characters and the bold way they confront the issues […]
Duck Soup Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Comedy today is such a dicey genre for me. There are a few I just love – “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,†for example. On the whole, however, I think most comedies are obvious, overlong, generic, and simply unfunny. If I’m in need of a laugh, I usually pop in one of my old […]
Annie Hall Review
RATING: (4 STARS) “Annie Hall†was the beginning of Woody Allen as most know him. It marked the beginning of a career transition that moved him from pure comedy to the realistic romantic dramedy – the genre he’s most closely associated with. Part of the reason he is so well-known for it is because of […]
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 […]
All the President’s Men Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) We all know the story. President Richard M. Nixon and “all of his men†conspired to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel, operated a secret slush fund within the White House, and obstructed justice during the investigation. Alan J. Pakula’s “All the President’s Men†is the […]
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “Mutiny on the Bounty,†Academy Award winner for Best Picture all the way back in 1935, is surprisingly powerful stuff, not because it’s filmed in black and white, but because everything else about it is black and white. There are no shades of gray – no three-dimensionality among its principal characters. Two […]
The Gold Rush Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “The Gold Rush†is charming, funny, and full of heart. It’s immensely enjoyable (I have a hard time imagining someone who wouldn’t like it) and contains some truly timeless scenes (like the one with the cabin teetering on the edge of a cliff). I’ve actually never seen a Charlie Chaplin film until […]
Micmacs Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The best word I could use to describe “Micmacs†is delightful. A lovely little French comedy from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director of “Amelie,†the film details a rag-tag bunch of homeless people who decide to take down two weapons corporations. Consistently hilarious, never too serious, this film will brighten your day and bring […]
Kick-Ass Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “Kick-Ass,†the latest from director Matthew Vaughn, is a wild ride from start to finish. Simultaneously a superhero movie and a riff on superhero movies, the film is full of ribald humor, over-the-top violence, and a surprising amount of heart. It’s a tad long, but it doesn’t once wear out its welcome. […]
As Good as It Gets Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “As Good As It Gets†is kind of like a romantic comedy in reverse. Most films in this genre follow a strict formula, and while this is no different in that respect, the formula itself is turned upside-down. You know in most romantic comedies that moment in which all the characters’ feelings […]
