Away We Go Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The first time I heard about Away We Go I was excited. Scranton-ite that I am, I’ll watch almost anything with The Office’s John Krasinski, and Sam Mendes is a great director (although I think American Beauty is vastly overrated). But there was one thing that was really bothering me about this project: I […]
Julie and Julia Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Many have said that “Julie and Julia†is half a great film and half a poor one. I don’t think that’s necessarily true, but I do think the disjointedness of the film causes some problems. Still, it was a thoroughly enjoyable love letter to the kitchen featuring one of the best performances […]
Two Lovers Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Love isn’t easy, despite the tendency for films to make it seem that way. Movies like “The Proposal†present falling in love as this series of hyjinks. The only difficulties are related to the just kooky situations the two subjects find themselves in. Occasionally, a film, such as “(500) Days of Summer,†[…]
Invictus Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Clint Eastwood’s career this decade has followed an interesting trajectory. He started out with the pure popcorn “Space Cowboys” and the instantly forgettable thriller “Blood Work.” His next two trips behind the camera, however, resulted in two of the finest films of the decade, “Mystic River” and “Million Dollar Baby.” Those hoping […]
Duplicity Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Tony Gilroy knows the spy genre. He’s written the Bourne movies and “Michael Clayton” in addition to directing the latter (although Clayton isn’t a spy film per se, it follows many of the same conventions). The tone of those features was deadly serious. In “Duplicity,” Gilroy switches things up. He takes what […]
8½ Review
RATING: (3 STARS) “In my picture, everything happens. I’m putting everything in.” This line from Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2” perfectly sums up the movie. Fellini throws everything about Guido Anselmi’s life on screen: his career, his busy love life, his past, and his dreams. For a film that’s light on plot, there really is a […]
The Aviator Review
RATING: (3 STARS) When you sit down for a Martin Scorsese film, it would be fair to expect some fast-talking Italians, profanity laced-tirades, extremely violent killings, and of course, The Rolling Stones. But in “The Aviator,” we get the glamorous stars of old Hollywood, some beautifully photographed flying sequences, a sweeping romance, and the music […]
Brothers Review
RATING: (3 STARS) “Brothers,†a remake of a 2004 Danish film from director Susanne Bier, continues the trend started earlier this year with “The Hurt Locker†of solid war-themed movies that thankfully do not hinge on the viewer’s political beliefs. That’s not to say this is a pro-war film; it isn’t. However, the message here […]
Sunset Blvd. Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Sunset Blvd. is a bold picture outlining the destructive nature of the film industry. Director Billy Wilder reportedly made a lot of enemies with this film, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a film noir/character study/cautionary tale that doesn’t pull many punches. But the central performance by Gloria Swanson is […]
