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 […]
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 […]
Interiors Review
RATING: (3 STARS) After directing the Best Picture-winning Annie Hall, Woody Allen was essentially given the keys to the castle, and with them, he made Interiors, his first foray into pure drama—a genre he’d later perfect with Crimes and Misdemeanors and Match Point. Watching him go serious for the first time, however, is an interesting, […]
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 […]
Straw Dogs (2011) Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The 1972 version of Straw Dogs is the kind of movie that’s admirable, but tough to enjoy. It’s just not a fun movie experience, and its 2011 remake—directed by Rod Lurie—isn’t much more fun. Lurie’s version is actually a good film; It’s well-shot, well-acted, and very suspenseful. But I never want to […]
Warrior Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Warrior is too long. It’s cliched as hell. It’s manipulative. Parts feel forced and artificial. It’s overstuffed with subplots. And it’s totally unbelievable. But hell if I didn’t get caught up in it all. I found myself groaning and rolling my eyes far more than I’d like, but I’m a sucker for […]
The Help Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Though relatively lightweight and somewhat manipulative, The Help is nonetheless affecting. It’s the acting that sets it apart from most films of its kind, and with no less than four excellent performances, it’s easy to forgive a film its missteps. I thought some of the characters were frustratingly one-dimensional, but the performances […]
Jane Eyre (2011) Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Watching Jane Eyre brought me back to high school English class—not just because I did in fact read the classic Charlotte Bronte novel upon which the film is based, but because I reacted to this film in the same way I would most assigned reading: I got through it at a sluggish […]
Source Code Review
RATING: (3 STARS) With 2009’s Moon, Duncan Jones offered us one of the better directorial debuts in recent memory. With Source Code, his follow-up, he gives us a solid genre film with a higher budget, bigger stars, and some wild ideas. While it doesn’t reach the heights of his last, it’s akin to something like […]
Captain America: The First Avenger Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Captain America: The First Avenger, the final Marvel origin story before The Avengers next May, is a blast from start to finish. Chris Evans equips himself well as the “star-spangled man with a plan,” and Joe Johnston proves himself more than capable of delivering when it comes to solid superhero action. Hugo […]
Winnie the Pooh Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Winnie the Pooh is a delightful trip down memory lane. It’s brief (running only an hour) and it goes down very smoothly, despite being geared squarely toward children and not doing anything out of the ordinary. The film reminds you that not every adventure needs to be outrageous and fantastical. Sometimes, all […]
X-Men: First Class Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Like an oasis in the middle of a desert, X-Men: First Class is a refreshing treat during one of the most disappointing movie summers in recent memory. It takes a franchise that was left for dead and breathes new life into it, setting a new standard for the X-Men films. I can’t […]
Cedar Rapids Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Cedar Rapids is a comedy anomaly. It sits somewhere between the fish-out-of-water and arrested development comedy genres, and it earns its laughs through character growth and interaction. Its naturally funny, but even more so, it’s charming. In fact, the harder it tries to be funny, the less successful it is. Thankfully, those […]
The Way Back Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Though it’s certainly not the most exciting movie in recent memory, The Way Back represents accomplished filmmaking at its best. Made for just $30 million, the film looks like it cost three times that. The scenery is gorgeous, and the way the film is photographed helps you forgive some of its narrative […]
Bridesmaids Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Bridesmaids is NOT The Hangover with girls, despite Universal’s best efforts at making you think so. What’s different about the two films? This one is actually funny. Not side-splittingly so, but definitely funny. If you’ve seen Kristin Wiig on Saturday Night Live, you know her comic strengths and you ought to know […]
The Lincoln Lawyer Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The Lincoln Lawyer is the perfect kind of March movie. It’s not all that challenging, and it follows the formula of its genre to a T, but it’s quite entertaining. The script is well-developed, and Matthew McConaughey—yes, that Matthew McConaughey—turns out a surprisingly good performance. The ending tries too hard to wrap […]
