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 […]
Punch-Drunk Love Review
RATING: (4 STARS) After films like Magnolia, Boogie Nights, and There Will Be Blood, P.T. Anderson understandably has earned a reputation as a big, epic filmmaker. Ironically, his most impressive direction might come in his smallest film, both in scope and perhaps stature—Punch-Drunk Love. Anderson’s 2002 “romantic comedy” is just bursting with energy, literally, to […]
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, […]
Contagion Review
RATING: (4 STARS) By staying away from the familiar conventions of most thrillers, Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion manages to reach a level of believability and natural tension that I thought impossible out of a film like this. There are no chases, nor are there any heroes and villains. In fact, the characters in Contagion take a […]
The Wages of Fear Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The Wages of Fear is filmmaking at its absolute finest. The tension and anxiety you’ll feel watching this film is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. My body was still, my breathing sporadic for nearly two and a half hours as director Henri-Georges Clouzot’s accomplishes something I rarely see (and may have never […]
McCabe and Mrs. Miller Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Robert Altman’s McCabe and Mrs. Miller is a hypnotic, awe-inspiring film. It’s a western, but not much like the westerns you’re accustomed to. While films like Once Upon a Time in the West and Unforgiven offer tales of good vs. evil, and other films like Stagecoach vilify Native Americans or some “other,” […]
The New World Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The first two hours of The New World represents director Terrence Malick’s greatest achievement to date. For those two hours, The New World is nearly perfect. It’s a tragic story of unobtainable love that brilliantly parallels the early American pioneers’ quest for utopia. It’s exquisitely composed and features some fantastic acting, yet […]
Certified Copy Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Look up the term “art house film†in the movie dictionary, and you ought to find a still from Abbas Kiarostami’s Copie Conforme (Certified Copy). It’s a confounding, but wholly engrossing picture that clearly and thoughtfully meditates on questions relating to reality and perception. Though the director (who also penned the screenplay) […]
The Verdict Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Simply put, The Verdict features the finest work in the long, impressive career of Paul Newman. What he accomplishes in Sidney Lumet’s 1982 courtroom drama is stunning. He plays a lawyer who carries a massive chip on his shoulder, and the results of the case he undertakes will determine whether or not […]
12 Angry Men Review
RATING: (4 STARS) As far as directorial debuts are concerned few are as good as Sidney Lumet’s 12 Angry Men. Hell, few films period are as good as 12 Angry Men. Though the action is limited to one small, hot room, the film is smart, taut, and exciting from start to finish. The word strong […]
Dial M for Murder Review
RATING: (4 STARS) One of Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest strengths was his ability to manage enormous set pieces and make them extremely memorable. Take the plane crash scene in Foreign Correspondent, the Royal Albert Hall scene in The Man Who Knew Too Much, or the crop duster chase in North by Northwest. Ironically, one of the […]
The Night of the Hunter Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The Night of the Hunter is a frightening film with a main character that is as close to pure evil as we’ve seen in film history. Robert Mitchum’s portrayal of Harry Powell is absolutely incredible—it could give Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lector a run for his money in the villain department. Even beyond […]
The Big Lebowski Review
RATING: (4 STARS) The Big Lebowski has to be one of the most absurd movies I’ve ever seen. It’s practically plotless. Its comedy is gleefully absurd. And it doesn’t once try to be something it’s not. As always, I admire the Coens for going so out there and not caring if they lose a majority […]
No Country for Old Men Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Has there ever been a more unlikely Best Picture winner than No Country for Old Men? It’s a dark, somewhat cold picture that will confound your expectations at every turn. I’ve probably seen it about a dozen times, and I find something different to love about it each time—from the brilliant performances […]
Fargo Review
RATING: (4 STARS) It really doesn’t get much better than Fargo. The Coen Brothers’ films are all special in their own way (even if they aren’t entirely successful, like in the case of Barton Fink), but this one is just magical. It’s relatively simple and straightforward for a Coen film, but it touches on the […]
127 Hours Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours is an absolute triumph on every level imaginable. It’s difficult to sit through, but Boyle gives it the magic touch and turns this dark, disturbing story into something that’s ultimately hopeful and inspiring. It’s spectacularly directed—Boyle deserves another Oscar for his work—and brimming with the same energy that […]
