The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Review
RATING: (4 STARS) After two phenomenal films, Peter Jackson and the crew for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King†had a lot to live up to. It’s hard to believe what an accomplishment this film is. What could they do that wasn’t in the first two movies? I asked myself that […]
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Often, the second in a trilogy is the strongest of the bunch. Look at “The Empire Strikes Back†or “Spider-Man 2.†Other times, they are the worst in the series. For proof of this, look at the other Star Wars trilogy and its subpar entry, “Attack of the Clones.†The “Lord of […]
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Review
RATING: (4 STARS) When New Line Cinema executives agreed to bankroll this massive project, to be filmed in New Zealand by a relatively unheralded director, they were risking their entire company. Sure, J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is beloved by many around the world, but plenty of folks in the know at […]
Requiem for a Dream Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Requiem for a Dream, Darren Aronofsky’s sophomore effort and his best film to date, is an unshakable cry in the dark, a stern and impassioned warning about the dangers of addiction and the depths one will go to for another fix. It’s an extreme film, but it’s also as powerful as any […]
Chinatown Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Chinatown is an undeniable classic from a true master of cinema, Roman Polanski. An important (perhaps the definitive) entry into the “neo-noir†subgenre, the film also marks a turning point in Jack Nicholson’s career and the high point of director Roman Polanski’s. It’s a brilliant film, everything a good noir film should […]
The Hurt Locker Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Real suspense is hard to achieve. It’s easy to throw in a shock or two into a film to keep the audience on edge. To sustain that feeling over a prolonged time is a challenge, but it’s something Kathryn Bigelow achieves in her uncompromising war film The Hurt Locker. Director after director […]
United 93 Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Perfectly capturing the chaos of the defining moment of my generation, “United 93†is not about the events of September 11, 2001 per se. Instead, it celebrates the human spirit. It’s a phenomenal achievement, a film of unparalleled power and emotion. I named the film my favorite from the last decade. A […]
Up in the Air Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Sometimes a film comes along and does more than simply entertain; it speaks to people, sends them a clear message. Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air” is such a film. It so perfectly captures the zeitgeist of American today, it’s almost scary. It says to those millions of unemployed Americans “It’s OK. […]
Avatar Review
RATING: (4 STARS) James Cameron’s “Avatar” is unlike any experience I’ve ever had at the movies. It’s the kind of movie I expect people will feel like they need to see in order to be part of the popular culture. In ten years, when people look back on the films of 2009 (and of this […]
Fantastic Mr. Fox Review
RATING: (4 STARS) I’m not the biggest Wes Anderson fan. Other than “The Royal Tenenbaums,†I’ve found his work to be one-note and somewhat pretentious. With that said, “The Fantastic Mr. Fox†was anything but. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, full of wit and charm. In a year when animation seems to be one-upping […]
Magnolia Review
RATING: (4 STARS) After the critical and financial success he had with “Boogie Nights,†New Line essentially gave P.T. Anderson the freedom to do anything he wanted. The result is “Magnolia,†a picture that wouldn’t have been made, couldn’t have been made, without such freedom. This is a bold motion picture, a 3-hour tale about […]
An Education Review
RATING: (4 STARS) “An Education†is a brilliant coming-of-age story in 1960’s England. A clever, pretty young girl named Jenny (Carey Mulligan in a star-making performance) learns the true value of a woman’s education and the heartbreaking consequences of taking shortcuts. It’s a fascinating film that’s well-written and brilliantly acted and should be in line […]
The Bridge on the River Kwai Review
RATING: (4 STARS) “The Bridge on the River Kwai†is a fascinating look at war, its rules, and the madness often required to follow them. What is the responsibility of a prisoner-of-war? Should he follow the orders of his captors and work to assist their cause? Or should he sabotage their efforts by any means […]
Double Indemnity Review
RATING: (4 STARS) Everyone knows film noir. Film fans have enjoyed (or been subjected to, depending on your tastes) its conventions for decades. From Humphrey Bogart’s famous line, “It’s the stuff dreams are made of†in The Maltese Falcon through the present day’s machinations of film noir, like the twisted noir-comedy Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, […]
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Review
RATING: (4 STARS) It easy to understand how some people can view Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as overly idealistic and cheesy. It is in so many ways. But despite that (or perhaps because of it), most regard it as an American classic and one of the finest films to come out of the 1930s. […]
A Serious Man Review
RATING: (4 STARS) A Serious Man is the latest film from the masters of the unconventional—Joel and Ethan Coen—and it certainly lives up to expectations (if there are such things as expectations from these two). Here, they take a turn toward more personal filmmaking and tackle questions that relate to God, fate, and consequence. Of […]
