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 […]
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 […]
The Blind Side Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Many of you probably think I hate “The Blind Side.†That’s understandable. I vaguely remember saying something like “I almost vomited when the film was nominated for Best Picture.†But I don’t hate it. I actually kind of like it. I just think it’s so derivative that to nominate it alongside films […]
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 […]
Deliverance Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) Deliverance is part rousing adventure, part cautionary tale, part criminal cover-up, and part fish-out-of-water story, all thrown together and mixed with a little violence and humor. And that’s the film’s problem; It doesn’t have a strong identity (though its sense of place is exceptional), and its tone is all over the place. […]
The Last Picture Show Review
RATING: (3 STARS) The Last Picture Show is a very interesting film about, among other things, boredom. I know that sounds like an oxymoron. In fact, there are some long, drawn-out, boring passages in this film about boredom. But it’s what these people do as a result that is interesting. They explore their sexuality, sometimes […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
