Snow White and the Huntsman Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Snow White and the Huntsman is a concept in search of a cinematic purpose. Because its creators can’t find it, they attempt to win their audience over with flashy, extravagant special effects. They fail. The film is almost painful to watch. It’s incredibly episodic, and the connective tissue between scenes is flimsier […]
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 […]
TOP 10: Oscar Acting Snubs of the 2000s
I wrote my overly enthusiastic write-up on the Oscar nominations a few days ago, but the reality is that quite a few of my favorite performances were left out. No Aaron Eckhart. No Leonardo DiCaprio (for either Shutter Island or Inception). No Marion Cotillard. No Robert Duvall. And no Julianne Moore. But if I’m being […]
Happy-Go-Lucky Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) “Happy-Go-Lucky” is one of the best pure character studies in recent memory. This is essentially a film with no plot–not a flimsy plot; I mean no plot to speak of. Director Mike Leigh just throws this wacky individual at us and asks us to care about her. And thanks to the brilliant […]
The Ten Best Performances of 2008
This wasn’t an incredible year for performances. There were undoubtedly some great ones, but when I sat down to compile my list of the greatest, I was surprised by how few sure things there were. As with most years, there were more great roles for men than there were for women. The supporting actress category […]
Sherlock Holmes Review
RATING: (2.5 STARS) If Sherlock Holmes had a somewhat decent story to go along with its enjoyable characters and great technical work, I’m sure I would be more enthusiastic about it. As it is, however, I can’t quite recommend it. The story isn’t even derivative, it’s a mess. Despite the fact that we are spoon […]