2017 Oscar Predictions: It’s That Time
With the Toronto, Telluride, and Venice film festivals behind us, it’s fair to say the Oscar season has begun in earnest. As studios begin positioning their respective titles for maximum exposure and disingenuous feel-goodedness, prognosticators both professional and amateur will start guessing as to the impact of said positioning (and, I guess, said feel-goodedness). I’ve […]
Oz: The Great and Powerful Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Fairy tale prequels, sequels, remakes, and reimaginings have been all the rage at the multiplex over the past few years. And while The Wizard of Oz isn’t exactly a fairy tale, comparing Oz: The Great and Powerful to films like Snow White and the Huntsman and Jack the Giant Slayer isn’t unreasonable. […]
Take This Waltz Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) If 2012 turns out a female performance better than Michelle Williams’ in Sarah Polley’s new film, Take This Waltz, it’ll be a pretty stellar year. As if we needed another reminder that Williams is one of her generation’s most luminous—and talented—actresses, she goes and outshines even her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe in […]
My Week with Marilyn Review
RATING: (2 STARS) The story in My Week with Marilyn is one that seems quite cinematic. Two screen legends butt heads on set while one fools around with a young assistant director once her husband leaves town. It’s juicy, deserves to be told, and could have made for a fine motion picture. But in the […]
Meek’s Cutoff Review
RATING: (2 STARS) I’m not one to complain about a movie being slow. After all, I’m a big supporter of movies like The American and Drive. Hell, my favorite movie of all-time—2001: A Space Odyssey—is really slow. But when a movie goes nowhere and takes a really long time to do so, I’m more inclined […]
Blue Valentine Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine is a minor miracle of a film. Like John Cameron Mitchell’s Rabbit Hole, the film attacks a familiar subject matter (a breakup) with uncommon emotional honesty. What sets Blue Valentine apart from other similarly themed films is that we become invested without even necessarily wanting this couple to […]
Shutter Island Review
RATING: (4 STARS) When the release date for “Shutter Island†was pushed back from October to February, film buffs everywhere panicked. The thriller, directed by Martin Scorsese and based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, was expected to be a major player at this year’s Academy Awards, but the delay meant it would be out […]
Wendy and Lucy Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Featuring an eye-opening performance from Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy is one of 2008’s underseen gems. With minimal plot, the film manages to touch on a number of personal issues such as isolation, desperation, and companionship. And unlike many films, it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. At a slim 75 minutes, director Kelly […]
