Finding Dory Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) The last time Pixar produced a sequel that was a decade in the making, they gave us Toy Story 3, the best Pixar film. It relied heavily on nostalgia to hit its marks — something its latest mega-sequel, Finding Dory, curiously eschews. Yes, the forgetful Dory, the nervous Marlin, and the loving […]
Butter Review
RATING: (2 STARS) Butter isn’t just for spreading on toast anymore; It’s also the title of a pretty weak independent comedy directed by Jim Field Smith. The film’s characters are stock, and its narrative is both unfocused and disappointingly safe. For what’s supposed to be 90 minutes of skewering the ridiculousness of small town America, […]
Fair Game Review
RATING: (3.5 STARS) Sometimes a film doesn’t need a unique look or style to succeed. Take Fair Game, director Doug Liman’s take on the Valerie Plame/Joe Wilson/Scooter Libby saga. His matter-of-fact approach to the material makes this a film I can see being easily written off, but it’s this very same approach that elevates it […]
Morning Glory Review
RATING: (3 STARS) Morning Glory reminded me of eating Oreos. It’s rather hollow—a comfort film, if you will—but settles in a place so easygoing and feel-good that you can’t help but smile. This is a crowd pleaser, plain and simple. But sometimes that works, and director Roger Michell’s film has all the right ingredients. It […]