As I was leaving the theater I still hadn’t made up my mind about David Fincher’s (Seven) latest “Zodiac.” But as I got in my car, I glanced with noticeable tension in the rear view mirror into the back seat, half expecting someone to be there. Now, that’s what a thriller is supposed to do…entertain […]
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So, this years Oscars are even less exciting than they have been of late. With Helen Mirren’s almost certain stronghold in the Best Actress catagory and Marty Scorsese getting the Russell Crowe treatment for director – winning in subsequent years for a lesser performance, after having been thoroughly dissed on previous more deserving work – […]
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Forest Whitaker recently won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of unpredictable Ugandan President Idi Amin in the film “The Last King of Scotland.” Amin was a brutal dictator who reigned from 1971-79, and was responsible for the killing of as many as 500,000 Ugandans during his vicious and erratic rule of Uganda. Amin did, […]
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“Notes on a Scandal” has everything required of a great film – a smart and edgy script, competent, articulate direction and a story line that doesn’t give itself up inside of twenty minutes. But the thing that makes this film so memorable is the top notch work of Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, who give […]
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“Eragon” is certainly a kids movie, but unlike “Harry Potter” or “Chronicles of Narnia” it doesn’t hold appeal for audiences young and old. I haven’t spoken with any ten-year-olds about “Eragon,” but I imagine even they would say this movie is for kids. With its characters and central narrative lifted almost directly from “Star Wars” […]
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If you’re going to make a your statement with a conscientious issue film, then do it. If instead, you want to make a fast-paced action adventure movie with a top-of-the-A-list superstar, then blockbuster away. If you try to do it all at once, you had better have the right stuff. Because if you don’t, you […]
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Thank God for Christopher Guest. “For Your Consideration” is hilarious, thoroughly refreshing, comedic genius. Seriously, I laughed more genuinely than I have all year. “Consideration” is almost as good as Guest’s “Waiting For Guffman,” which is easily one of the ten funniest movies ever made. The construct for the latest Guest classic is that of […]
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Fans of the technical side of films – how they go from the editing room to the big or small screen and the hands they fall into on the way – will savor the latest documentary from director Kirby Dick (“Derrida”), “This Film Is Not Yet Rated.” As much as cinema-philes will gravitate to the […]
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I watched most of “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” with my hand over my face in disapproval and awe. Sacha Baron Cohen has got to be the most daring satirist of our time and his laser sharp faux-documentary is as cruel as it is unbelievably funny. The overwhelming […]
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There are a remarkably few mainstream films about the contemporary soul of Great Britain. We are all accustomed to the prim-and-proper aesthetic of films like “Pride and Prejudice” or “Remains of the Day.” Also familiar are the cheeky, mildly irreverent movies starring Hugh Grant (“Four Weddings and A Funeral”) or that puckering American girl who […]
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Clint Eastwood’s filmography is a mile long and filled with acting, directing and musical credits, which distinguish him as one of Hollywood’s biggest names. Eastwood’s last directorial outing was the highly overrated “Million Dollar Baby,” a heavy-handed, clunky mess of a movie that put a mysterious hex on audiences which carried it all the way […]
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Martin Scorcese’s latest feature “The Departed” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg – an A-list dream cast if there ever was one. With all that fire-power the plot really has to be a thing of wonder. Sadly, it doesn’t quite get there. Although “The Departed” isn’t all […]
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“The Science of Sleep” is the latest film from “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” director Michel Gondry. Gondry also wrote the screenplay for “Sleep,” creating a complete film experience that is as charming as it is bizarre. “Sleep” is a vibrant narrative in three languages and – as if that’s not enough to keep […]
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“The Black Dahlia” is an exciting and epic film noir from director Brian DePalma (“Carlito’s Way,” “Dressed to Kill”). This adaptation of James Elroy’s classic novel is a virtual movie making clinic from DePalma who fills each scene with intense and inspired camera work and vibrant performances from four of modern-day Hollywood’s finest up-and-comers. If […]
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Neil LaBute is the director responsible for dark themed movies like “Nurse Betty” and “Your Friends and Neighbors.” His latest effort “The Wicker Man,” is a remake of the 1974 horror film of the same name. LaBute’s up-close-and-personal style has made the new film an articulate psychological thriller that looks and feels contemporary, even while […]
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