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Renee Scolaro MoraFeatures
“Timely Look”: Interview with Oliver Irving, director of How to BeWhen Oliver Irving began writing How to Be in 2004, he couldn't know that when the film finally premiered at Slamdance four years later, his timing -- and casting of Robert Pattinson as his lead -- would be so fortuitous. [5 May 2009] Perfect Storms: The 11th Annual D.C. Independent Film FestivalOn the first Saturday, I saw some 15 films, surviving on popcorn and a gallon of Diet Coke, bleary-eyed from taking notes by the light of my cell phone. By the time it was over, I had seen 35 -- a rewarding whirlwind. [25 March 2009] Reviews
Gentlemen BroncosEven as Gentlemen Broncos makes sport of artistic hacks, it also delights in their creative process. [6 November 2009] 
The Boys Are BackBeyond its tired inept father gag, The Boys Are Back displays an attitude towards women is unsettling. [16 October 2009] 
Bright StarDirector Jane Campion does complicate the issue of sexuality in Bright Star, with Fanny more sexually assertive than John Keats. [25 September 2009] 
WhiteoutWhiteout is full of problems: most strikingly, it fails visually, as no tension is wrought from the titular event's poor visibility. [11 September 2009] 
(500) Days of Summer(500) Days of Summer may not be a particularly happy love story, but it's a love story all the same. [17 July 2009] 
BrünoIn Brüno, most of the stunts feel staged, more like The Hills than Cultural Learnings. [10 July 2009] 
I Love You, Beth CooperI Love You, Beth Cooper is yet another in the long line of shameless knock-offs being shoveled into theaters near you. 
Ice Age: Dawn of the DinosaursIce Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs alters the pattern established by the previous two films, focusing not on the herd but on action-packed, 3-D adventure. [1 July 2009] 
My Sister’s KeeperIf the adults in My Sister's Keeper are repeatedly compromised in the honesty department, the children seem to embody truth physically. [26 June 2009] 
Transformers: Revenge of the FallenThe cluttered storyline of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen amounts to a convoluted treasure hunt. [24 June 2009] 
The ProposalThe troubling thing about Margaret's "punishment" is the implication that she deserves it in the first place. [19 June 2009] 
My Life in RuinsGeorgia is so similar to Nia Vardalos' character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding that My Life in Ruins comes across as self-indulgent and frankly, lazy. [5 June 2009] 
UpUp is full of fun and fantasy, and also earns its PG rating with complex emotional situations. [29 May 2009] 
O’HortenAs O'Horten begins, it's clear that Horten will manage his retired life much the same as he has his working one, with consistent routines and a decided lack of improvisation. 
Is Anybody There?Is Anybody There? provides an insightful and sensitive look at the pain of isolation and the connections between people, no matter their ages. [1 May 2009] 
EarthEarth caters to a younger audience, keeping its biological and environmental lessons at a basic level of understanding. [22 April 2009] 
17 AgainAs much fun as 17 Again has with its young-again reverie, the conclusions Mike reaches are not fantastic, but, more accurately, adult. [17 April 2009] 
The Golden BoysThis tale of three codgery sea captains looking for a wife is not all that romantic, or especially comic. 
Observe and ReportObserve and Report proposes that a man who feels worthless is capable of a violent rage. If this sounds edgy, it's not. [10 April 2009] 
Hannah Montana: The MovieIn Hannah Montana: The Movie, Miley Cyrus gets back to her roots, re-learns the importance of family, and purges herself of the poisons of materialism. For a minute. 
AdventurelandAdventureland is as tidy and predictable as it sounds. And it falls into that annoying trap that seems to plague this sort of film, relying on an unrelenting '80s soundtrack to set tones and cue plot points. [3 April 2009] 
Monsters vs. AliensMonsters vs. Aliens is both a spoof and celebration of mid-century creature features, offering positive, if well-worn, "messages for the kids." [27 March 2009] 
KnowingKnowing’s premise is intriguing, even if it ends up being a familiar race-against-time-disaster-movie. [20 March 2009] 
I Love You, ManI Love You, Man is a buddy flick worked out as a chick flick, complete with makeovers, bonding montages, a break-up and make-up. 
Sunshine CleaningDespite occasional nuances, we can see from a long way off where Sunshine Cleaning is headed. [13 March 2009] 
Race to Witch MountainRace to Witch Mountain holds no surprises (even granting that it's a remake). 
Crossing OverIn its stories of immigration, Crossing Over raises questions: how far are we willing to bend the rules to get what we desire? What will we risk to uphold our own values? [6 March 2009] 
Fired Up!Fired Up! is the worst of its kind: a cheap imitation of much better films, a 90-minute dirty joke with no punch line. [20 February 2009] 
Under the Sea 3DUnder the Sea 3D offers a rare and gorgeous look at marine life from the heart of the Coral Triangle. [13 February 2009] 
CoralineThe other mother in Coraline is mother-love gone berserk, all-consuming and self-serving. [6 February 2009] 
The Pink Panther 2Much of the “comedy” in The Pink Panther 2 is a rehashing of the jokes from the first film. 
He’s Just Not That Into YouHe’s Just Not That Into You is a standard chick flick, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing: it’s cute and comic and organized according to fixed, mostly ancient gender roles. 
New in TownNew in Town subjects Lucy (Renée Zellweger) to a series of life-changing revelations, most stemming from a reductive big city/small town dichotomy. [30 January 2009] 
Paul Blart: Mall CopIn this cute, mostly predictable, underdog story, Paul Blart takes his job as a security guard at the West Orange Pavilion Mall very seriously. [19 January 2009] 
Chandni Chowk to ChinaThe Bollywood-Kung Fu combination makes sense in Chandni Chowk to China, since nationalism and identity are themes traditionally explored in both genres. [16 January 2009] 
Hotel for DogsHotel for Dogs is wholly predictable and tiring, delivering its “message” with all the subtlety of a flashing neon sign. |
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