Features
Thursday, May 5 2011
I'm Starting to Root for This Guy: Branagh's 'Thor' As Rachmaninov's Second
Kenneth Branagh's Thor really is Hamlet. Larger than life, but withdrawn and meditative. It's Joseph Conrad to the kind of immersive action hero trope that has spawned thousands of Chuck Norris jokes.
Reviews
Wednesday, September 14 2011
'Thor': A Slice of Lukewarm Asgard Pie
Thor was never the strongest comic book character in my book, but he's weakened in this adaptation that deviates so far from the original story that any possible storytelling nuances are stripped away.
Friday, May 6 2011
'Thor' Is a Then and Now Mishmash
Alas, Jane's response to Thor is one of the movie's many shortcuts, a series of winks and nods that assumes viewers' eager complicity in this not-so-clever mishmashing of then and now.
Friday, August 20 2010
This Version of 'Hamlet' Is Rich With Masterful Art Direction and Gorgeous Costume Design
Kenneth Branagh’s unabridged adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a dazzling spectacle that is massive in scope.
Thursday, April 10 2008
Sleuth
Both dazzlingly brilliant and incredibly irritating, often most irritating when it catches itself being brilliant.
Friday, October 12 2007
Sleuth
The various distancing effects make the watching somewhat abstract, an exercise in self-awareness.
Blogs
Thursday, May 5 2011
Sound and Fury: 'Thor'
When it's required to be serious, it stays somber. When it has to explode across the screen, Thor soars.
Tuesday, April 19 2011
'Much Ado' About the Two Kenneth Branaghs
(Much Ado About Nothing is) perhaps the best, breeziest adaptation of all of Shakespeare's works - warts and all.
Monday, July 26 2010
Time...and 'The Avengers'
With a 2012 release date and the daunting task of trying to find a story solid enough to carry all of these characters, it remains a job so gigantic, so Herculean in proportion and anticipation, that only the bravest (or dumbest) among the entertainment elite would face it head on.
News
Tuesday, May 3 2011
Taking a ripping adventure with Thor
SANTA FE, N.M. — The day's light was fading, but the cast and crew of "Thor" were making good headway on a battle scene —…
Thursday, October 18 2007
Michael Caine turns the tables in 'Sleuth' remake
NEW YORK -- When it comes to movies, the mark of Caine -- British star Sir Michael Caine -- states that any producer who doesn't…
Tuesday, August 14 2007
Kenneth Branagh takes Shakespeare to Japan for HBO
Irish actor Kenneth Branagh just cannot leave well enough alone. Not only is he an actor of note (he's been dubbed the heir apparent to…
