Wednesday, January 18 2012
‘What’s Your Number?’ Anna Faris Still Deserves Better
What's Your Number? strands Anna Faris, and the rest of the movie, by its devotion to those rom-com formulas.
‘Design for Living’ Is a Raunchy, Stylish, Pre-code Gem
Gary Cooper, Miriam Hopkins and Fredric March are a ménage-à-trois for the ages.
Tuesday, January 17 2012
The Rise of a Star. The Fall of a Legend: ‘Velvet Goldmine’
Velvet Goldmine isn't just a story of glam rock in the early '70s. It's a story about the places where dreams and memories overlap, where time is immaterial and images and impressions are everything.
Be the Best Gravy You Can Be: ‘The Wavy Gravy Movie: Saint Misbehavin’
Wavy Gravy emerges not only as a fascinating character, but as a powerful, inspiring, even heroic man. This is what the '60s always wanted to be about, but almost never were.
Butch Cassidy is Dead, Long Live Butch Cassidy: ‘Blackthorn’
After living in Bolivia for more than 20 years under an assumed name, Butch Cassidy (Sam Shepard) tries to go home. His journey takes an adventurous detour when he meets a young thief (Eduardo Noriega).
Monday, January 16 2012
‘Our Idiot Brother’ Is Not as Dumb as It Looks
"If you see people’s best intentions they’re gonna wanna live up to them."
‘Leo’s Room’ Is a Sincere Little Movie that Touches Upon Universal Topics
Leo's room is his sanctuary, because it's the only place where he can be himself. The problem is, he still doesn't know who that is.
‘The Expendables: Extended Director’s Cut’ Has a Brawny, Dunderheaded Instinct
Sylvester Stallone's ultimate men-on-a-mission movie is clearly a labor of love, but not a well-articulated one.
Friday, January 13 2012
In ‘The Lady Vanishes’, Hitchcock Mines Plenty of Tension from the Fairly Simple Premise
Alfred Hitchcock presents a sharp contrast between the early comic scenes at the hotel and the violent finalé. The stakes rise slowly and deliberately, which increases the ultimate effect by the end.
Welcome to the Jungle: ‘Island of Lost Souls’
This scrappy little creep-fest offers much more to think about than you might expect.
Human Connections, Missed Connections, Chance Connections: ‘Three Colors: Blue, White, Red’
Krzysztof Kieślowski avoids explicit political and religious tautology to make a case for faith that is wholly human -- and humane.
Thursday, January 12 2012
What Is ‘Answer This!’? I Wish I Could Answer That
Playing competitive trivia, Paul learns to sort for himself what’s really significant and really trivial in life.
‘The Warring States’, An Epic Chinese Historical Drama, Should Dazzle, but It Doesn’t
Given all the nods toward the by-the-numbers romance, family drama and slapstick comedy that clutter much of its running time, the viewer is apt to get a little antsy by the time the climactic showdown arrives.
Purge This Urge: ‘Chillerama’
For decades low-budget horror has provided plots filled with terrorized teens. Chillerama is their revenge: a film made exclusively from the perspective of 13-year-old boys.
Wednesday, January 11 2012
‘The Three Amigos!’ Lacks Punch, but Still Warrants a Chuckle or Two
The Three Amigos! falls prey to the comedy misstep of not delivering on its promised absurdity, resulting in an enjoyable, if underwhelming romp.
Tuesday, January 10 2012
Look What the Cat Dragged In: ‘Hesher’
Hesher isn't a flesh-and-blood being, but rather, an avatar for a bereaved boy's id.
‘Another Earth’ Effectively Applies More Thought, Less CGI
While the premise of the movie is quite fantastical, Another Earth strives to be naturalistic.
Look! It’s ‘The Rocketeer’! No, really - LOOK!
Our depressed society, badly needing distraction, needs a cinematic jolt of joy -- much like the one found in this classic adventure tale.
Monday, January 9 2012
‘The Art of Getting By’ Suffers from Artists’ Block
Little of this movie's inertia can be blamed on the actors when their characters are summarized, not dramatized – and the screenplay forces them to do most of the summarizing themselves.
Friday, January 6 2012
‘Point Blank’: Has Action, Action and More Action
Samuel (Gilles Lellouche) is about to have really bad day in Point Blank. His pregnant wife is kidnapped, and now everyone wants to kill him. Can it get any worse?
