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Recent Film ReviewsFriday, November 6 2009
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by SapphirePrecious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire is concerned with lasting effects -- on individuals and especially, on communities. 
The Men Who Stare at GoatsSetting up easy targets, The Men Who Stare at Goats seems less clever than behind the times. EndgameEndgame crafts a crackling thriller out of the tangle of crafty maneuvering and happenstance that put a stop to South Africa's apartheid. The Fourth KindWhere is Fox Mulder when you need him? Disney’s A Christmas CarolThe combination of animation (where the laws of physics are conveniently suspended) and 3D technology is a powerful temptation, and here we see many of the ways in which those toys can be misued. Gentlemen BroncosEven as Gentlemen Broncos makes sport of artistic hacks, it also delights in their creative process. Thursday, November 5 2009
New York, I Love YouThe many makers of New York, I Love Youare collectively too self-conscious about the New Yorkiness of their task. 
Act of GodIt's all but impossible to represent randomness. And yet this is the task taken up by Act of God, Jennifer Baichwal's documentary on lightning. Wednesday, November 4 2009
La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet (La danse: Le ballet de l’Opéra de Paris)Work is at the center of Frederick Wiseman's absorbing documentary, La Danse: The Paris Opera Ballet. Monday, November 2 2009
The Maid (La Nana)Full of tension, the first scene in The Maid (La Nana) sets up Raquel's grim and limited world. 
LootA treasure hunter who has travelled far and wide looking for long-lost fortunes, Lance Larson's questing serves as point of departure for the beguiling documentary, Loot. Friday, October 30 2009
The House of the DevilWhile Sam's retaliation offers its own pleasures, her fundamental good-girlness, like Laurie Strode's or Rosemary Woodhouse's, also makes her abuse seem broadly meaningful. Labor DayLabor Day celebrates the work of SEIU toward getting Barack Obama elected. Wednesday, October 28 2009
This Is ItAs much as This Is It recalls Jackson's genius, it perpetuates the exploitation that shaped his life. Monday, October 26 2009
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon PapersThe Most Dangerous Man in America traces Daniel Ellsberg's decision to release the Pentagon Papers, as it also raises questions concerning government and citizens' responsibilities and rights. Friday, October 23 2009
AntichristAntichrist in many ways seems Lars Von Trier's rejoinder to the criticism that he "hates women," as if daring us to watch what we expect to see. AmeliaAmelia provides only a cursory look at Earhart's commercialization, more a way to delineate her marriage troubles than investigate her self-image or her treatment as a pop star. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s AssistantNot a thing in this movie is subtle, from its cheesy special effects to its by-the-numbers storyline to its cardboard cutout characters. Thursday, October 22 2009
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius ShulmanThe notion of romance -- elusive and resonant -- may be the most productive way to think about the relationship between Julius Shulman's photos and their architectural objects. Tuesday, October 20 2009
Still BillStill Bill underscores that Bill Withers and others were advised on how to sell their "blackness," a concept premised on adhering to white conventions and mainstream expectations. Friday, October 16 2009
Where the Wild Things AreFeelings of loss and frustration, acted out so loudly, raucously, and repeatedly, are at the center of Where the Wild Things Are. Law Abiding CitizenJamie Foxx's Nick mostly repeats the part played by Denzel Washington in Ricochet, the superior first incarnation of Law Abiding Citizen. The Boys Are BackBeyond its tired inept father gag, The Boys Are Back displays an attitude towards women is unsettling. Thursday, October 15 2009
Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution (Nos enfants nous accuseront)Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution means to alarm and move viewers, to urge action or at least reaction. Monday, October 12 2009
The HereticsThe political excitement of the 1970s, according to Joan Braderman's The Heretics, emerged from a belief that "everything was possible." Friday, October 9 2009
An EducationIf the story of Jenny's inevitably hard lesson is standard, An Education comes up with a few moments that give pause. 
Paranormal ActivityThe titular and sometimes distressing activity in Paranormal Activity serves as a mostly banal metaphor for the couple's relationship. Couples RetreatIt's some kind of trick when a film can make Jason Bateman look unsubtle. |
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