Friday, May 25 2012
‘Chernobyl Diaries’: What if Something’s There?
As you wait for each episode to lead where it must -- more victims dragged away screaming, more survivors wailing over particular losses, more exhortations to "Get out of here!" -- you might take a minute to reflect on what you actually see, which is not much.
Thursday, May 24 2012
‘Code 33’ Screens As Part of Rumur Film Retrospective
Code 33 follows this changing dynamic among police, press, and politicians, as detectives voice their simultaneous dedication to the job and their concerns with the process.
Wednesday, May 23 2012
Cannes 2012: ‘The Angels’ Share’ + ‘Killing Them Softly’
Much like Ken Loach's The Angels' Share, Andrew Dominik's Killing Them Softly features scatterbrained thieves and clever fast-paced dialogue.
Cannes 2012: ‘The Hunt’ + ‘Love’
Both Thomas Vinterberg's Jangten (The Hunt) and Michael Haneke's Amour (Love) mix horror and hope.
Monday, May 21 2012
Cannes 2012: ‘Paradies: Liebe’ + ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’
Several films at Cannes this year employ local nonprofessional actors in their casts, to effects that range from vaguely disappointing to magical.
Friday, May 18 2012
‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ Is Grueling, As You Might Expect
Jules' pregnancy is one of many in What to Expect, a movie apparently proudly based on a 28-year-old self-help book.
‘Quill: Bring Your Tissues
For a jaunty family film with a series of adorable dogs at its center, Quill creates surprising suspense.
“Sound of My Voice’ Combines Indie Drama and SF Overtones
Brit Marling's low-key charisma comes in handy for scenes of the cult's meetings, where Maggie's claims sound absurd, yet also weirdly tantalizing.
‘Polisse’ Shows Effects of Working for the Child Protection Unit
Polisse makes clear repeatedly that the multi-faceted problem of child abuse is both obvious and suppressed, common and extraordinary, a sign of deviance and also, tragically, a sign of normalcy.
‘Battleship’ Is a Loud Suggestion of a Big Summer Movie
Battleship has plenty of trailer moments, 15-second expensive-looking money shots of stuff blowing up in all sizes and shapes.
Thursday, May 17 2012
‘Precious Knowledge’ Argues Against Arizona’s HB 2281
Speaking with a group of Raza Studies alumni, Curtis Acosta urges awareness and action.
‘Elles’ Resorts to Old Tricks
Elles uses prostitution to suggest the very old idea, that beneath the surface of the bourgeoisie lies emotion as perverse and menacing as any. But the repetition of that idea over the course of 90 minutes makes for a static narrative.
Wednesday, May 16 2012
‘Elena’: Women in Putin’s Russia
The women in Elena don't fight so much as they find ways to subvert, secretly and alone. And the men go on about their business, carelessly and selfishly.
‘The Dictator’ Seeks Global Glory
It's not surprising that the movie's comedy is rambunctious or its politics obvious. But none of it is especially smart either.
Monday, May 14 2012
‘Portrait of Wally’ Traces the Ins and Outs of Money
The saga of the painting begins with a bit of bullying, with that Nazi taking the painting from the art dealer Lea Bondi in 1938. It was her own, private property, not part of any of the many museum and gallery collections the Nazis also confiscated that year.
Friday, May 11 2012
‘Girl in Progress’ Tries to Be a Sweet But Realistic Coming-of-Age Movie
Girl in Progress struggles to assert itself against a screenplay that centers on an astonishing, miscalculated contrivance. It's rare to see a movie with such potential undermine itself so fully.
‘Dark Shadows’ Resurrects Alice Cooper
Creaky, teetering, and still a little weird, Alice Cooper is pretty much the perfect choice for this moment.
Thursday, May 10 2012
Rumur Retrospective: ‘Half-Cocked’ and ‘Radiation’
When, in Half-Cocked, Tara sits in that ticket booth, her boredom and frustrations are both obvious and elusive.
Wednesday, May 9 2012
‘Patience (After Sebald)’: Walking Back and Forward
As colleagues, writers, and artists remember and read various passages from the book, you come to realize that none of their observations is quite the same as another, that none of them finds the same resonance or possibility in what they read.
Tuesday, May 8 2012
‘Payback’ Shows the Costs of Debt
Payback makes visible the debt system's many intersecting elements, those who are victimized and exploited, and those who benefit and claim superiority.
