Posted January 06, 2016in Film Review
A funny thing has happened to Quentin Tarantino over the years. He used to be the poster boy for the indie auteur. Films like “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction” were great because of their daring and unconventionality. But those films were so good — and Miramax was so good at
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Posted December 23, 2015in Film Review
Let’s get it out of the way up front: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is a fantastic Star Wars film. Whether or not this makes it a great film in general depends largely on how you view the franchise. But within the context of its peers, there is no doubt
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Posted December 16, 2015in Film Review
“In the Heart of the Sea,” the new film from director Ron Howard, suffers mightily from misplaced expectations. This is a shame, because at its core, the film’s story is good enough to be worth a viewing. “In the Heart of the Sea” tells the true story of the Nantucket
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Posted December 09, 2015in Film Review
Krampus is a thing now. For those who do not know, Krampus is a mythical being from Bavarian folkore who worked along with Saint Nicholas to separate the good children from the bad. Saint Nick gives the good ones presents; Krampus steals the bad ones away. Over the past few
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Posted December 02, 2015in Film Review
How do you get back at an industry that’s taken everything from you? You show it that it needs you more than you need it. But doing so may require more sacrifices than you ever thought you could make. Such is the tail of “Trumbo.” Directed by Jay Roach and
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Posted November 25, 2015in Film Review
“Twas the night before Christmas…” is a line that that immediately sets the seasonal tone in addition to likely having a morality lesson hidden in the plot. While the main lesson of “The Night Before” is abundantly clear, it’s some of the sub-plots and side comments that lead to hazy
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Posted November 18, 2015in Film Review
Five years ago, 33 miners were buried alive in Chile’s 121-year-old San Jose mine. Trapped in an unstable mountain that continued to move throughout the rescue, in 90-plus degree heat, with only enough food to last 30 men three days, this is a tale that’s captivating no matter how it
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Posted November 11, 2015in Film Review
BFFs. Babies. Cancer. Already this quick synopsis should give you a general idea of what you’re in for in Catherine Hardwicke’s “Miss You Already.” It’s clear that this is a movie designed to tug at your heartstrings. Yes, it’s manipulative, but does that really matter when you’re thumbing through tissues
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Posted November 04, 2015in Film Review
“Our Brand is Crisis” is based on the 2005 documentary of the same name by director Rachel Boynton. It is the fictional account of American consultants and their morally ambivalent involvement in a Bolivian presidential election. Retired American campaign strategist, “Calamity” Jane Bodine — played exquisitely by Sandra Bullock —
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Posted October 28, 2015in Film Review
“Steve Jobs” is, by most measures, not doing well at the box office. The decision to give the film a limited initial release seems to have backfired, and it would appear that “Steve Jobs” will face the very real danger of underperforming the almost universally dismal, Ashton Kutcher-fronted “Jobs.” This
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