Author: coolpapae
-
The Purge: Anarchy (**) needs to improve if it wants to be the new Saw, Paranormal Activity
The Purge: Anarchy – 2014 Writer and Director James DeMonaco Starring Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Michael K. Williams In the second take of the dystopian series, we go outside the confines of the home to the streets of L.A., where, presumably, no one is safe. This is especially true for the lower and working class people. It…
-
Big Hero 6 is better than its individual parts
Big Hero 6 – 2014 Director Don Hall, Chris Williams Starring Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T. J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans, Jr., Génesis Rodríguez, James Cromwell Screenplay by Robert L. Baird, Dan Gerson and Jordan Roberts A Marvel property produced entirely by Disney, Big Hero 6 is a treasure in the cinematic universe for both companies. Using a completely original concept…
-
Nightcrawler (*****) is the best kind of throwback
Nightcrawler – 2014 Written & Directed by Dan Gilroy Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, Bill Paxton, Ann Cusack, Kevin Rahm, Eric Lange This is the kind of film that keeps me watching movies. The acting, the cinematography, the script and the promise of making an unforgettable experience with a small amount of overhead.…
-
A Million Ways To Die In The West (**) feels like a lazy man’s Altman
A Million Ways To Die In The West – 2014 Director Seth MacFarlane Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Neil Patrick Harris, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman, Liam Neeson Screenplay by Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild Comedy is hard. Part of MacFarlane’s gig to now has shoved awkward down the throats of those who are affected by it. In the old west, though, no one…
-
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (***1/2) isn’t going to hurt anybody
Mr. Peabody & Sherman – 2014 Director Rob Minkoff Starring Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Leslie Mann, Stephen Colbert, Allison Janney Screenplay Craig Wright based on the show Peabody’s Improbable History by Ted Key Based on a series of cartoon shorts that were part of The Bullwinkle Show, the idea for Mr. Peabody & Sherman resonated for several years in the…
-
Dallas Buyers Club (***) fights a bad guy too easy to criticize
Dallas Buyers Club – 2013 Director Jean-Marc Vallée Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Griffin Dunne, Dennis O’Hare, Steve Zahn, Dallas Roberts, Kevin Rankin Screenplay by Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack One of the unwritten rules of movie awards is weight loss or transformations of a dramatic nature leads to Golden Statues. This formula worked twice for…
-
Maleficent (***1/2) True love falls from trees
Maleficent – 2014 Director Robert Stromberg Starring Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville Screenplay by Linda Woolverton based on Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault While watching Angelia Jolie’s re-imagining of Maleficent, part of me is amazed at the myriad ways one is allowed to see beyond what is really Disney’s most incomplete Princess story..…
-
Deliver Us From Evil (***) survives
Deliver Us From Evil – 2014 Director Scott Derrickson Starring Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris, Joel McHale Screenplay by Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman Scott Derrickson has a way of making things seem really bad. Not just movie bad, but real, we’re not gonna make it bad. Sinister was replete with all sorts of things we’d all seen before, but…
-
Chef (***1/2) is a plea to be recognized right out in the open
Chef – 2014 Written and Directed by Jon Favreau Starring Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey, Jr., Emjay Anthony One has only to look at Jon Favreau’s Carl Casper’s delicate handling of a menu that he’s made for no one while his staff makes a 10 year menu for a packed house to realize…
-
Enemy (*****) Tangled and Dark
Enemy – 2013 Director Denis Villeneuve Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini, Mélanie Laurent Screenplay by Javier Gullón based on The Double by José Saramago “Chaos is order yet undeciphered.” Enemy is the kind of film that challenges you to absorb every moment. It’s not enough just to watch this film, you have to feel it. If you keep…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 