Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews

Category: Drama

  • Divergent aims low, but hits the mark

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    Divergent – 2014 Director Neil Burger Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoë Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Maggie Q, Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort Screenplay by Eva Daugherty, Vanessa Taylor, based on the book by Veronica Roth  Divergent is another movie covering the ever-increasing line of books made for younger readers, but enjoyed by…

  • Forgotten Gems: The Bucket List has life spilling over the edges

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    The Bucket List – 2007 Director Rob Reiner Starring Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicholson, Sean Hayes, Beverly Todd, Rob Morrow, Alfonso Freeman Screenplay Justin Zackham Rob Reiner is a remarkable director.  He has a knack for making things simultaneously funny and poignant.  The Bucket List may be his finest work.  Everyone talks about a bucket list since this movie…

  • The East is inspired nonsense

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    The East – 2013 Director Zal Batmanglij Starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page, Patricia Clarkson, Jamey Sheridan Screenplay Batmanglij and Marling In the life of a young, independent filmmaker, you only get so many chances.  Batmanglij has been working with Brit Marling since they went to Georgetown together.  Their work together has created enough interest with the film The Sound…

  • Drinking Buddies or why I tend to hate independent films

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    Drinking Buddies – 2014 Writer and Director Joe Swanberg Starring Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston 1) They call it a comedy.  There are no laughs at the screen, and only booze induced laughs coming from the screen. 2) Most characters are the most boring people you would ever want to meet. 3) Movie spends way too much…

  • Forgotten Gems: Phenomenon Dance with life

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    Phenomenon – 1996 Director John Turteltaub Starring John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall, Brent Spiner Screenplay Gerald Di Pego When one ponders the fate of the film Phenomenon, it really shows how much time has passed since its début in 1996.  At the time it was a sizeable hit, never reaching #1 but certainly lingering in the top 10.…

  • Enough Said Curbed Enthusiasm

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    Enough Said – 2013 Writer and Director Nicole Holofcener Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette, Ben Falcone James Gandolfini had the rare gift of expression through silence.  Or quiet at least.  His voice large as it felt, was low enough that it drew you in, and before you knew it, you were hooked by his wizened smile.  His…

  • Out of the Furnace The fire’s gone

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    Out of the Furnace – 2013 Director Scott Cooper Starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Forest Whitaker, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard Screenplay Brad Ingelsby and Cooper “He might be safer over in Iraq” It’s hard to recall the last movie that featured common folk in Steel Mill country of Pennsylvania that started out with anything close to a sunny day.…

  • The Rules of August: Osage County

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    August: Osage County – 2013 Director John Wells Starring Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Julianne Nicholson, Sam Shepard, Misty Upham Written by Tracy Letts Rule #12: Meryl Streep will be nominated for an Oscar for 1 film per year at least Rule #154: Old folks quoting people with tears running down their cheek  usually aren’t happy and won’t…

  • The Wolf of Wall Street is a worn out path

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      The Wolf of Wall Street – 2013 Director Martin Scorsese Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, Jean Dujardin Screenplay Terence Winter based on the book by Jordan Belfort All throughout The Wolf of Wall Street, I wondered who it was exactly Scorsese was appealing to.  It made a boatload of money and people…

  • Mary Poppins and Saving Mr. Banks

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                    Mary Poppins – 1964 Director James Stevenson Starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns Screenplay Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi based on the book by P.L. Travers Saving Mr. Banks – 2013 Director John Lee Hancock Starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Colin Farrell, B. J. Novak, Ruth Wilson Screenplay Kelly…