Category: Romance
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Transcendence: We, Frankenstein
Transcendence – 2014 Director Wally Pfister Starring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser, Clifton Collins, Jr. Screenplay Jack Paglen Transcendence is the kind of film that tries to answer the question about man’s want to supersede the limitations of human frailty. The path taken is a transfer of consciousness of Dr. Will Caster…
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Forgotten Gems: Phenomenon Dance with life
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.…
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Enough Said Curbed Enthusiasm
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…
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Don Jon (****1/2): Consideration is the key
Don Jon – 2013 Written and Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Rob Brown, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, Tony Danza There is a certain amount of irony in the fact that Brie Larson is featured in not only this film, but she is also a player in The Spectacular Now. Each film features a man working through some…
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About Time: Most Charming and Clever
About Time – 2013 Written and Directed by Richard Curtis Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie, Lydia Wilson, Richard Cordery Meetings in romantic comedies are hard to do well. So many of them giver the appearance of cleverness, but instead have been used so many times they have worn a path on the brain of the…
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Mud: The dream of love lives on
Mud – 2012 Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols Starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Reese Witherspoon, Sam Shephard, Jacob Lofland, Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Michael Shannon, Joe Don Baker, Stuart Greer, Michael Abbott, Jr., Bonnie Sturdivant I was never more fiercely dedicated to the pursuit of love than when I was in the Grade School. My nerves…
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Beautiful Creatures is a sterile experience
Beautiful Creatures – 2013 Written and Directed by Richard LaGravenese Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann, Emma Thompson Based on the book by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl First things first. I hate the accent applied by Ehrenreich. Normally bad accents don’t serve as much of a distraction, but this one…
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Safe Haven: This is turning into a routine…
Safe Haven – 2013 Director Lasse Hallström Starring Julianne Hough, Josh Duhamel, David Lyons, Cobie Smulders, Red West Screenplay Gage Lansky, Dana Stevens, based on the book by Nicholas Sparks Lasse Hallström is a director with a past appealing to the ladies. Starting off doing a bunch of ABBA videos and then ABBA: The Movie, he has had…
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Warm Bodies is a simple tale of hope for the Walking Dead
Warm Bodies – 2013 Writer and Director Jonathan Levine Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry, Dave Franco, Analeigh Tipton, Cory Hardrict, John Malkovich Based on the book by Isaac Marion This is a movie that accomplishes everything it wants to, within the limits of its scope. It isn’t out to be scary. It is not intended…
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Silver Linings Playbook: Who says crazy can’t be funny?
Silver Linings Playbook – 2012 Written and Directed by David O. Russell Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles, Anupam Kher, Shea Wigham, John Ortiz, Brea Bree Pat: How old are you? Tiffany: Old enough to have a marriage end and not wind up in a mental hospital. I can’t be…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 