Category: 4 Stars
-
Now You See Me is a cute date that vanishes after the show
Now You See Me – 2013 Director Louis Leterrier Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Mélanie Laurent, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, Common, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelley, Elias Koteas Screenplay Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, Edward Ricourt Now You See Me is the kind of trick that shows you how its done while its setting you up for the next trick. Four magicians (Eisenberg, Fisher, Harrelson and Franco)…
-
The World’s End: Is a bit of a leap from a pub crawl
The World’s End Director Edgar Wright Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, Pierce Brosnan Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg British comedy is often overrated, in the same way that France gets too much credit in the romance department. There are three citizens of the U.K. that help bridge the gap between how funny they…
-
Forgotten Gem: Sayles’ Passion Fish takes us for longing
Passion Fish – 1992 Written and Directed by John Sayles Starring Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, David Strathairn, Angela Bassett, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Leo Burmester, Lenore Banks, John Henry Redwood “White trash?” said Chantrelle. “It’s more complicated than that…” Mary-Alice replied. There is a mid-way through Passion Fish where Mary-Alice (McDonnell) sees her “more complicated than that” crush Rennie…
-
Forgotten Gem: Sayles’ Casa de los Babys has something to show
Casa de los Babys – 2003 Written and Directed by John Sayles Starring Daryl Hannah, Marcia Gray Harden, Mary Steenburgen, Lili Taylor, Susan Lynch, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rita Moreno, Martha Higareda, Vanessa Martinez There is a point in Casa de los Babys that is startlingly different than most anything else that he has portrayed before. A somewhat muted…
-
42: Somewhere between legend and reality
42 – 2013 Writer and Director Brian Helgeland Starring Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Andre Holland, Christopher Meloni, John C. McGuinley, Lucas Black, Alan Tudyk, Nichole Beharie, C. J. Nitkowski, Brett Cullen, Ryan Merriman, T.R. Knight, Hamish Linklater, Brad Beyer, Jesse Luken, Max Gail, Peter MacKenzie, Linc Hand Somewhere in the middle of 42, a pitcher named Fritz Ostermueller…
-
Admission is smartly compassionate
Admission – 2013 Directed by Paul Weitz Starring Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michael Sheen, Lily Tomlin, Wallace Shawn, Nat Wolff, Gloria Reuben, Tavaris Spears Screenplay Karen Croner based on Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz The gift that Tina Fey brings to her movies is not limited to laughs. It’s straight up compassion. Her characters are often self-depreciating, but intelligent. Maybe what she…
-
Bearing the weight of the Man of Steel
Man of Steel – 2013 Director Zack Snyder Starring Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Christopher Meloni, Ayelet Zurer Screenplay David S. Goyer Well documented are the difficulties of making a movie about a man with no weaknesses. As good a Superman as Christopher Reeve was, there was really…
-
Quartet is a beautiful study of music becoming sweeter
Quartet – 2012 Director Dustin Hoffman Starring Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Michael Gambon Screenplay Ronald Harwood There is a moment early on in Quartet when Wilf, who is played with a casual brilliance by Billy Connolly, comes upon a fellow boarder at Beecham house while on his morning walk. The man…
-
CPE & Em: Oz the Great and Powerful (****) fits like a glove
Oz the Great and Powerful – 2012 Directed by Sam Raimi Starring James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King Screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire based on the books by L. Frank Baum It was a movie that I had no idea needed to be made. There are 14 books written…
-
Argo: It’s that few rotten million…
Argo – 2012 Director – Ben Affleck Starring – Affleck, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Clea Duvall, Victor Garber, Philip Baker Hall, Kyle Chandler, Michael Parks, Chris Messina, Titus Welliver Screenplay – Chris Terrio Alan Arkin is remarkable. He’s been doing the same shtick for 50 years. You would think it’d get old by now. It hasn’t.…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 