Category: 5 Stars
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Whiplash (*****) dashes your hopes
Whiplash – 2014 Writer and Director Damien Chazelle Starring J.K. Simmons, Miles Teller, Melissa Benoist, Paul Reiser If you are looking for the inspirational story of the year, this is not it. If you are looking to see a movie about justice, it is not this film. Whiplash is almost unidentifiable in nature, in that the…
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Selma (*****): There can be no better time for this
Selma – 2014 Director Ava DuVernay Starring David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Roth, Common, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Carmen Ejogo, Lorraine Toussaint, Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Niecy Nash, Colman Domingo, Giovanni Ribisi, Dylan Baker, Alessandro Nivola, Keith Stanfield, André Holland, Tessa Thompson, Wendell Pierce, Henry G. Sanders Screenplay by Paul Webb There are many strong feelings evoked for the viewer of Selma. In a country that is still struggling with the callouses of racial wounds,…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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Gone Girl (*****) won’t be ignored
Gone Girl – 2014 Director David Fincher Starring Rosamund Pike, Ben Affleck, Kim Dickens, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, Carrie Coon, Missi Pyle, Sela Ward, Emily Ratajkowski, Patrick Fugit, Casey Wilson Screenplay Gillian Flynn based on her novel There is no better director thank David Fincher. Really, no one even comes consistently close to what he…
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Guardians of the Galaxy (*****): Super Awesome Mix, Vol.1
Guardians of the Galaxy – 2014 Director James Gunn Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro, Peter Serafinowicz Screenplay Gunn & Nicole Perman I just saw the movie event of the summer. And I waited until I saw it…
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CPE, Em and El: The Princess Bride – As You Wish
The Princess Bride – 1987 Director Rob Reiner Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, André the Giant, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Mel Smith, Peter Cook, Peter Falk Screenplay William Goldman There may be no more perfect story told for the benefit of an entire family than The…
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 