Category: Ratings
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CPE and Em (and El): Hop is for those who prefer the visual equivalent of corn syrup
Hop – 2011 Directed by Tim Hill Starring James Mardsen, Kaley Couoco, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, Russell Brand (voice/cameo), Chelsea Handler, David Hasselhoff, Voices Hugh Laurie, Hank Azaria Screenplay by Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul I am getting pretty tired of Russell Brand. It probably happened for me about the same time it did with Katy…
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CPE and Em: The Way A vibrant tale beautifully told
The Way – 2011 Directed by Emilio Estavez Starring Martin Sheen, Emilio Estavez, Deborah Kara Unger, James Nesbitt, Yorick van Wageningen, Tchéky Karyo Screenplay Emilio Estavez The thing that sets some actors and actresses apart is how they are able to exist on-screen when there is no dialogue. Do they have to natter incessantly, like, say, Woody Allen?…
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My Week With Marilyn is good, if you buy the story
My Week With Marilyn – 2011 Directed by Simon Curtis Starring Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Williams, Judi Dench, Eddie Redmayne, Dominic Cooper, Dougray Scott, Toby Jones, Emma Watson, Julia Ormond Screenplay by Adrian Hodges based on the books by Colin Clark When I was in 5th Grade, this kid name Jim Kennedy moved onto my block. He was unkempt, kind…
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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is good, old-fashioned, Anglo-Saxon hi-jinks
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy – 2011 Directed by Tomas Alfredson Starring Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Dencik, Tom Hardy, Kathy Burke, Simon McBurney Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan based on the novel by John le Carré There is a intimidation brought on by the specter of a bunch…
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Trespass: Released in theaters, but feels like straight to video
Trespass – 2011 Directed by Joel Schumacher Starring Nicolas Cage, Nicole Kidman, Cam Giganet, Jordana Spiro, Ben Mendelsohn, Liana Liberato, Dash Mihok, Nico Tortorella, Emily Meade Screenplay by Eli Richbourg, Karl Gajdusek The most interesting fact about Trespass is not the teaming of Cage, Kidman and Schumacher. This is not an artistic high point for any of…
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CPE and Em: The Adventures of Tintin rolls a bit like Indy
The Adventures of Tintin – 2011 Directed by Steven Spielberg Starring Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis , Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, Toby Jones, Tony Curran, Gad Elmaleh Screenplay by Stephen Moffatt, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish based on The Adventures of Tintin, by Hergé The faces of The Adventures of Tintin and his co-stars look disturbingly similar…
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Martha Marcy May Marlene is our idiot sister done in a smart way
Martha Marcy May Marlene – 2011 Written and Directed by Sean Durkin Starring Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes, Sarah Paulson, Hugh Dancy, Brady Corbet, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, Louisa Krause So, communal life is not for you…or is it? Martha Marcy May Marlene (MMMM) starts off with its protagonist (Olsen) looking to escape the life she was living in…
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Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is artistically recreated
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo – 2011 Directed by David Fincher Starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Robin Wright, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård Screenplay Steven Zaillian From the moment it was revealed that David Fincher was going to remake the 2009 Swedish original of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, mixed feelings abound. The first run through was…
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Tower Heist is Eddie Murphy closer his best days, but not much else
Tower Heist – 2011 Directed by Brett Ratner Starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda, Téa Leoni, Casey Affleck, Judd Hirsch, Matthew Broderick, Michael Peña, Gabourey Sidibe Screenplay by Ted Griffin, Jeff Nathanson There is something sharp and very clean about a Brett Ratner film. There never seems to be any sort of litter, refuse or debris anywhere on the…
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