If I Stay (R.J. Cutler, 2014) What a week! The two films screened for press were this and When the Game … More
Category: movie reviews
“When the Game Stands Tall”: Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Clichés of Corn
When the Game Stands Tall (Thomas Carter, 2014) “Inspired by the extraordinary true story” (as the poster reminds us) of … More
In Memoriam: Goodbye Lauren Bacall and Robin Williams
This week, we lost two great stars, each representative of very different eras. I add my brief two cents to … More
“Calvary” Stumbles on the Way to Crucifixion
Calvary (John Michael McDonagh, 2014) “Do not despair; one of the thieves was saved. Do not presume; one of the thieves was damned.” … More
“Magic in the Moonlight” Offers Charm Without Substance
Magic in the Moonlight (Woody Allen, 2014) Woody Allen’s new film is as delicious and amusing a confection of cinematic delights as any he … More
“Get on Up” Never Quite Stands Tall
Get on Up (Tate Taylor, 2014) With a terrific central performance by Chadwick Boseman (42), Get on Up has what it needs … More
Affably Silly “Guardians of the Galaxy” Is a True Summer Pleasure
Guardians of the Galaxy (James Gunn, 2014) Until I first saw a trailer for this new superhero fantasy from Marvel … More
Learning to Be a Man in Linklater’s Powerful “Boyhood”
Boyhood (Richard Linklater, 2014) The story of how Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, etc.) made his new film, Boyhood, is … More
Why I Don’t Love “Lucy”
Lucy (Luc Besson, 2014) If Stanley Kubrick‘s least original pupil married John Woo‘s most scattered (yet devoted!) disciple, had a child together … More
If You Let It, “Venus in Fur” Will Dominate Your Senses
Venus in Fur (Roman Polanski, 2013) Whether or not one finds Roman Polanski a great artist, a problematic human being, … More