“Blue” Is the Minutest Color: Abdellatif Kechiche and the Epic Cinema of Detail

Blue Is the Warmest Color (Abdellatif Kechiche, 2013) From 1895 to the 1910s, the early film pioneers wrestled with the storytelling … More

Okey-Loki – “Thor: The Dark World” Needs More Hiddleston

Thor: The Dark World (Alan Taylor, 2013) I have a problem with Thor. Not the Norse god, whom I never … More

All Tales of Struggle Are Not Created Equal: “All Is Lost,” “Ender’s Game,” and “About Time”

Today, in Baltimore, three new films open, all of which tackle existential crises, and none of which are alike. In … More

Let “12 Years a Slave” Banish the Reign of Tara from Hollywood

12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen, 2013) It’s about time. Though Hollywood has tackled America’s legacy of slavery before, it has … More

“The Counselor” Fails to Defend Our Rights As Moviegoers

The Counselor (Ridley Scott, 2013) Ridley Scott’s new movie, The Counselor, made from the first original screenplay by novelist Cormac McCarthy, tells … More

“The Fifth Estate” – Passing Entertainment, but No Great Scoop

The Fifth Estate (Bill Condon, 2013) Here’s a quick question for you: do you know what the first four estates … More

3×3 Movie Reviews, 10/18 @ 12:45pm, WYPR 88.1FM

[NOTE from 10/18/13 – Here is the link to the podcast of the show] On Friday, 10/18, at 12:45pm, I … More

“Captain Phillips” – Final: US Navy 1, Somali Pirates 0

Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass, 2013) It’s a lonely place to be if you didn’t find Paul Greengrass’s latest film a … More

“Runner Runner” Away

Runner Runner (Brad Furman, 2013) In 2011, Matthew McConaughey starred in a wonderful little legal thriller entitled The Lincoln Lawyer, which … More

“Gravity” Pulls You In, Weighs You Down

Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón, 2013) The best thing about Gravity is its masterful combination of intense action sequences with breathtaking 3D CGI. … More