“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” Liberates the Man from the Myth

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (Justin Chadwick, 2013) In spite of some of the usual pitfalls of biographical films (or, … More

“Saving Mr. Banks” – Too Much Saccharine, Not Enough Sugar

Saving Mr. Banks (John Lee Hancock, 2013) Are you a fan of Mary Poppins, the 1964 live-action Walt Disney film starring … More

“Inside Llewyn Davis” – One Groundhog Day of a Odyssey . . .

Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013) The new Coen Brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis, which opens across the country … More

The Desolation of “The Hobbit”

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Peter Jackson, 2013) J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, depending on which printed version you read, … More

“The Armstrong Lie” – Truth and Its Consequences

The Armstrong Lie (Alex Gibney, 2013) The truth will out, and when it does, the bigger the lie that preceded … More

In a Theater Near You: Midday on Current and Upcoming Films

[UPDATE: Missed the show? Please listen to the podcast!] It’s that time of year again, when we review the films … More

“Frozen” Won’t Completely Melt Your Heart, but It’s Still (Kind of) Fun

Frozen (Chris Buck/Jennifer Lee, 2013) Let’s talk about what works first: The 3D animation is stunningly beautiful. You must see … More

Death Steals Profundity from “The Book Thief”

The Book Thief (Brian Percival, 2013) The best thing about this film are the young leads, Sophie Nélisse (Monsieur Lazhar), … More

“Philomena” – The Triumph of Faith over Church

Philomena (Stephen Frears, 2013) Philomena manages to both attack the hypocrisy of organized religion and affirm the power of faith. It’s … More

“Nebraska” Exists in Shades of Gray

Nebraska (Alexander Payne, 2013) I’ve always loved Alexander Payne’s uniquely quirky (but never twee, unlike Wes Anderson) sensibility, from films … More