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

“The Hunger Games” Finally Catch Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Francis Lawrence, 2013) I did not like the first Hunger Games. As I wrote in … More

“Kill Your Darlings” – The Future Awaits

Kill Your Darlings (John Krokidas, 2013) We’ve seen a number of films about the 1950s “Beat Generation” recently, among them Howl (about the … More

“The Best Man Holiday” – A Sequel You Didn’t Know You Needed

The Best Man Holiday (Malcolm Lee, 2013) I must confess that I never saw The Best Man, back in 1999. Did … More