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…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
Midday on Film, 7/25 @ 1pm: Hits, Misses, Sleepers & Indies – The Narrative of Summer 2014
[NOTE: If you missed the show, check out the podcast] It’s that time of year again, when we review the…
Roger Ebert Embodies “Life Itself” in All Its Glory
Life Itself (Steve James, 2014) Documentary director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters) began filming Roger Ebert five months before he…
In “Sex Tape,” Diaz and Segel Avoid Complete Disaster, So There’s That . . .
Sex Tape (Jake Kasdan, 2014) Wow! There is not a single “top critic” on the film review aggregator site Rotten…
“Begin Again,” oh “Chef” – Two Films About Keeping It Simple, Stupid (Sort of)
Better late than never, right? I finally got around to seeing two films that have been in theaters for a bit…