All genres: my savvy and literate list of the good, the bad and the indifferent
Capsule reviews similar in tone to Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide entries, but only similar. Opinions and writing style are strictly my own. These entries will be added to and updated periodically. In ALPHABETICAL order.
Update: I'm moving future reviews over to Amazon. I can barely find this list myself, and most of the views are my own! So, as Edward Norton kept saying in "The Score," "OK bye bye!"
Update: I'm moving future reviews over to Amazon. I can barely find this list myself, and most of the views are my own! So, as Edward Norton kept saying in "The Score," "OK bye bye!"
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- DirectorMarc WebbStarsAndrew GarfieldEmma StoneJamie FoxxWhen New York is put under siege by Oscorp, it is up to Spider-Man to save the city he swore to protect as well as his loved ones.**½ D: Marc Webb. Andrew Garfield. Certainly a cut above the 2002 version with Tobey Maguire, who missed his (webbed) shot even with ten-year-old viewers. This one should satisfy adults who can tolerate fun for its own sake, the occasional cornball touches, and faint derivatives of Superman and King Kong.
- DirectorNicholas JareckiStarsRichard GereSusan SarandonBrit MarlingA troubled hedge fund magnate desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire makes an error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help.*** D: Nicolas Jerecki. Richard Gere seems like his old mercurial self again (recalling An Officer and a Gentleman), as a hedge fund company owner dealing with corporate intrigue and criminal charges related to the death of a mistress. It's no Michael Clayton but within the genre it's well-acted and entertaining in its own right.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsMark WahlbergJulianne MooreBurt ReynoldsBack when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.*** D: Paul Thomas. Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds. Offbeat and mesmerizing account of some sad and disparate characters with no brains and even less talent except for their sex organs, which they put to good use in the porno film business. The director seldom if ever stoops to judge his characters, however. Those fornicating folks have feelings just like the rest of us.
- DirectorStuart RosenbergStarsPaul NewmanGeorge KennedyStrother MartinA laid-back Southern man is sentenced to two years in a rural prison, but refuses to conform.***½ D: Stuart Rosenberg. Paul Newman. A great classic about prison life for irreverent and nonconformist Newman. Warden Struther Martin is oft quoted by young American men and some English teachers (Lesson 1: Now ah can be a nice guy, or ah can be one real meeeaaan sumbitch! Lesson 2: You got to git yer mind right! Lesson 3: What we have here is a failure to communicate... etc.) May seem somewhat familiar territory now, but only because this movie created the stereotypes.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsChristian BaleTom HardyAnne HathawayEight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.**½ D: Christopher Nolan. Christian Bale. Pretty ponderous and pretentious for a moving comic book, but it's at least a half-star better than the awful and heavy-handed The Dark Knight (2005). Now and then some rousing good action can be found (helped by exciting score) in between the extended, darkly boring scenes reminiscent of the 2005 film. Takes a few cues from Star Wars and Escape from New York as well.
- DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsJamie FoxxChristoph WaltzLeonardo DiCaprioWith the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.***½ (2012) D: Quentin Tarantino's film is a long, whimsical, stylish and stylistically multi-genre spaghetti western, comedy and southern plantation slavery drama. It is, of course, also a tribute to the original Django (1966 with Franco Nero) as well as Eastwood's High Plains Drifter (the ride into town, with locals stopping in their tracks gawking, beautiful woman peering from a window, the Fistful of Dollars-type background score, etc.) Oh yes: Shaft is in there somewhere too. This time Django is an African freed slave (Jamie Foxx) being trained by a German bounty hunter. It's disparate, it's bloody, it's crazy—but it hangs together nicely and works on many levels.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsDenzel WashingtonNadine VelazquezDon CheadleTroubling questions arise after airline pilot Whip Whitaker makes a miracle landing after a mid-air catastrophe.*** (2012) D: Robert Zemeckis. Denzel Washington. Crack airline pilot saves the day, but struggles with alcoholism and ensuing investigations by the NTSB. Fine, dramatic character study.
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsAl PacinoJack LemmonAlec BaldwinAn examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.***½ D: James Foley. Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris and more. My, my—what a cast, including Lemmon and Pacino as desperate real estate agents. Forget the old '50s and early '60s Jack Lemmon vehicles. This one is Lemmon doing Lemmon “on steroids,” and it's great stuff; his distressed ramblings in this film are often parodied in The Simpsons. The others in the ensemble serve as perfect foils. Spacey is evil corporate incarnate, as usual.
- DirectorMiguel ArtetaStarsJennifer AnistonJake GyllenhaalDeborah RushA discount store clerk strikes up an affair with a stock boy who considers himself the incarnation of Holden Caulfield.*** D: Miguel Arteta. Jennifer Aniston. Fascinating comedy-turned drama, superbly directed and acted. Jennifer is stuck in a small-town rut, working in a discount store and married to an unattractive, boorish rube (John C. Reilly), when someone more appealing comes along, with unfortunate results. You'll love this one all the way as a drama and character study. Only gripe is slight credulity gap: in real life, small-town girls this beautiful, sharp and full of potential do not generally hang back at their dreary little home towns after graduation day, marrying the ugliest brute from high school for a life of gloom, selling shower caps at the Bargain-o-Rama. But let's face it—that lovely face and everything else that Jennifer offers is a big part of the appeal of the movie.
- DirectorWes CravenStarsSusan LanierRobert HoustonJohn SteadmanOn the way to California, a family has the misfortune to have their car break down in an area closed to the public, and inhabited by violent savages ready to attack.**½ D: Wes Craven. Susan Lanier. The original, which now has a cult following, is not bad. Typical '70s American family gets stranded in Nevada desert and beset by mutant cannibals. Unlike predictable slasher movies, this one lets the victims find creative ways to fight back.
- DirectorBarbara PeetersJimmy T. MurakamiStarsDoug McClureAnn TurkelVic MorrowHumanoid sea creatures start killing a fishing town's residents, and raping their women. It's up to the townsfolk and a visiting biologist to fight back and fend them off.**½ D: Barbara Peeters. Doug McClure. Cool mutant salmon monsters! Deeply tanned, naked babes! The former lust after the latter; mayhem ensues. Trashy but fast-paced. Finale evokes memories of Alien.
- DirectorPhyllida LloydStarsMeryl StreepJim BroadbentRichard E. GrantAn elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.** D: Phyllida Lloyd. Meryl Streep. Scattershot, uneven collection of time-shifting flashbacks and fast-forwards to three or four different eras in Margaret Thatcher's life. The film leaves us cold and about as emotionally involved as an empty beer can.
- DirectorFrank CapraStarsClark GableClaudette ColbertWalter ConnollyA rogue reporter trailing a runaway heiress for a big story joins her on a bus heading from Florida to New York and they end up stuck with each other when the bus leaves them behind at one of the stops along the way.*** D: Frank Capra. Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert. You might be thinking, “We don't need no stinking 1934 black-and-white moving picture!” But this one is funny, clever and entertaining. Honest to goodness—and we don't need to show no stinking badges to convince you. The first five minutes will do that.
- DirectorYimou ZhangFengliang YangStarsGong LiWei LiBaotian LiIn rural China, the young bride of a tyrannical owner of a silk-dyeing business finds temporary solace in the arms of her husband's nephew, but problems arise when she becomes pregnant.*** D: Zhang Yimour. With the incomparable Gong Li, China's first and sexiest lady in cinema, who later brought Chinese films to popularity in the U.S. This one was banned in China because the ruling clique of old men thought the movie could be seen as a metaphor for their own corrupt and ruthless dictatorship. First Chinese movie to be nominated for Best Foreign Film. Actually it's a Chinese-Japanese co-production. You won't see much of that these days. English subtitles.
- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittBruce WillisEmily BluntIn 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.**½ D: Rian Johnson. Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. A bit muddled or at least unnecessarily confusing, though clear enough in the end. Interesting at first, bogs down a bit in the middle...but finally redeems itself with verve. We're shown the old time-travel conundrum, i.e., young guy meets older self, and that's fine, but was it necessary to throw in a little kid with amazing telekinetic powers, like a Dean Koontz thriller? Still, it's good enough to donate your two hours to. Not sure if this one deserves three stars or just 2 ½. Only time will tell.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsChanning TatumAlex PettyferOlivia MunnA male stripper teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women, and make easy money.**½ D: Steven Soderbergh. Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum. Thirty-year-old construction worker becomes male stripper to make easy money. Soon, he and mentor face a downgrade to dissolution. Slight drama, and somewhat off-putting, to say the least, unless you feel like ogling skimpily dressed beefcake guys--but it's ultimately an upbeat film.
- DirectorWes AndersonStarsJared GilmanKara HaywardBruce WillisTwo 12-year-olds, who live on an island, fall in love with each other and elope into the wilderness. While people set out on a search mission, a violent storm approaching them catches their attention.*** D: Wes Anderson. Bill Murray, Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis. Cute and original fable about preteen boy and girl who fall in love and run away together in 1965 New England, causing the adults in the region to get their knickers in a twist and propose electroshock therapy.
- DirectorYimou ZhangStarsGong LiJingwu MaSaifei HeChina in the 1920s. After her father's death, Songlian is forced to marry the wealthy Master Chen. With three wives already, each living in a separate house, there is fierce competition for his attention and the privileges that are gained.*** D: Yimou Zhang. Gong Li. Fairly early effort by the lovely Gong Li showcases her beauty and talent and is a harbinger of international stardom to come. The picture itself is beautifully shot and, though two hours long and set entirely within the confines of a single compound, never makes us fidget in our seats. It's a story of the intrigue among four competing concubines that seems to unfold like one of Amy Tan's better novels. English subtitles.
- DirectorTom TykwerStarsFranka PotenteMoritz BleibtreuHerbert KnaupAfter a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks.*** (German with Eng subs) D: Tom Tykwer. Franka Potenta. Cut and directed something like a music video, it's a hyperkinetic caper in which girl must literally run all over the city and somehow get hold of 100,000 marks to save her boyfriend—all in 20 minutes. Presented in different scenarios, it's like three different versions of a single short story. But the originality and unexpected twists somehow keep us engaged and chuckling. Actual run time minus the end credits is just 72 minutes, and that's wise. Any longer would have gotten wearisome.
- DirectorOren PeliStarsKatie FeatherstonMicah SloatMark FredrichsAfter moving into a suburban home, a couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.**½ D: Oren Peli. Katie Featherston. Initially shaky camera (which steadies later) simulates verisimilitude in docu-like account of young woman plagued by a demon that wants her--and just won't let up. Starts off slowly and delivers the chills in the last half-hour.
- DirectorDavid KoeppStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittMichael ShannonDania RamirezIn Manhattan, a bike messenger picks up an envelope that attracts the interest of a dirty cop, who pursues the cyclist throughout the city.*** D: David Koepp. OK, we've seen lots of great car chases, but this one is all about bicycle chases—and it's a pretty good actioner. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a bike messenger in Manhattan being chased all over town by a dirty cop for a valuable envelope—and the bulk of your 90 minutes. (One chase scene even takes place under the Elevated, conjuring memories of The French Connection.) Will appeal especially to 20-year-olds, but it's worth a peek for the more educated as well.
- DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsAubrey PlazaMark DuplassJake JohnsonThree magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.**½ D: Colin Trevorrow. Mark Duplass, Aubrey Plaza. Local unemployed flake scurries about under the delusion (or is it?) that he's some sort of sci-fi Jason Bourne; advertises for a time-travel partner. Three Seattle magazine reporters track him down near the undeniably lovely Washington seashore to get a story. Duplass always seems to play unappealing characters; here he's a faxed copy of the nitwit in Your Sister's Sister. Best part: three minutes or so during which Kristen Bell appears. She's got more presence than all the others combined.
- DirectorSteven C. MillerStarsLauren HollyLance HenriksenEric F. AdamsAn archeology professor unearths a dangerous artifact, unwittingly releasing a creature that is able to kill with the power of its bone-splitting scream.** D. Steven C. Miller. Lauran Holly, a sexy anthropology professor, discovers dangerous artifact from Ireland. Low-budget but fast-paced horror outing made for the SyFy Channel is worthwhile; at least the scary spook makes a lot of sudden and robust appearances.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigJavier BardemNaomie HarrisJames Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.*** D: Sam Mendes. Daniel Craig. Stunning stunts and chases, good fun if one ignores the usual ludicrous storyline. As for Judy Dench's “M”--something has to be done about her. While Bond is busy jumping around on top of trains fighting villains, M, back in London, barks into his earpiece demanding instant full reports! She's unable to see the action as it unfolds, but that doesn't stop her from ordering the backup agent to take a shot. Enough already—she's enough to make you defect. Later, at Bond's house, oh yeah—it blowed up good. It blowed up real good!
- DirectorJohn CurranStarsEdward NortonMilla JovovichRobert De NiroA convicted arsonist looks to manipulate a parole officer into a plan to secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife in the lawman's path.** D: John Curran. Prison parole officer (Robert DeNiro), who listens to right-wing, sanctimonious radio talk shows, suffers depression when he can't handle his own hypocrisy—a moral crisis prompted by manipulative inmate Edward Norton and the latter's wife, Mila Jovovich. Somber and not particularly memorable.