Vin Diesel has carved a very specific niche for himself in filmdom as the anti-hero of the better (lower case) pulp fiction being produced for cinematic consumption. Resourceful, cunning, and above all more than merely human as he races very fast cars in the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise, or as he pummels entire planets into… Read More »
COUNSELOR, THE
Once upon a time there was a delightful play that spawned an equally delightful movie, both called ROZENCRANTZ AND GUILDERSTERN ARE DEAD. In it, two minor characters from Hamlet are given center stage, with the arch comedy suitable to the comic relief from a towering tragedy, as well as unexpectedly profound observations about the meaning… Read More »
THE QUIET ONES
THE QUIET ONES never really gets around to explaining its title, but it doesnt really matter. Produced by Hammer Films, that glorious British concern specializing in horror films that emphasize terror over gore, it is an elegant little flick, both creepy and atmospheric, that tells its tale of hubris and good intentions gone wrong with… Read More »
MALEFICENT
There is an old saw about movies that goes, “Dont tell, show” and, alas, MALEFICENT has gotten that backwards. wtih an incessant, distracting, and otherwise unhelpful narration. Its an unfortunate irony in that the film seeks to inform us of the other side of the Sleeping Beauty story, that of the evil fairy who cursed a… Read More »
THE CORE
Somewhere in THE CORE there is a neat-o flick trying to get out. Unfortunately, its stymied by cliché characters and a series of hackneyed action-adventure plot points that all but kill any joy we might have found in the otherwise fun concept and occasional burst of crisp dialogue. The premise is that the Earths outer core,… Read More »
EYES OF TAMMY FAYE, THE
Well, there is just no getting around it. Tammy Faye Bakker Messner’s name recognition is off the charts. And the one thing that everyone knows for sure about her are those eyelashes. Long, thick, seemingly prehensile, they frame eyes that have wept more than everyone on your block combined, and for more TV cameras than… Read More »
THIRTEEN
There is a menace to Catherine Hardwickes THIRTEEN. The reason is that the fall from grace and sobriety experienced by its lead character, Tracy (Evan Rachel Wood), is one that she eagerly embraces with all the reckless passion and aching desperation that only a thirteen-year-old can harbor. Hardwicke, setting her story squarely in the real… Read More »
KINKY BOOTS
Some are born great, some become great, and others have greatness thrust upon them. In that last category is Charlie Price (wide-eyed innocent Joel Edgerton), the 4th generation heir-apparent to his family’s footwear factory and hero of KINKY BOOTS. His is not the greatness of leading a nation, or conquering evil, but rather that of… Read More »
THE PRESTIGE
The first words heard in Christopher Nolan’s THE PRESTIGE come in a voice-over as the camera pans across an odd collection of silk top hats in disarray across a wintry landscape. It admonishes the audience to pay close attention to everything and that is excellent advice, but perhaps futile. David Attenborough, intrepid documenter of the… Read More »
MADE OF HONOR
Yes, MADE OF HONOR is a variation on MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING, with gender reversal and no gay best pal. Alas, it’s not as sharp, not as dark, and just not as much fun, starting well, but going south with alarming haste. The likable stars, Patrick Dempsey and Michelle Monaghan, generate real chemistry and have the… Read More »