THE KINGDOM wants to be SYRIANA by way of BLACK HAWK DOWN, but by earnestly following those templates, it renders itself an unsatisfying pastiche that has neither conviction nor surprise, much less the pervasive sense of uncertainty for which it so desperately strives. Instead, it comes across as schmaltzy, predictable, and insidiously imperialistic. It’s the… Read More »
FEAST OF LOVE
After a promising beginning, FEAST OF LOVE devolves into a sloppy wallow in melodrama of the most turgid variety. It dallies with hyperbole, but refuses to commit to a conceit that might have made it all come together as a satisfying whole. Instead of magic, it is at best contrived. Morgan Freeman is our narrator.… Read More »
HEARTBREAK KID, THE
It takes chutzpah of a particularly flagrant sort to update the Neil Simon/Elaine May classic, THE HEARTBREAK KID. The Farrelly Brothers obviously pack that sort of gumption, taking the droll but deadly humor of the original and rethinking it with their trademark penchant for slapstick and silliness. It may not have the same wry weltschmertz… Read More »
THE HOAX
What makes THE HOAX such a thoroughly enjoyable ride is that even though its anti-hero, Clifford Irving, is perpetrating the eponymous hoax, he is so good at it. His exuberance during the highs and even the lows of his scheme as kinks pop up is infectious. He is having such a good time plotting it,… Read More »
DAN IN REAL LIFE
DAN IN REAL LIFE is suffused with a lovely sweetness. Not cloying, not sappy, but instead, unaffectedly joyful about what life has to offer, including the madness inherent in how very messy life tends to be. Dan (Steve Carell) has been avoiding the joyful part of life. He’s spent four years as a widower, mourning his… Read More »
MEET THE ROBINSONS — DVD
MEET THE ROBINSONS is a whiz-bang terrific flight of fancy that is a paean to both the creative impulse that drives inventors, and the boundless optimism that keeps them going in the face of long odds and the skepticism of their less imaginative fellow creatures. Thinking so far outside the box that its very existence… Read More »
FRED CLAUS
There is something wonderfully metaphorical in the image of a herd of 30 Santa Clauses chasing a contemporary Scrooge through the busy streets of snowy Chicago. The holiday season, whether we will or no, will force itself upon even those least willing to acknowledge it, much less celebrate it. The Scrooge in question has even… Read More »
KING CORN
KING CORN may take a whimsical approach to its subject matter, the impact of corn on the American economy and population, but it’s deadly serious when it comes to pondering its implications. Expanding waistlines, the demise of the family farm, and what exactly goes into high fructose corn syrup all come into play as the… Read More »
SICKO — DVD
Click here to listen to Michael Moore interviewed for BOWLING FOR COUMBINE.My favorite moment in Michael Moore’s SICKO is one that had nothing to do with Moore directly. He merely recounts the story. A man unhappy with having his claim rejected by his insurance provider informed said provider that Moore’s new documentary project was an… Read More »
LIONS FOR LAMBS
Unstinting in its condemnation of apathy, expedience, and the people in power who take advantage of those traits in the population at large, LIONS FOR LAMBS nonetheless is a flat work that feels more like a series of actors’ exercises than the incisive movie it wants to be. Like the college professor trying to shock… Read More »
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 134
- 135
- 136
- 137
- 138
- …
- 148
- Next Page »