archive
Movie Reviews
A Hazy Ode 'To The Wonder' Of Hidden Worlds
April 11, 2013 Terrence Malick's latest cinematic meditation doesn't seem to have much to do with anything; it's pretty but largely pointless, a globe-trotting film with a fondness for lyrical internal monologues and unlikely international juxtapositions.
Movie Reviews
Robert Redford Keeps Revolutionary'Company'
April 4, 2013 Lesser talents could lose track of the high-wattage cast that joins the actor-director in The Company You Keep. But this modern-day journalistic revisit to the revolutionary turmoil of the 1970s succeeds because Redford knows how to keep his marquee-name ensemble on the same page.
Movie Reviews
'Renoir': Impressionism, Rapturously Realized
March 28, 2013 Sketched in tones as bright and gorgeous as those its namesake artist put to canvas, the gauzy biopic Renoir portrays the domestic disruptions — and the artistic reawakening — of the Impressionist master's final days.
Movie Reviews
'The Place Beyond The Pines': It's A Far Piece
March 28, 2013 Topical and tough, the latest from Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance is a self-conscious drama that seems to long for a healthy dose of old-school movie macho. The story of a retired circus performer and the cop who tails him stretches across generations — but the audience might not be willing to wait that long.
Movie Reviews
'Retaliation': Harsh Payback For Poor G.I. Joe
March 28, 2013 The producers spent $135 million on 'splosions, 3-D effects, and ... oh, right, actors. But they might as well have used actual action figures in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, a stiffly ridiculous exercise in moving Hasbro merchandise.
Movie Reviews
A 'Devil' In The Details Of A Brotherly Rivalry
March 21, 2013 The authentic grit of modern London is a plus in Sally El Hosaini's debut feature, My Brother the Devil. What's less successful is her attempt to break storytelling conventions; a intriguing concept and a smart setup subside into familiar sibling-rival storytelling by the film's end.
Movie Reviews
'No Place On Earth': Underground, A Story Of Survival
March 21, 2013 Director Janet Tobias frames an indelible story of two families living in Eastern European caves early in World War II; spelunker Christopher Nicola discovered the hideout more than two decades ago.
Movie Reviews
'Burt Wonderstone': Vegas, When The Magic Stops
March 14, 2013 There's a clever premise and some promising performances buried in this comedy-magic misfire. But those winning aspects are ultimately ruined by a mean-spirited movie that's too cruel for kids and too dull for most adults.
Movie Reviews
Friendship Fades To Bleak 'Beyond The Hills'
March 7, 2013 Director Cristian Mungiu's Beyond the Hills has echoes of his earlier (and best-known) drama, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. Here he's telling a tale of autocratic religion in a bleak Romanian backwater.
Movie Reviews
Soviet Ghosts Resurface In Soggy 'Phantom'
February 28, 2013 A surprising flip of Cold War submarine thrillers, Phantom shows what the Soviets might have been thinking as they battled their American foes. It's unfortunate that the American-produced film that results is such a soggy mess.
Movie Reviews
'11 Flowers': A Revolutionary Childhood
February 21, 2013 The stark Chinese drama 11 Flowers meditates on the universal experiences of childhood even as it details the bizarre specifics of growing up during Mao's Cultural Revolution. The acquisition of a new white shirt changes a young boy as the revolution draws to a close. (Recommended)
Movie Reviews
Kiarostami Eyes Tokyo 'Like Someone In Love'
February 14, 2013 Legendary Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami turns to the neon sprawl of Tokyo for Like Someone in Love, where his actors find some gentle insight. But the expat director retains something of the air of a wide-eyed tourist, which isn't always to the film's credit.
Movie Reviews
A Sorcerer, A White Snake, And Lots Of CGI Magic
February 7, 2013 Short on thrills but chock full of dazzling CGI wizardry, the mythical Sorcerer and the White Snake is a centuries-old Chinese story of demon-human love gone wrong.
Movie Reviews
Warning: 'Side Effects' May Include Eye-Rolling
February 7, 2013 Steven Soderbergh has said Side Effects will be his final film. But the talented director has turned in a stylish but silly thriller — a sad closing chapter for a notable career.
Movie Reviews
'Bullet To The Head': No-Brainer Bubblegum
January 31, 2013 Adapted from a French graphic novel and outfitted with an ethnically diverse cast, this New Orleans-set crime thriller centers on a hit man (Sylvester Stallone) who finds himself in an uneasy alliance with a detective (Sung Kang).