There’s no “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”

Friday, April 18, 2008

For all of its seeming assembly-line predictability, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" turns out to be a hilariously subversive take on manhood and romance in the 21st century. It also showcases a nervy, unflappable but ultimately sweet performance by Jason Segel that should turn the actor/co-writer into a star.

'Stop-Loss' does a service to its subjects

Thursday, March 27, 2008

"Stop-Loss" is being marketed by MTV Films with its good-looking actors and new rock soundtrack upfront, but it's actually a thought-provoking, even-handed drama. Director Kimberly Peirce's Iraq war drama follows in the footsteps of "coming home" war movies, and asks some tough questions about the definition of duty.

The Triumph of 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'

Friday, March 7, 2008

At first, it's a little difficult to get your bearings. The camera wanders, is never completely in focus, and the audio is muffled, cutting in and out. It pans back and forth to simulate the movement of the eyes. A narrator begins to speak. Seeing the world through the limited perspective of a bedridden man wouldn't normally strike one as the most cinematic of ideas.

Provocative “There Will Be Blood” the Best Movie of the Year

Friday, Jan. 18, 2008

From “Citizen Kane” to “Wall Street,” cinema has been a fantastic forum for examining the frayed edges of unchecked ambition and greed. The latest film from Paul Thomas Anderson follows single-minded oilman Daniel Plainview to show us the dark side to this particular American dream—not knowing when to give it a rest.

"Legend" could have been just that were it not for the last 15 minutes

Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007

Give Will Smith credit for one thing—he is fully capable of absorbing work. In “I Am Legend,” based on the 1954 sci-fi novel by Richard Matheson, the actor holds our attention by himself for virtually the entire film.

Images linger in grim 'No Country for Old Men'

Monday, Nov. 26, 2007

Ever since their first movie, 1985’s low budget neo-noir “Blood Simple,” the writing and directing team known as the Coen brothers have always been visual stylists—not in a Baz Luhrmann kind of way (that is, with rich art direction , as did in “Moulin Rouge”) kind of way, but more a la Gregg Toland (deliberate camera placement and lighting schemes). Over the years, this style has become less showy and more evocative. In their latest film, “No Country for Old Men,” they prove they can hold an audience in thrall with the simplest of cinema’s elements—a memorable image.

'Beowulf' manages heroic effort

Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007

It is oddly appropriate that the oldest surviving epic poem in the English language is the inspiration for the latest in motion picture technology. Director Robert Zemeckis tells the 13-century-old tale of Beowulf, the original larger-than-life Anglo-Saxon hero, by using equally larger-than-life cinematic techniques.

'Lions' as subtle as a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant

Friday, Nov. 9, 2007

Is this a movie or an 88-minute civics lecture?

Contradictions abound in Ridley Scott’s 'American Gangster'

Friday, Nov. 2, 2007

By titling his new epic look at the late 60s/early 70s heroin trade in New York City “American Gangster,” director Ridley Scott is already asking us to consider what it is that makes the story of rags-to-riches drug peddler Frank Lucas and uncorrupted cop Richie Roberts so uniquely American. But its the even-handedness of his storytelling that makes that question so hard to answer.

Review: “30 Days of Night”

Monday, Oct. 22, 2007

The new horror flick “30 Days of Night,” (*.5) based on the comic book series of the same name, is one of those simple, high concept movies you can explain to your friends right away. In a tiny Alaskan oil town, it stays dark for 30 days out of the year. Bloodthirsty vampires come to feast, and there’s no sunlight to kill them—nice idea.

‘30 Days’ feels as long as its title

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007

The new horror flick “30 Days of Night,” based on the comic book series of the same name, is one of those simple, high concept movies you can explain to your friends right away. In a tiny Alaskan oil town, it stays dark for 30 days out of the year. Bloodthirsty vampires come to feast, and there’s no sunlight to kill them—great idea.

Affleck directs challenging, moody 'Gone Baby Gone'

Monday, Oct. 15, 2007

One of the toughest and most intangible things for a first-time director to capture onscreen is a consistent mood or tone. In his directorial debut, Ben Affleck creates a strong sense of locale that permeates the entire story and becomes its most affecting element. It is familiar turf for Boston native Affleck, and his movie introduces a bleak environment haunted by the specter of missing and abused children.

Smart choices give 'Michael Clayton' resonance

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007

George Clooney plays against type in "Michael Clayton," a smart legal drama that avoids cliché and features a strong ensemble cast. Writer/director Tony Gilroy shows both sides of an ongoing court battle while keeping his focus on the tough moral dilemmas faced by a worn-down corporate clean-up man.

Review: Across the Universe

Monday, Oct. 1, 2007

A greatest hits album can span somebody's entire career but it rarely paints a complete portrait of the artist. "Across the Universe" (••) is like a greatest hits album in more ways than one.

Engaging, frustrating "In the Shadow of the Moon"

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007

"In The Shadow of the Moon" goes a long way towards explaining what it was like to be in the first rickety rockets heading into unexplored space, courtesy of the men who were actually in them. Beautiful cinematography and lively first-hand testimony from 10 members of each of the nine U.S. moon missions between 1968 to 1972 make this an engaging film, despite some distracting moments.

Cronenberg's 'Eastern Promises' a haunting crime drama

Monday, Sept. 24, 2007

In David Cronenberg's latest film, the narration from a dead Russian girl's diary provides a jarring dash of naïveté that is in stark contrast to everything that has come before it. She speaks of immigrating to Great Britain, and her hopes and dreams once she arrives. What awaits her, however, is an awful life as a sex slave for the Vory V. Zakone, a first-generation Russian mob family.

All hail 'The King of Kong'

Monday, Sept. 10, 2007

An engrossing and funny documentary about a subject most people could care less about, "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" covers the intense rivalry between two giants of the classic arcade game community.

Take the '3:10 to Yuma'

Friday, Sept. 7, 2007

This re-make of the 1957 western "3:10 to Yuma" is a more action-packed and morally complex tale than the original. Starring Christian Bale as a virtuous rancher and Russell Crowe as a slippery outlaw, it has an eye on classic western themes, while its pace keeps it firmly rooted in the present.

'Shoot' first, ask questions later

Friday, Sept. 7, 2007

This venerable parody of uber-violent, gun-toting action flicks, starring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti, has some of the most ridiculous action scenes ever filmed. For once, it is nice to see a movie that freely admits that all the downtime scenes in between the action are nothing more than paper thin set-ups to get the pawns (characters) into place for the next gun battle.

'Death at a Funeral' dies a slow one

Monday, Aug. 27, 2007

You might think that with a comedy titled "Death at a Funeral," (**) part of the fun would be trying to guess exactly who is going to die and when. Instead, this British farce becomes nothing more than a waiting game, trying to determine just when all the elaborate set-ups for multiple characters are going to start paying off. When the zany climax finally comes, it is too little too late.

Don't 'Talk to Me' about standard biopic clichés

Monday, Aug. 20, 2007

Petey Greene was an ex-con who made his way onto the influential station WOL-AM in Washington, D.C. during the late ’60s. There, the disc jockey became an unlikely community leader and outspoken straight-talker during the Vietnam War and civil rights movement. Director Kasi Lemmons ("Eve's Bayou," "The Caveman's Valentine") helms "Talk to Me," a biopic of Greene's life with the reliable Don Cheadle in the lead role.

Movie review: Superbad

Friday, Aug. 17, 2007

Back in 1994, director Kevin Smith's indie sensation "Clerks" was originally given an NC-17 rating despite the absence of any nudity or violence. The adults-only rating—which translates to box office poison—was singularly due to the film's excessive profanity. With the help of Miramax lawyers, Smith appealed the decision and was eventually handed an R-rating, but not without a lot of hullabaloo in the press.

'Rush Hour 3' keeps it fast and fluffy

Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007

A briskly edited action comedy that teams two stars (Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan) who have as little chemistry as it takes to hold a movie together, "Rush Hour 3" is completely predictible and completely implausible. It's also the ultimate distraction——it is about nothing, yet entertaining enough for its short 90-minute running time.

Introspective sci-fi offers ray of 'Sunshine'

Friday, July 27, 2007

Director Roddy Doyle (“Trainspotting,” “28 Days Later”) grapples with provocative questions of morality and spirituality in this sci-fi head-scratcher starring Cillian Murphy as a scientist flying a nuclear bomb into the sun. Arresting visuals dominate the proceedings, even as the movie veers towards horror.

'Once' Upon a Time in a Song

Monday, July 23, 2007

"Once" is an unscrubbed little gem of a film that gets its title from the fleeting beauty of moments. There are things in your life that will only happen once, and that sense of discovery you get when you meet someone special for the first time is more than enough to hang an entire movie on. What makes "Once" so special is that it captures that feeling and puts it to song.

Frustrating 'Harry Potter' alienates audience

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

For most kids, one’s teenage years are scary and uncomfortable. For the title character in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” things are a bit more serious. Besides the usual teen problems like burgeoning sexuality, post-pubescent alienation, and low self-esteem, Harry has an evil madman out to murder him.

'Transformers' a hilariously absurd teenage fantasy

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

A flawed, frenzied, and ultimately fun affair, Bay’s big screen adaptation of the Hasbro toy line (that itself spun into a TV series and 1986 animated movie) comes off like an absurd cross between “The Last Starfighter,” TV’s “Knight Rider,” and “Risky Business.” It also fulfills every teenage boy’s fantasy to make out with a hot girl on your talking Camaro while a giant friendly robot watches over you.

‘Sicko’ explores the sick joke of U.S. health care

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

America’s most divisive filmmaker is back at it again with “Sicko,” a new documentary that takes on the health care system with a potent mix of satirical humor and thought-provoking cultural questions. More than a political polemic, this film discusses an issue that affects all ages and people from all walks of life.

The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth

My time on VH1 by Eric Melin

Monday, June 25, 2007

There are some serial TV shows I will tape to make absolutely sure that I don't miss an episode—"Lost," "24," "The Shield," "The Office." My priorities may be a little out of whack, but staying on top of my favorite TV shows is more important to me than paying my bills on time.

‘1408’ can’t find its way out

Friday, June 22, 2007

Even though its approach to horror is old-fashioned, the small-scale fright flick “1408” is a breath of fresh air in the wake of recent gore-filled torture-fests like the “Saw” and “Hostel” movies. It has a methodical set-up, some imaginative twists and turns, and an inspired lead performance by John Cusack. So it is too bad when “1408” stumbles one too many times and cannot escape the genre’s most common curse—the dumb ending.

'Thirteen' not Ocean's lucky number

Friday, June 8, 2007

One of the promotional stills from Steven Soderbergh’s star-studded Las Vegas heist sequel “Ocean’s Thirteen” features George Clooney as pack leader Danny Ocean, decked out in a black turtleneck and sporting a huge fake moustache. The movie also features Brad Pitt posing as a hippie scientist and Matt Damon as an aggressive womanizer with a severe nose. The inference is that the film pokes lighthearted fun at the suaveness of its movie stars by having them wear all sorts of ridiculous Fletch-like disguises.

Bloated 'Pirates' three-quel the worst one yet

Friday, May 25, 2007

The third installment of the box office record-breaking "Pirates" series is an extentson of the overstuffed second film, "Dead Man's Chest," in every way. "At World's End" is driven forward not of its own will, but by the impossibly tangled mess of storylines set up in last year's movie. If number two was a scorned middle child fighting for attention, then "Pirates" 3 is a perpetual motion machine—not just because it seems to be on autopilot, but also because it seems like it will never end.

'Waitress' a cynically cute slice of pie

Monday, May 21, 2007

At the heart of the new indie romantic comedy "Waitress" are the creative concoctions of its title character, Jenna, played by Keri Russell. Pies have always been the truest expressions of her soul, and the patrons at Joe's Pie Diner look forward to each delectable new recipe.

'Shrek the Third' runs out of inspiration

Friday, May 18, 2007

"Shrek the Third" finds the post-modern fairy tale gags coming fast and furious as always, but sidekicks Donkey and Puss in Boots have little to do and Shrek is saddled with a passive storyline. Barely kept afloat by its adult references, the movie falls flat with a lame ending where we all learn a middling lesson.

'28 Weeks Later' abandons ideas for glum action

Friday, May 11, 2007

Disappointment is always felt more deeply after there is a hint of good things to come. The first clue that the zombie sick-fest “28 Weeks Later” would be an inferior sequel to “28 Days Later” comes after a promising, slam-bang opening.

Mini reviews: TV on the DVD

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

DVDs are a wonderful thing. Not only are we able to watch clear transfers of classic films, but it seems that every TV show under the sun is now available for hours and hours of couch potato pleasure. Need something to watch on a long hangover Sunday in front of the TV? Try renting or buying one of these box sets of stellar shows you may have missed...

Exciting 'Spider-Man 3' juggles multiple storylines

Thursday, May 3, 2007

After two movies of reluctant hero Peter Parker learning that "with great power comes great responsibility," it is a nice change of pace that "Spider-Man 3" is about something else entirely—forgiveness. It also takes a little bit of the audience's forgiveness to accept this third installment as a worthy successor to what remains the best superhero movie ever made.

'Shaun of the Dead' bad boys sport hilarious 'Hot Fuzz'

Monday, April 23, 2007

When I saw the pitch-perfect zombie movie homage "Shaun of the Dead," I figured the reason there was so much gore was pretty obvious. It's a zombie movie. Duh.

Hopkins and Gosling match wits in tense and funny 'Fracture'

Monday, April 16, 2007

With a bazillion "Law & Order" spin-offs on TV and tons of generic courtroom thrillers on the big screen every year, there's not a lot of room left to reinvent the legal drama these days. So it is all the more impressive when a film comes along that manages to combine the genre's tried-and-true formulas into a cohesive and engrossing picture.

Slick and twisted 'Perfect Stranger' perfectly awful

Friday, April 13, 2007

Perfect Stranger” is an offensively slick and soulless piece of Hollywwod crap. A movie filled with scuzzy people doing scuzzy things, there is not one person to care about— least of all Halle Berry, whose plunging necklines and tight skirts project a sexy working woman's confidence, while her cardboard character exposes her as nothing but a walking billboard.

U.S. inspires horror in 'The Host'

Monday, April 9, 2007

In 1954, the iconic Japanese monster movie "Godzilla" arose from that country's post-World War II fear of more possible nuclear attacks. Over 50 years later, it seems that America is still inspiring new kinds of monster mayhem, as illustrated by the impressively sleek South Korean import "The Host."

'Grindhouse' double feature a gloriously entertaining contrast

Friday, April 6, 2007

“Grindhouse” is a minor cinematic event. More of an overall theater-going experience than merely a movie, writer/directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez pay tribute to an exploitative style of filmmaking that is long dead with a double feature that is literally exploding with the dead.

'Lookout' for this little gem of a crime film

Friday, March 30, 2007

A small town in rural Kansas City is not the most obvious place to set a heist picture starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Isla Fisher, two of Hollywood's brightest up-and-coming stars. And centering your movie on a brain-damaged bank janitor is about as far away as you can get from glitz and glamour, but that is one of the reasons "The Lookout" is such a refreshing treat.

Bite-sized movie reviews

Monday, March 26, 2007

Sometimes the best movie in town isn’t actually in the movie theater. Don’t overlook these recent releases on DVD.

300 bikini briefs, 600 shiny pecs, 1 disappointing movie

Friday, March 9, 2007

In terms of stylistic overkill, the new big screen adaptation of Frank Miller's uber-violent graphic novel "300" ranks right up there with "Moulin Rouge." But where Baz Luhrmann's movie musical was overflowing with ripe emotion, "300" is a bombastic and cold affair—not unlike watching the story sequences between levels in a video game.

'Zodiac' an epic exploration of famous unsolved case

Monday, March 5, 2007

"Zodiac" is a story of obsession focused on the serial killer who taunted police and terrorized the Bay Area in the early 1970s.

'Zodiac' an epic exploration of famous unsolved case

Friday, March 2, 2007

In "Zodiac," Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Robert Graysmith, a former political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle who becomes obsessed with finding the serial killer who taunted police and terrorized the Bay Area in the early 1970s. Although it was directed by David Fincher—the man behind "Seven"—this new movie has more in common with Gyllenhaal's most recent film "Jarhead," where Gulf War soldiers prepared for war for 2 hours and then saw no real action. Similarly, "Zodiac" is 154 minutes of a mounting police investigation with no resolution.

'Reno 911!:Miami' : When lowbrow humor attacks!

Friday, Feb. 23, 2007

Lt. Jim Dangle and his drooling deputies graduate from Comedy Central to the big screen, but leave all their good ideas at the TV network. The flimsy plot is nothing more than a set-up to get the idiots from small-time Reno patrolling the tough streets of Miami—a promising start to a desperate film that goes nowhere.

'Astronaut Farmer' is lost in space

Friday, Feb. 23, 2007

"The Astronaut Farmer" is not a movie for cynics. From a laughable title with a jokey double meaning to a formulaic plot that charges ahead seemingly unaware of how ridiculous it is, this is one bold movie.

'Ghost Rider' a total flame-out

Friday, Feb. 16, 2007

"Ghost Rider" is another ham-fisted Marvel comic adaptation from Mark Steven Johnson. Nicolas Cage is kind of funny, but Johnson fails to get at the core of Johnny Blaze at all. For a movie that places so much emphasis on the soul, "Ghost Rider" is conspicuously devoid of one.