The Ghost Writer (2010)–**** Quickie Review A ghostwriter hired to complete the memoirs of a Blair-esque former British prime minister discovers an international conspiracy behind the politician’s career. Atmospheric and genuinely suspensful, this tense, focused geopolitical thriller from Roman Polanski beats with the same heart of darkness that made his Chinatown a classic. Thanks to a subtle but [...]
Archive for the ‘Movie Review’ Category
I AM LOVE movie review – CIFF 34
I Am Love (2010)–**** I haven’t seen many films at the 34th Cleveland International Film Festival, but for the quantity-over-quality people attending the fest, I’ll say this: I doubt you’ve seen a better film than I Am Love. Filled with rapturous sensuality and tragic melodrama, this Italian export from maestro Luca Guadagnino is thrilling from [...]
CIFF 34 Quickies: HANNAH FREE, FALKENBERG FAREWELL, TOE TO TOE
Hannah Free (2009)–** An aging lesbian lays in a nursing home just rooms away from the comatose partner she is barred from seeing. Even with its topical subject, this softball romance never reaches a dramatic peak. What could have been a gay The Notebook is instead a cumbersome, often boring, theater adaptation that is actually [...]
THE APE movie review – CIFF 34
The Ape (2009)–***1/2 Director Jesper Ganslandt says that his film The Ape was inspired by the true crimes he read about in newspapers. But he didn’t want the fiction behind those stories. For 81 minutes, Ganslandt thrusts us into the life, and the psyche, of a man dealing with the aftermath of a violent act [...]
Quickie: CRAZY HEART
Crazy Heart (2009) — ***1/2 Quickie Review A washed-up, alcoholic country singer named Bad Blake tries to get his life and career in order after meeting an upstart music writer in Santa Fe. With the humble lyricism of a great country song, this understated drama from first-time director Scott Cooper aches with the spirit of [...]
Quickie: THE LOVELY BONES
The Lovely Bones (2009)–** Quickie Review A young girl who is brutally murdered remains in between heaven and earth, watching her family, her friends and even her murderer endure the aftermath of her violent death. As tepid as it is inauthentic, the Peter Jackson picture never finds a balance between fantasy, horror and reality. There [...]
Quickie: NINE
Nine (2009)–1/2* Quickie Review In 1965, Italian film director Guido Contini struggles to make his latest film while grappling with the women in his life. Based on the Broadway show that was inspired by Fellini’s 8 1/2, this movie musical is an affront to fans of cinema and musicals alike. In trying to capture the manic spirit of [...]
AVATAR movie review
Avatar (2009)–**** Avatar goes far beyond simple entertainment, transporting audiences to an exotic new world in a bold new way. It’s a film that must be seen in 3D. Yes, if you see Avatar in 3D, you’ll have experienced something that’s not just groundbreaking, but could very well change the way you watch movies. Of [...]
UP IN THE AIR movie review
Up in the Air (2009)–**** When I walked out of Up in the Air, I had a feeling I don’t often get after seeing a Hollywood motion picture. As a matter of fact, I can honestly say I’ve never really had it. The closest thing I can remember to it is when I watched American [...]
THE BLIND SIDE Movie Review
The Blind Side (2009)–**1/2 There’s an argument to be made to whether The Blind Side, an unsentimental tale of inspiration, should have been made into a movie at all. There isn’t much conflict. There’s very little drama. And the protagonist, a young man from the wrong side of Memphis, isn’t someone you find yourself rooting [...]
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