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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 ‘Reviews & Commentary’ Category
Quickie: THE GHOST WRITER
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on April 3rd, 2010
Posted in Quickie 
Tags: ewan mcgregor, olivia williams, pierce brosnan, roman polanski, the ghost writer, timothy hutton, tom wilkinson 
No Comments »I AM LOVE movie review – CIFF 34
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on March 28th, 2010
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
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on March 21st, 2010
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 [...]
Posted in Quickie Tags: ciff, emily abt, falkenberg farewell, hannah free, jesper ganslandt, louisa krause, sharon gless, sonequa martin, toe to toe, wendy jo carlton No Comments »THE APE movie review – CIFF 34
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on March 20th, 2010
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
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on February 6th, 2010
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 [...]
Posted in Quickie Tags: colin farrell, crazy heart, jeff bridges, maggie gyllenhaal, robert duvall, scott cooper No Comments »Quickie: THE LOVELY BONES
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on February 3rd, 2010
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 [...]
Posted in Quickie Tags: mark wahlberg, peter jackson, rachel weisz, saoirse ronan, stanley tucci, susan sarandon, the lovely bones No Comments »schism DVD review
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on February 1st, 2010
schism (2009) DVD Review Schism is a tough film to watch. It’s tough because the story, one of a older man named Neil who is stuck in a nursing home battling the onset of Alzheimer’s, isn’t something we like to talk about in our culture. Bring up eldercare at a party, or even in everyday [...]
Quickie: NINE
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on December 26th, 2009
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 [...]
Posted in Quickie Tags: daniel day lewis, judi dench, kate hudson, marion cotillard, nicole kidman, nine, penelope cruz, rob marshall, sophialoren No Comments »AVATAR movie review
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on December 19th, 2009
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 [...]
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Year in Review – Best Films of 2009
I saw fewer new movies this year than in any other since I started putting together my top ten lists. That’s not bad news. I just cut out a lot of… well… crap. No, I didn’t see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and no, I didn’t see Sherlock Holmes. I love movies, but what’s the [...]