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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 ‘Quickie’ 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 »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 »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 »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 »Quickie: The Road
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on November 26th, 2009
The Road (2009)–** Quickie Review A father and son struggle to survive in an ashen wasteland left after an unknown cataclysm destroys the world as we know it. Director John Hillcoat treats this adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s masterpiece like a Harry Potter book, focusing on the bleak landscape and atmospheric details rather than trying to [...]
Posted in Quickie Tags: charlize theron, kodi smit-mcphee, robert duvall, the road, viggo mortensen No Comments »Quickie: Law Abiding Citizen
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on October 20th, 2009
Law Abiding Citizen–**1/2 Quickie Review A man whose family was slaughtered during a home invasion goes after the justice system that allowed the murderer to get off with a slap on the wrist for testifying against his accomplice. What this action-thriller lacks in polished writing, it comes close to making up for in pure filmmaking. [...]
Quickie: Julie & Julia
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on August 11th, 2009
Julie & Julia (2009)–** Quickie Review Julia Child changes the world by introducing French cuisine to servantless American cooks. Years later, Julie Powell attempts to change her life by cooking her way through Child’s cookbook. Told using parallel narratives, this Nora Ephron dramedy is half great and half miserable. Meryl Streep inhabits Child’s skin, giving [...]
Posted in Quickie Tags: amy adams, chris messina, julie & julia, meryl, meryl streep, nora ephron, stanley tucci No Comments »Quickie: Adam
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on August 4th, 2009
Adam (2009)–*** Quickie Review A man with Asperger’s, left mostly alone after his father dies, develops a relationship with a woman who moves into his building. A touching story about two people who find each other when they need each other, this dramedy avoids the sentimentality that we’ve come to expect from similar (though not [...]
Quickie: Outrage
Posted by Dan Stasiewski on June 21st, 2009
Outrage (2009)–***1/2 Quickie Review Documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick investigates the media conspiracy to keep closeted politicians in the closet at the expense of all gay Americans. A documentary that evokes equal parts anger, empathy and sadness, this latest Dick film takes aim at gay politicians who vote against gay rights and the institutional policy in [...]
Posted in Quickie Tags: andrew sullivan, barney frank, jim mcgreevey, kirby dick, michael rogers, outrage, tony kushner No Comments »
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