The Theory of Everything (2014)

The Theory of Everything (2014)

The Theory of Everything is, above all, a marvelous love story. Based upon Jane Hawking’s account of her 30-year marriage to famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, director James Marsh has crafted an emotional, affectionate tribute to the man, love, and life itself. It does get stuck in the biopic genre gears here… Continue reading

The Boxtrolls (2014)

The Boxtrolls (2014)

The Boxtrolls is another dark, edgy, macabre story from the same team that brought us ParaNorman and Coraline. If you’ve seen one or both of those films, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what to expect here. Directors Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi and their team have created some of… Continue reading

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Dallas Buyers Club represents that breed of Oscar contender where the performances are far better than the movie. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto turn in career-defining work, but the film as a whole is pretty standard underdog fare and surprisingly cold and distant emotionally. You can’t help but feel like you… Continue reading

Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)

Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)

Emerging as the lead candidate of the 2012 Oscar bait sweepstakes, Hyde Park on Hudson is a disappointingly bland mix of drama and comedy that never comes close to gelling. It also paints a pretty unflattering picture of everyone involved, from Franklin D. Roosevelt on down. Whether this was intentional… Continue reading

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

What a beautiful film. That’s what I kept thinking throughout Brokeback Mountain, a film that will stay with you for many days – and for many reasons. Out of all the attempts at realistic love stories we see each year, it’s actually quite a rarity to find one that hits… Continue reading