16 Blocks is a film run ragged from simply trying to accomplish too much. Part lean thrilling machine and part overdone drama, the film is probably the longest 105 minutes in recent memory. The usual aberrations creep into the picture as it uncoils from its intriguing setup, and those include… Continue reading
The World’s Fastest Indian is a treasure of a film; a true rarity in today’s quick cash grabs market. The trailers would lead one to believe that the film is squarely aimed at racing techies preoccupied with souping up their rusted heap in the backyard, but Burt Munro (Hopkins) is… Continue reading
Something New doesn’t entirely live up to its title, but as yet another fish in the sea of romantic comedies, often the most misfired films in Hollywood, it gets the job done for couples in search of a Valentine’s Day cinema fix. It doesn’t resort to idiotic and poorly executed… Continue reading
Annapolis is the kind of hybrid military movie that can really only be truly enjoyed with diminished expectations and a sharp sense of parody. The film executes all the drills of the genre to completion, but the end result is too familiar and unsatisfying. After all of the naval training,… Continue reading
Only Terrence Malick could get away with this. The legend of Malick is one I partially understand, but the holier-than-thou critical reputation he seems to revel in is completely overblown. The man has directed five films since 1969 but really made a name for himself with Badlands (1973) and Days… Continue reading
I have no doubt that Queen Latifah is a wonderful person. All of her performances have exuded likability and charisma – this even includes the Pizza Hut commercials. Her project choices, however, have made it difficult for me to fully appreciate her talents. With dreck ranging from shameful knockoffs (Beauty… Continue reading
The underdog sports film is the most dependable of all. Whether based on true events or simply a tale of a ragtag team who wins the big game, the genre seemingly has crowds standing an applauding no matter how clichéd and tired it gets. Basketball has been the sports flavor… Continue reading
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
Surely you are all familiar with the “name the actor” game. It is that game people play under their breath in the theater during a movie when an actor they know shows up on screen and they feel it necessary to blurt out that name in either a loud whisper… Continue reading
I confess that I did not know what a Geisha was before seeing this film. For the uninitiated and those who have not read Arthur Golden’s novel of the same name, a Geisha is essentially a diversely talented prostitute. I say diversely talented because they are proficient dancers and well-versed… Continue reading