The Switch, originally titled The Baster (how’s that for a mental image?), is a surprisingly effective and genuine romantic comedy. You’d never guess it from the premise, which with just a few rewrites could have been turned into one of the raunchiest comedies ever made. A shaky first act settles… Continue reading
Perhaps no other filmmaker understands the working class as much as Mike Judge. His 1999 home video hit, Office Space, has become virtually a documentary since its release ten years ago. Anyone who works from a cubicle farm understands why. In Extract, a noticeably less-focused effort with scattershot laughs, Judge… Continue reading
I realize the divorce rate is 50% here in the States, but does that mean that nearly every Indie flick has to be about dysfunctional families? I’ve had about enough of these sad sack snobs – and as a film critic I’m supposed to be one! Smart People, whose title… Continue reading
No Country for Old Men is a true original, and that’s virtually impossible to come by these days. Smart, taut, suspenseful, and ever-so-weirdly funny, the film manages to attempt and succeed at nearly every genre under the sun. The Coen brothers have always been uniquely skilled filmmakers, but No Country… Continue reading
Gone Baby Gone is a sterling thriller, the kind of raw cinematic power that you tell your friends about as if you’ve just been put through the spin cycle. Helmed by first-time director Ben Affleck, and starring his brother, Casey, the film scorches a raw nerve from frame one and… Continue reading
Seeing Bollywood-inspired films make their way into American theaters is a refreshing thing. I was relatively unfamiliar with Bollywood until I saw Edward Jordon and Donald Farmer’s highly enjoyable Bollywood and Vine. Bollywood is a region in India that produces about three times the quantity of cinema product that Hollywood… Continue reading
Hero is the kind of film that often imitated, but never duplicated here in the States. This film is proof positive that it is possible for a film to stand on only style points, with the actual story taking a backseat. To watch Hero is to watch visual poetry, and… Continue reading
Oh, how I will be eating my words on this one. You see, for the past several months I have been boo-hooing this entire project as nothing but propaganda for this country’s left of center. I think a little background is necessary. Unlike so many people who wish to keep… Continue reading
Jersey Girl emerges as Kevin Smith’s most polished effort to date, but not his funniest. Smith takes on his new-found fatherhood in the film, and the results are surprisingly sweet and heartfelt. The film opens with Ollie (Affleck) and Gertrude (Lopez) taking a trip from New York City back to… Continue reading
The Human Stain is a never-ending trip into the depths of character development, and the end result is a bit of a mixed bag. The comes as a bit of a surprise considering the wealth of talent involved. The film opens with a tragic car accident, then introduces us to… Continue reading