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
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
If we’re lucky we get one film a year that has the action, humor, heart, and colossal appeal of King Kong. The story and message are both timeless, and it’s likely that many audiences worldwide will leave the theater exclaiming that they’ve never seen anything like this before. Of all… Continue reading
Just Friends is the first film in recent memory where literally every scene ends with someone sustaining an injury that, if it wasn’t just a movie, would land them in the hospital for weeks, maybe months. The film is loaded with slapstick and a surprisingly mean demeanor, but it’s edgy… Continue reading
Shopgirl is gentle, heartfelt, and thought-provoking – a real rarity in today’s romance market that consists mainly of sitcom caricatures making bets as to whether or not they will fall in love. Based upon Steve Martin’s novella of the same name, there is undoubtedly some truth behind the events depicted.… Continue reading
Julian Fellowes’ Separate Lies is a drama for adults, and that is a rarity in today’s film marketplace. Most films today try and offer something for both the young and old, but Separate Lies dishes up a winding mirage of double-crosses, all wrapped around a tale of infidelity. Fellowes, who… Continue reading
Just Like Heaven is lighter than the cotton candy at the summer State Fair and is riddled with sitcom-style antics, but it’s that sheer goofiness and willingness to go for broke that makes it a surprisingly delectable romantic comedy. In a summer full of surprises for the genre, Just Like… Continue reading