Category: The Twenty-First Century
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Joy [2015] ★★½
Critics and audiences were raving about director David O. Russell’s previous movies when they opened a few years ago. But it seems that things aren’t exactly going his way this time around. That’s not to say that “Joy” is a bad movie. Far from it. For one, O. Russell has as good an eye for…
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Carol [2015] ★★★
“Carol” has all the classic ingredients of an Oscar contender: it’s extremely well directed by Todd Haynes (“Far From Heaven”) with a keen eye for detail, it features Cate Blanchett like you’ve never seen her before (and you’ve seen her in many different roles throughout her colorful career), and more importantly it has an emotional story…
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Room [2015] ★★½
Critics have been praising “Room”- the incredible story of a mother (Brie Larson) and her five year old son (Jacob Tremblay) who have been held captive in a tiny room by a kidnapper- for months now. Once again, I respectfully disagree. While the acting couldn’t be more credible (especially Brie Larson who gives a terrific…
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The Peanuts Movie [2015] ★★★
After years of waiting, it’s a pleasure to finally sink into “The peanuts Movie”, the latest animated movie from Blue Sky Studios that radiates charm like no other film of its genre. The classic characters that Charles M. Shulz created for his series of “Charlie Brown” stories have an irresitible appeal that carries over beautifully to the movie.…
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The Little Prince [2015] ★★★
A book that many people considered unfilmable has inspired one of the year’s most riveting and rewarding movies. I don’t like using hype words, but I found “The Little Prince” truly magical and completely immersive. Rather than observing the story from a distance we’re made to feel part of its leading character’s remarkable journey. As the movie…
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens [2015] ★★★½
Fans can relax, the real “Star Wars” finally returns to the big screen in “The Force Awakens”, a burst of pure filmmaking exhilaration that manages to pay tribute to the original trilogy and still boldly add new elements that will make fans of the series jump for joy. I couldn’t be happier. After six movies, an…
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Bus 657 [2015] ★
Another paycheck movie for the once great Robert De Niro in which he pretends to care about the movie or his audience. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a father who has to pay for his daughter’s medical treatment. His boss, played by a phony De Niro, refuses to help. So Morgan and his co-workers decide to rob…
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Macbeth [2015] ★★½
Just like many movies based on William Shakespeare’s famous plays, Justin Kurzel’s “Macbeth” is very easy to admire but a bit more difficult to love. A lot of critics who saw it on opening day sang its praises to the skies, but I respectfully disagree. The movie has too many beautiful passages, mainly when the great Michael…
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Victor Frankenstein [2015] ★★
Did we need another retelling of the classic Mary Shelley story about Dr. Frankenstein and his monstrous creation? Hell no. But Hollywood doesn’t give a damn what we think. So here we are. James McAvoy (so good in tons of other movies) plays young Victor Frankenstein. Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe plays his assistant Igor. You…
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In The Heart Of The Sea [2015] ★★★
“In The Heart of the Sea” is a good old fashioned sea story from a master director, Ron Howard. In adapting Nathaniel Philbrick’s Book about the story that inspired “Moby Dick”, Howard recounts the journey of Essex, a Nantucket whaleship that sank after being attacked by a giant sperm whale. Ancient territory? Perhaps. But in the hands…
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By The Sea [2015] ★½
Stylishly made but painfully boring drama about a 1970’s marriage gone bad. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt play husband and wife and it’s a nasty sight. Vacationing in a beautiful place in Europe, Jolie barely says a word. She’s depressed and we have to suffer with her for an agonizing 130 minutes. Written and directed…
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Bridge Of Spies [2015] ★★★½
Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” is one of the year’s finest movies: a well crafted, extremely well acted Cold War drama that kept me on the edge of my seat for over 2 hours. Working from a script written by Matt Charman, Ethan and Joel Coen, Spielberg focuses on James Donovan (an amazing Tom Hanks), an insurance…
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Creed [2015] ★★★
I expected to hate on Sylvester Stallone’s seventh round as Rocky Balboa, the Italian Stallion who boxed his way into popular and Oscar glory with the first and best Rocky film back in 1976. I was wrong. Stallone, now 69, and in fine, feisty form, has a ball mixing it up with Michael B. Jordan, who…
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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 [2015] ★★½
In dutifully completing the Hunger Games series, director Francis Lawrence has sadly saved the weakest for last. I’ve been a huge fan of the series, so you can understand why I expected more from this final chapter. For starters, there’s surprisingly less action here. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence, still as good a ever), Peeta and the…
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Knock Knock [2015] ★½
Terrible horror flick leaves a sickening aftertaste. Keanu Reeves (in a career suicide role) plays a devoted family man who is left home alone for the weekend. A knock on the door in the middle of a rainy night is the first step into a nightmarish experience in which Reeves’ character (and the audience) are…
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Secret In Their Eyes [2015] ★★★
“Secret in their Eyes” is powerful and extremely well acted, even if you’ve seen the 2009 Argentinian movie of the same name. Here’s the deal: Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a powerhouse performance as Ray, an investigator who is tormented by the unsolved rape and murder of his partner’s daughter. He is matched by Julia Roberts, who is exceptional,…
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Mr. Holmes [2015] ★★★
Prepare yourself to see Sherlock Holmes like you’ve never seen him before: old, tired and regretful. This is Holmes at 93 (impeccably portrayed by Ian McKellen), dealing with a failing memory and living on a farm, where he relies on a widowed cook (Laura Linney) and her son, Roger (Milo Parker) to take care of…
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Steve Jobs [2015] ★★★½
Here’s a poke to apple users and non users: “Steve Jobs” isn’t some yawny visual aid on how Jobs came to be Jobs (you can watch the 2013 film starring Ashton Kutcher for that). Instead, it’s a beast of a movie with a full tank of creative gas that keeps it going from start to finish. Sure, it gives…
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Burnt [2015] ★½
As a sucker for food movies, I thought “Burnt” was tasteless; a mess of a movie that deserves no stars on the Michelin scale. Director John Wells and his writer Stephen Knight (“Locke”) should have known better. Instead, they got all the ingredients wrong, starting with Bradley Cooper who is painfully annoying as an American chef who…
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Man Up [2015] ★★½
As someone who didn’t expect much from this comedy starring Simon Pegg and Lake Bell, I actually had a good time watching it. Bell plays an English woman who will very much remind you of Bridget Jones: 34, single, kinda depressed. On her way to her parents’ 40th wedding anniversary, she meets Jack (Pegg), who mistakes…
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