Let's Talk About Movies

Category: The Twenty-First Century

  • The Flowers Of War [2011] ★★★

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    Some movies open on thousands of screens, others play in just a handful of theaters. And some films, lacking promotion, simply materialize, with the hope that people will discover them on cable, or DVD, like “The Flowers Of Wars”, a movie I was lucky enough to catch on the big screen. I didn’t want to read…

  • Prometheus [2012] ★★★

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    Prometheus is at once a fascinating and a frustrating movie. I found much of it captivating, and while I resist the hype-driven phrase “visual experience,” I did find myself drawn into its 3-D world, an extraordinarily rich cinematic environment created, in breathtaking detail, by artists and computers. I didn’t think I could care about another “Alien” movie,…

  • Project X [2012] ★½

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    A lot of times, while I’m watching a bad movie, several questions arise: “What the hell is that?” or better yet: “What the hell were they thinking?” That’s exactly what I asked myself while suffering through “Project X”, which is anything but funny, as some might lead you to think. I think “tragic” would be…

  • Snow White And The Huntsman [2012] ★★

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    Poor Grimm brothers can’t get a break from Hollywood, at least not since two “Snow White” movies were released this year. The first one, “Mirror Mirror”, was pure garbage. Now “Snow White and the Huntsman” is here. So how bad is it? Not that bad to be honest, uneven to be sure and terribly slow…

  • Battleship [2012] ★½

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    I really wanted to like this movie. No wait, I didn’t. I mean, who wants to see a movie based not on a book, or an animated series, but a board game? Not me, not you, not anyone. It’s tempting to dismiss Peter Berg’s long, loud and ludicrous “Battleship” with three words — piece of…

  • Men In Black 3 [2012] ★★½

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    Says it isn’t so. Are they actually releasing a third Men In Black movie even though part two was a total disaster? Seems like it. But here’s the good news: the sequel nobody asked for is actually pretty enjoyable. Why? It’s not that the characters got more interesting; Will Smith is still Will Smith, while…

  • Shame [2011] ★★★

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    “Shame” is a disturbing but vivid portrait of a sex addict that will push you out of your comfort zone into uncharted territory. Director Steve McQueen, who previously worked with Michael Fassbender in the equally good “Hunger” creates a palpable sense of unease from start to finish. But you won’t be able to take your…

  • The Five Year Engagement [2012] ★★½

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    Here’s the thing about comedies: Even when the script is freighted with formula, the right actors can keep it afloat, even airborne. That’s where “The Five Year Engagement” really lucks out, even though it goes on for two hours (that’s too long for a comedy in my opinion). For that, all credit to Jason Segel, who’s…

  • The Cabin In The Woods [2012] ★★

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    Start hating me now, horror fans. But the gory, predictable and plodding “Cabin in the Woods” is one of the most disappointing movies of the year. Disappointing why? Because judging from every review on the planet, I expected something memorable. Something huge. Something so damn exciting I couldn’t wait to tell everyone about it. Alas,…

  • Hysteria [2012]

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    Part of me doesn’t even want to tell you that “Hysteria” is a movie about the invention of the electric vibrator. My guess is, you’ll laugh and stop reading. Not so fast. There’s a promising premise on the boil here, and screenwriting team Stephen Dyer and Jonah Lisa Dyer make sure you get a history lesson out of…

  • The Devil Inside [2012]

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    We’ve seen it all before. Just last year, in fact, in “The Last Exorcism”. But hey, people watch horror movies all the time, so why not see the same movie with slightly cheaper production values? “The Last Exorcism” cost $ 2 million. This one cost $ 1 million, yet made $ 53 million. You see where…

  • Take Shelter [2011]

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    Add this one to your list of must see movies. “Take Shelter”, directed by Jeff Nichols and starring the great Michael Shannon (terrific in both “Revolutionary Road” and “The Runaways”) is a hauntingly beautiful picture about a family man who starts having visions of an impending apocalypse, disturbing visions that alienate him from his family and…

  • Bel Ami [2012]

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    Robert Pattinson’s acting is the equivalent of Justin Bieber’s singing abilities. They both stink. Is there even a life after “Twilight” for the dude? Kristen Stewart made a decent case in “The Runaways”. Now Pattinson, her vamp lover, tries his luck in this period piece, based on Guy De Maupassant’s novel about a young social climber…

  • Dark Shadows [2012] ★★★

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    Good news Tim Burton junkies, “Dark Shadows” lives up to its hype. For the summer, Burton serves up the gothic soap opera that aired on Television from 1966 to 1971 about a young man who, following a curse, turns into a vampire. A recipe for disaster? You’d think. Instead, “Dark Shadows” is a thriller-diller from start…

  • Haywire [2012]

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    I wasn’t familiar with Gina Carano prior to watching “Haywire”, but I am more than familiar with director Steven Soderbergh, and I know what he’s capable of. Which is why it’s so frustrating that his latest effort nearly drowns itself in a sea of confusion.  On the surface, “Haywire” has all the ingredients of a…

  • Chronicle [2012]

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    I know what you’re thinking: we’ve had enough of this whole “found footage” gimmick. It worked a few times before, mainly with horror films, so how can it possibly work when it comes to superheroes? If that’s the case, it would be easy for you to dismiss “Chronicle” as a failed attempt, without even having…

  • The Avengers [2012]

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    Heads up: a thunderbolt is about to rip into the blanket of bland we call summer movies.”The Avengers”, director Joss Whedon’s absolute stunner of a movie is a potent provocation decked out as a comic-book movie. Feverish action? Check. Dazzling spectacle? Check. Devilish fun? Check.  But he’s just warming up. For summer movies, the first rule of fight…

  • 21 Jump Street [2012] ★★★

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    Just when I was ready to effing scream if I had to sit through another lame comedy, along comes “21 Jump Street” to make me a believer. That’s right, the movie is gut-bustingly funny. It’s raunchy, reckless, and ready to party. What’s not to like? I’ve never been a fan of Channing Tatum, but he is surprisingly…

  • Friends With Kids [2012] ★★½

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    “Friends with Kids” is a strikingly original comedy with serious undertones. Judging from the cast, it may sound like another “Bridesmaids”, while in fact it’s not. Some moviegoers may be disappointed with the lack of “vulgarity”, but I was not. This is a movie that takes its time, as it covers a long time in…

  • The Lucky One [2012]

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    Ok here’s the thing: I don’t quite hate Zac Efron, despite the awful career choices induced by the “High School Musical” series. He’s proved himself a worthy actor in the underrated “Me and Orson Welles” (I seriously urge you to check it out). However, I’m not much of a Nicholas Sparks’ fan, even though the…