Category: drama
-
Labor Day [2014] ★★½
Valentine’s day is upon us. This is cue for Hollywood studios to release their romantic films. Exhibit A: “Labor Day”, written and directed by Jason Reitman (“Up In The Air”) and based on the 2009 novel by Joyce Maynard. I think it’s fair to say that moviegoers know what to expect when they see one…
-
طالع نازل (Stable Unstable) [2013] ★★½
It’s been a hectic month at the movies. I’ve seen a lot of good films and some terrible ones as well. “Stable Unstable”, the latest Lebanese film from writer/director Mahmoud Hojeij (in his feature debut) falls somewhere in between. It’s far from being perfect, yet as a showcase for a host of talented Lebanese actors,…
-
Dallas Buyers Club [2013] ★★★½
After years of watching Matthew McConaughey waste his talent on mediocre movies (“Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”? Really?), it’s a pleasure to finally see him sink his teeth into a challenging role. In “Dallas Buyers Club”, he plays Ron Woodroof, the homophobic man who gets diagnosed with HIV and finds himself with just 30 days to…
-
All Is Lost [2013] ★★½
Robert Redford is alone on a sailboat. The boat is sinking. Robert is about to die, hence the title of the movie “All Is Lost”. I’m not spoiling anything here since the main character leaves a farewell message as soon as the movie opens. We learn that the boat has been badly damaged, 17 000…
-
Inside Llewyn Davis [2013] ★★½
I wish I could write a thoughtful, positive review of the Coen brothers’ latest film “Inside Llewyn Davis”, but to be perfectly honest, I didn’t love it. I appreciate it, and admire its beautiful soundtrack, but I don’t know quite what to make of it. At least I can start on a positive note: Oscar…
-
The Book Thief [2013] ★★½
I don’t like pigeonholing films, and I’ve never been a huge fan of the term “tear jerker”, but I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t tell you that several people at the screening I attended were moved to tears by “The Book Thief”, while I was unresponsive at some point. I’ve never read the book,…
-
Her [2013] ★★★½
Yes, this is the movie where Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with a machine. No, this is not a movie you should rush to avoid. Screenwriting this smart, inventive and passionate is a rare species these days. So all praise to Spike Jonze, who wrote and directed his most original film since 1999’s “Being John…
-
August: Osage County [2013] ★★½
Meryl Streep is terrific in “August: Osage County”, the big screen adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize- winning show, and she’s worth the price of ticket alone. But I wish I liked it more. I was completely captivated from the first moment she appeared onscreen, playing a mother who is fighting cancer and her family…
-
Saving Mr. Banks [2013] ★★★
If you love movies, “Saving Mr. Banks” is hard to resist. It paints an evocative picture of Hollywood and the methodology of filmmaking, circa 1961, while offering juicy roles to Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks, two of the finest actors of their generation. It has a different flavor from most movies I’ve seen in 2013,…
-
Blue Jasmine [2013] ★★★½
Woody Allen has had his ups and downs over the years (“Anything Else” was awful for instance), but “Blue Jasmine” is one of his best movies in years. As usual he has assembled an impressive cast and given them interesting roles to play. It’s a treat to watch Cate Blanchett (in an Oscar worthy performance),…
-
American Hustle [2013] ★★★
It’s damn hard to dislike any movie directed by David O. Russell (“The Fighter”) and starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Jeremy Renner. O. Russell, who did such a fine job with last year’s “Silver Linings Playbook”, follows it up with the highly entertaining “American Hustle”. It has so many good…
-
Hours [2013] ★½
Paul Walker’s final movie before his tragic death at the age of 40 takes place during Hurricane Katrina. He plays a New Orleans man stuck in an abandoned hospital after his wife dies in childbirth. For hours (hence the title) he awaits help while his little girl breathes only with the aid of an electrical ventilator.…
-
The Wolf Of Wall Street [2013] ★★★½
You don’t need to know shit about Wall Street to sink your teeth into this beast of a movie. Martin Scorsese is the man, the most exciting director of his generation, with such classics as “Raging Bull”, “The King of Comedy”, “GoodFellas” and “Casino” to prove it. Here’s the downside: any hint of dissatisfaction from…
-
The Spectacular Now [2013] ★★★
This little gem is one of the nicest surprises of the year. It entertained me and left me with a feeling of satisfaction that’s all too rare these days. Like “The Way Way Back” earlier this year, “The Spectacular Now” is rooted in truth and offers honest observations about relationships, adolescence and independence. Miles Teller plays…
-
The Butler [2013] ★★½
I have great regards for director Lee Daniels (“Precious”), which pains me to say that I found “The Butler” incredibly uneven. It has many good attributes, including a superior performance by Oscar winner Forest Whitaker as the title role, but the movie itself seems to run out of gas at some point. The story was…
-
12 Years A Slave [2013] ★★★½
Every once in a while, movie buffs look for movies that push them out of their comfort zones into uncharted territory. “12 Years A Slave”, the latest masterpiece from director Steve McQueen (“Hunger”, “Shame”) is such a movie. It’s a cinematic triumph that defines the American Slave Trade. Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a bold and brilliantly immersive…
-
Diana [2013] ★★
Naomi Watts is not the first name that springs to mind as the embodiment of Lady Diana, the late princess of Wales, unlike, for instance, the role of Betty Elms in David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive”. I give the actress credit for her commitment to this assignment, but she’s still not quite right, especially if you’ve seen…
-
Blue Is The Warmest Color (La Vie d’Adèle) [2013] ★★½
Evaluating any movie is a matter of personal taste. Filmmakers who deal in the extreme naturally provoke extreme reactions. That’s one of the reasons why Abdel Latif Kechiche’s “La Vie d’Adèle” won the Palme D’or at this year’s Cannes Festival. Some people at the screening I attended thought it was brilliant. I respect that and I…
-
The Counselor [2013] ★½
Ridley Scott does a fine job with”Prometheus” and decides to follow it up with what? This horrible mess. Yikes! Michael Fassbender (“Shame”, “Hunger”) plays the title role, a successful lawyer who finds himself in hot water when he makes a deal with Javier Bardem (clueless) that involves drugs and plenty of money. Usually it isn’t a…
-
Parkland [2013] ★★
Sign me up for any film that recounts the events of November 22 1963, the day John F. Kennedy, the president of the United States, was murdered. You couldn’t ask for a more intriguing premise, or a better cast, including Paul Giamatti, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeremy Strong, Billy Bob Thornton, Colin Hanks, Jacki Weaver, and Zac…
Let's Talk About Movies 