Category: GENRE
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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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Spectre [2015] ★★★
It’s quite difficult to top “Skyfall”, one of the best Bond movies ever made, but as a long time fan of the series, I thought “Spectre” was highly entertaining. Its canny blend of ingredients is sure to entertain any audience but I think Bond enthusiasts will relish it most, as it draws on our familiarity…
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The Program [2015] ★★½
The truth was finally revealed in the 2013 documentary “The Armstrong Lie”, in which Lance Armstrong himself opened up about his doping allegations. The documentary was credible and above all, shocking. And by the end, we learned everything there is to know about the fallen idol. That places even greater pressure on the people behind “The Program” to…
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Goosebumps [2015] ★★½
I grew up reading the Goosebumps stories. But I knew from the very first moment that a big screen adaptation could ruin all the fun. Which is why I have to credit director Rob Letterman for knowing what the hell he is doing. At a time when kids are only interested in dystopian love stories, Letterman…
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Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension [2015] ★½
Yes, another “Paranormal Activity” movie (I’m sure you know the drill by now). No, you shouldn’t rush to see it. Yes, it sucks. Need I say more? Rating: 1.5/4
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The Last Witch Hunter [2015] ★
What to say about this lame-brained, terrible attempt to start a witch hunting franchise starring Vin Diesel? I say, screw the damn thing and run the other way. It’s all kinds of sad to see the legendary Michael Caine wasting his talent for the sake of a quick payday. It’s even funnier to see Vin Diesel play Kaulder, a witch hunter…
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Crimson Peak [2015] ★★★
It’s not director Guillermo’s Del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” or the superior “The Devil’s Backbone”, but this stylishly made Gothic tale has enough mystery and suspense to haunt your dreams. The title refers to a haunted house on top of a mountain of blood-red clay. But before that, we meet Edith (Mia Wasikowska), a young woman who falls…
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Sleeping With Other People [2015] ★★½
It’s not the romantic comedy of the year, but “Sleeping With Other People” has enough laughs and charm to keep you interested. The movie opens in 2002, where Jake (Jason Sudeikis) has sex for the first time with Lainey (Alison Brie). They reunite years later at a rehab for sex addicts and decide to become…
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Pan [2015] ★½
Five reasons why “Pan” is a stinker: 1-Joe Wright, who directed such good movies as “Pride and Prejudice” and “Atonement”, put his actors in front of a blank screen and filled the rest digitally. That’s not always a bad thing, but in Pan’s case, the actors, from Levi Miller as Peter to Rooney Mara as…
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The Martian [2015] ★★★
“The Martian” stars Matt Damon, whose name cannot be uttered without thinking of “Saving Private Ryan” and “Good Will Hunting”. Now he’s teaming with Ridley Scott, who’s been desperate for a hit after recent misfires such as”Exodus” and the God-awful “The Counselor”. Damon plays astronaut Mark Watney, a NASA botanist who has been left for dead…
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