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While everyone is busy with Oscar nominations, “Jack Ryan” sneaks into theaters in time to remind us that January releases don’t have to be strictly terrible (I’m talking to you, Hercules). Yes, it’s a routine spy thriller. Yes, three actors have already played the same role in the […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Before this movie can laugh at itself, which “Grudge Match” (a story about a pair of aging boxers rival who are forced out of retirement for one last fight) does frequently and unashamedly, it must first cope with getting punched with parody titles. “Rocky Balboa Vs Jake LaMotta”, […]
Some actors don’t always need a great movie. Just the pleasure of their company is enough. And so Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas and Morgan Freeman turn “Last Vegas” into pure entertainment. Add Kevin Kline to the mix and things get a little bit more wacky. The plot […]
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 […]
Thor’s second solo adventure (third in total with “The Avengers“) forces the audience to run an obstacle before the fun kicks in. The end result is an enjoyable but easily forgettable ride, because the story never really takes hold. It’s far from being a bad movie, but it’s not […]
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