Category: 3/4
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Prometheus [2012] ★★★
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,…
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Shame [2011] ★★★
“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…
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Dark Shadows [2012] ★★★
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…
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21 Jump Street [2012] ★★★
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…
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Taxi Ballad [2012] ★★★
Do you want to see a movie about a taxi driver who learns valuable lessons in life? Probably not. Which means you’re in luck. Because director Joseph Daniel (in his film debut) doesn’t do things by the numbers. Instead, he builds his movie from the inside out. Character comes first. Talal Jurdi, who plays our…
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Albert Nobbs [2011] ★★★
Glenn Close’s performance in Albert Nobbs” seems almost too good to be true, but that’s what makes it so effective. She first played the role of Albert Nobbs on stage some thirty years ago. Since then, she has dreamed of bringing the story to the screen, and has worked continuously to make it happen. Now…
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Winnie The Pooh [2011] ★★★
Only those with no sense of nostalgia would fail to appreciate the magic in this sweet, gentle animated movie. I’m talking Winnie The Pooh, the stuffed bear, and his friends, Christopher Robin, Piglet, Tigger, Owl, and Eeyore the donkey. The movie generates smiles from start to finish as we find Pooh and Co. going on…
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Crazy, Stupid, Love [2011] ★★★
Well how do you like that? A movie that is both sweet and funny. “Crazy, Stupid, Love”, from directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (“I Love You, Phillip Morris”) comes as a pleasant surprise, and in a year of crap-taculars, that is a great relief (Screw you Michael Bay once again). Much of the film’s appeal is…
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Insidious [2011] ★★★
Webster dictionary defines Insidious as something harmful but seductive. “Insidious” the movie is exactly that. It will haunt you, it will crush you, it will scare the living daylights out of you, but you will find it hard to resist. I admit: the story is old fashioned, but what the writers managed to do with this traditional…
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The Lincoln Lawyer [2011] ★★★
Matthew McConaughey is dynamite in this thrilling drama about a cocky and smooth defense attorney Mick Haller who conducts most of his work out of the back seat of his Lincoln car (hence the title of the film). We are told that he used to drive it himself, until he got arrested for drunk driving…
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The Adjustment Bureau [2011] ★★★
I was more than willing to accept the premise of “The Adjustment Bureau”, simply because I’m a huge fan of films that deal with fate and destiny. The main issue here is that there is a “plan”, that nothing happens by chance, and more importantly: free will is a comfortable illusion. It’s an intriguing thought if you ask me, and…
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Despicable Me [2010] ★★★
“Does this count as annoying?” Fresh and very funny animated flick about a man named Gru who is planning the biggest heist of all time: he wants to steal the moon! But in order to do so, he must defeat his evil rival Vector (voiced by a very funny Jason Segel). He adopts 3 little girls…
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The Princess And The Frog [2010] ★★★
Disney studios cleverly turned back the clock to a time when animation was simple in this enjoyable tale from the creators of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin”. “The Princess And The Frog” marks the return of hand drawn animation and what a good idea this was. After a long year of 3D movies, it was…
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