“Lee Daniels’ The Butler” is an impressive and effective film, inspired by a true story. As a young boy in the 1920’s Cecil Gaines grew up on a cotton plantation, the son of a slave, who is shot to death by his owner. Cecil is then taken in by the elder, female owner (Vanessa Redgrave), […]
Woody Allen’s latest dramedy, “Blue Jasmine”, is not as magical or charming as his 2011 Oscar winner “Midnight in Paris”. However, it’s a major improvement from 2012’s bland romantic disappointment “To Rome with Love”. And it’s just another example of why Allen’s late-career films are much better when he’s behind the camera and not in […]
I see several documentaries each year: Nature films, concert-docs, profiles of famous and sometimes not-so-famous people. Normally one or two stand-out above the rest. One of my top 10 films of 2012 was “Searching for Sugar Man”, which went on to win numerous awards, including the Best Documentary Feature Oscar. I am confident to say […]
The Wolverine himself, Oscar nominee Hugh Jackman, said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “we could have done better” with the first X-Men spinoff, 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”. I actually liked that film, but many comic book fans were hoping for more. Unfortunately, “The Wolverine” gives you less than what you’re looking for in a […]
After seeing the trailer for “R.I.P.D.” the very first time I predicted it was going to be a disaster. And it turns out I was right. Combine a lame story, embarrassing performances and production problems (the film wrapped in Jan. 2012 and it wasn’t released until this July) and you end-up with a film that’s […]
2010’s “Red” grossed close to $200 million worldwide and was nominated for the Best Comedy Golden Globe. The premise was good: an action comedy, comic-book adaptation about CIA agents who come out of retirement in order to take down some bad guys. Unfortunately, the action wasn’t very exciting and it was way too serious for […]
Guillermo del Toro is best known for three things: directing the “Hellboy” movies, helming the Oscar-winning “Pan’s Labyrinth”, and passing on the opportunity to make “The Hobbit” trilogy. His first film in five years is “Pacific Rim”. As actor Idris Elba says in one of the cornball climatic scenes: “Today we are CANCELLING the Apocalypse!” […]
Believe it or not, “Grown Ups 2” is writer, producer and star Adam Sandler’s first sequel. For more than a decade Sandler’s made bomb after bomb (with the exception of “Jack and Jill”, though most don’t consider that an exception). His films consistently get hammered by critics while still making enough money to keep his […]
“The Way, Way Back” marks the directorial debut of the Oscar-winning writing team of “The Descendants” – Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. The two also co-wrote this screenplay and have small roles in the film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. While it’s not nearly as compelling as the 2011 George […]
Ten years ago, Johnny Depp introduced us to one of his most iconic characters – Captain Jack Sparrow – in “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”. Over the next decade, Depp played a wide variety of wacky and weird characters, always adding his own quirky brand of humor to the role. […]