Conviction walks the well-worn path of “underprivileged youth cum adult done good,” but does it better than most. From a distance, this Hilary Swank an Sam Rockwell joint directed by Tony Goldwyn might look a bit like The Blind Side, imagining a lone woman standing up for injustice – and in a sense, it is, but the […]
Nostalgia drove me to the theater, and part of me was frightened when purchasing tickets, not because I feared being one of a handful of adults in a theater replete with children – much less the only one without his own progeny in tow – but because of what could have happened to The Muppets. Would they […]
Deciding to watch The Next Three Days took longer than actually watching the film. Paul Haggis might be one of the most polemic directors today in terms of story and content. He doesn’t necessarily cause controversy – unless it’s among critics – but, sort of like Clint Eastwood, he turns out films that are either rather solid […]
Amidst the mishmash of clichés, Limitless is okay, but the first thirty seconds impel the viewer to question “Why do I watch?” as it presents itself as yet another film that begins at the end, with Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) contemplating whether stepping from the ledge of his upper story balcony is better than facing the forces […]
If the last two years of a recession weren’t enough to confirm the paucity of financial literacy among teens and young adults, this weekend’s box office for Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 should doubly confirm this epidemic that has prompted the youth to exchange dollars ($139 million as a rough estimate) for movie tickets that open a […]
It’s not often that animated films make it to Gladiators, but Rango gave me reason to pause. It’s not genius, and it’s not really unique: the overall theme centers on the quest for an identity, something that is often a dime-a-dozen in animated and live-action features alike. The computer animation is flawless, and the voice talents are […]
I might just be tempted to watch the Academy Awards this year. It’s no secret that last year’s broadcast was an abomination, absolutely boring, and unintentionally farcical. However, the decision a few months ago to hire Brett Ratner to produce the 2012 telecast and Eddie Murphy to host might have defied the assumption that “it can’t get […]
The buzz around Martha Marcy May Marlene was initially kindled by the emergence of an Olsen sister who isn’t a twin; however, the first few moments of the film erase this potential novelty, entrapping the viewer in a film that is much less a cult film and more a film about a cult. To cut to the […]
In Red State, director Kevin Smith deviates from the canon of familiar characters and actors that made previous films like Mallrats, Clerks, and Chasing Amy cult successes. Here, he branches further into political and religious satire. Admittedly, he tested the bounds of biblical interpretation and scripture in Dogma (1999), a film that I happen to enjoy […]
Unless you plan to take off from work in observation of All Saints Day, it’s possible that the Tuesday morning alarm will prevent you from celebrating the witching hours of Halloween proper away with gallons of Guinness. However, if you happened to celebrate the day of the dead on the Saturday prior and you’re looking to have […]