— by RON WILKINSON — Directed and written by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, “What We Do in the Shadows” is a marvelous mash-up of every vampire trope invented in the last century with a few new ones thrown in. The four flat mates are the best of friends, and have been the best of[...]
Author Archive
Review: While We’re Young
— by RON WILKINSON — Noah Baumbach’s latest dramedy takes on a decidedly Woody Allen feeling that gives Ben Stiller a chance to show his stuff. Supporting leads Naomi Watts and Adam Driver fall victim to the curse of New York City as they fade into the shadows behind the bright lights [...]
Review: The Duke of Burgundy
— by RON WILKINSON — Peter Strickland’s “The Duke of Burgundy” shows nothing if not a lot of courage. The screenplay reflects on the seemingly Victorian experiences of two sexually liberated and experimentally inclined women against a backdrop of heavily disciplined and[...]
Review: Two Days, One Night
— by RON WILKINSON — In the Dardenne brothers’ David vs Goliath drama “Two Days, One Night,” Sandra (Marion Cotillard) is a young wife and mother working for a small manufacturing business in Seraing, Belgium. She takes medical leave for a nervous breakdown and is about[...]
Review: Match
— by RON WILKINSON — No hold is barred in “Match,” Stephen Belber’s short and sweet essay on love and commitment. Mike and Lisa show up on Tobi’s doorstep with an odd request. They have traveled from Seattle to New York to interview Tobi for Lisa’s dissertation. In the [...]
Review: Mortdecai
— by RON WILKINSON — Even in the middle of watching this hugely entertaining Johnny Depp slapstick-a-thon, the viewer may start to wonder whether the great actor’s best days are behind him. The edginess is mostly gone and in its place are double the cleverness and four times the action[...]
Review: A Most Violent Year
— by RON WILKINSON — The story is set in New York City in 1981, in what we are told is the most violent year in the city’s history. Before we go any further, it should be noted that J.C. Chandor’s wonderfully transporting story is not a particularly violent one. His previous hit, “[...]
Review: Blackhat
— by RON WILKINSON — Although “Blackhat” is a fun romp into a fantasy world of explicitly bloody, violent international espionage, director Michael Mann (written by Morgan Davis Foehl) has created a work of sound and fury that signifies nothing. The film gets off to a good start with[...]
Review: American Sniper
— by RON WILKINSON — “American Sniper” — Clint Eastwood’s latest directorial effort — is an entertaining combination of war movie and biopic. The book by the subject, Chris Kyle (co-written with Scott McEwen and James Defelice), contains a much better descriptio[...]
Review: Exodus: Gods and Kings
— by RON WILKINSON — The good thing about Ridley Scott’s latest special effects lollapalooza is going into it you know exactly what to expect. The story, rough as it is, is taken from the Bible so there are no spoilers to be had. From the opening battle scenes, where Ramses (Joel Edger[...]
Review: Predestination
— by RON WILKINSON — The Spierig brothers reunite with Ethan Hawke for their first feature in five years and it is a fascinating film. The screenplay is based on the science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein “—All You Zombies—”. Reportedly, the story was written i[...]
Review: Inherent Vice
— by RON WILKINSON — Those who have read any of Thomas Pynchon’s intractable tails must have been amazed that Paul Thomas Anderson would take on the hazardous task of transforming his 2009 novel into a movie. Continuing Pynchon’s ongoing war against the establishment, the “Inhe[...]
Review: The Imitation Game
— by RON WILKINSON — Benedict Cumberbatch pounds out a fantastic performance as one of the greatest nerds of all time, Alan Turing, the inventor of one of the first digital computers. Although the computer itself, built in the legendary Bletchley Park encryption think tank, threatens to [...]