— by ADAM POYNTER — As the awards season has come and gone, all of the hype over the Oscar-nominated films has passed and with yet a few months to go before the massive summer blockbusters start to roll into theaters, it’s the perfect time for those films that fit neither of those cate[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Under Review: ‘Honey’ (aka ‘Bal’)
— by BEV QUESTAD — You enter through the dark, with the night noises of the forest, the stream rushing over rocks, the bustle of insects thriving in anonymity, and a gentle air brushing through trees. Then it’s daylight and a kindly man with his white horse is scouting the filigreed wo[...]
Under Review: ‘Hall Pass’
— by ADAM POYNTER — Many actors and comedians are known for their wacky and sometimes daring performances in comedies, but very few directors have created as many phrases and iconic roles and scenarios in the last decade of comedy as the Farrelly brothers. They made such films as “Dumb[...]
Under Review: ‘All-Star Superman’
— by JOSUE SANCHEZ — I am not sure how to feel about “All-Star Superman.” Perhaps if I had never watched the recent animated masterpieces “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse” and “Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths” I would feel at ease with what I just wat[...]
Under Review: ‘I Saw the Devil’
— by SHERICE ANTOINETTE — Sadistic is the first word that springs to mind when describing Kim Jee-woon’s “I Saw The Devil.” A revenge film like no other, the unrelenting violence makes prior retribution movies — such as “Taken” and “Inglourious Basterds” — seem[...]
Under Review: ‘How to Die in Oregon’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Her beautiful thin face is surrounded by rich silver-gray hair. Her skin is smooth and tan. She has a radiating vulnerable movie star smile. People tell her how beautiful she is now. But she responds that people just say that because she’s so thin. She criticizes[...]
Under Review: Unknown
— by SHERICE ANTOINETTE — Liam Neeson has always been a likeable actor. Known mostly for dramas, three years ago he shocked audiences with his hard-edged portrayal of a vengeful father in the film “Taken.” Because of his outwardly kind demeanor and methodic voice, up until the Pierre[...]
Under Review: ‘I Am Number Four’
— by ADAM POYNTER — Book-to-movie adaptations are quite common in Hollywood, we have seen it time and time again. And sometimes, a movie is adapted from a book that hasn’t even been released yet. But if the subject matter is engaging enough, a studio can see the potential for a future [...]
Under Review: ‘Putty Hill’
— by BEV QUESTAD — This is a glimpse at the underside of American youth where the disengaged, disconnected, drug-doped undertow of the depressed and depraved self-destruct. Listless floaters, they exist without drive, joy or inspiration. When one of them dies no one cries, not even Mom. [...]
Under Review: ‘Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives’
— by BEV QUESTAD — “Facing the jungle, the hills and vales, my past lives as an animal and other beings rise up before me.” Boonmee predicts his death is coming soon and that dying is like giving a presentation. “You’re both excited and scared.” At first glance, this is a beaut[...]
Under Review: ‘Kawasaki’s Rose’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Pavel Josek is getting a Memory of the Nation Award for his role in supporting Czeck independence through rebelling against the communistic totalitarian regime during the Cold War. His daughter’s husband is making a biodoc of him to commemorate this event, interviewi[...]
Under Review: ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’
— by ADAM POYNTER — “Romeo and Juliet” is one of William Shakespeare’s most renowned and retold stories about two-star crossed lovers who experience love and loss due to a family rivalry. Well, Touchstone Pictures has teamed up with Walt Disney Pictures to re-invent and int[...]
Under Review: ‘Silent Souls’
— by BEV QUESTAD — Why the plural? The one silent soul featured is a voluptuous flaccid corpse on its last rite of passage through the land of the living to the gray waters of the Neya River. Analogous to the precarious pontoon bridge the cyclist crosses at the beginning, this film is[...]
Under Review: ‘Black Dog Trilogy’
— by BEV QUESTAD — At the outset, the viewer may misjudge or immediately disregard this film. But stick with it. By the end, you understand that the way it is presented reflects that it is honest, deeply insightful and groundbreaking — an outstanding example of cinéma vérité. Th[...]