— 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[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
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[...]
Under Review: ‘The Rite’
— by ADAM POYNTER — Demons and ghosts. Belief or disbelief, no matter where you stand, both are part of a popular genre in American cinema recently. They are so popular that we have seen a recent wave of movies depicting them. Some of them intrigued us, while others disappointed, so dire[...]
Under Review: ‘The Company Men’
— by ADAM POYNTER — The current economic state is a hot topic in the world today. I think that I can safely say that almost everyone has felt its presence either financially or mentally. Just as 2009’s “Up in the Air” showed a company’s downsizing from the corporation’s per[...]
Under Review: ‘Death Race 2’
— by JOSUE SANCHEZ — I am not sure how a movie with bad acting and bad editing can possibly turn out to be quite entertaining, but this was the case with “Death Race 2.” I really enjoyed the recent remake of “Death Race” — even though I was not a fan of the[...]
Under Review: ‘Inspector Bellamy’
— by BEV QUESTAD — A haunting detective introspective, “Inspector Bellamy” is a French Hitchcockian tour de force. It probes the human psyche as it investigates both the crime and the detective. Was it coincidental that “Inspector Bellamy” was the last film of famed French direct[...]