— by RON WILKINSON — Writer/director Alex Garland’s sci-fi flick “Ex Machina” is the latest in a long line of slipshod Hollywood treatments of artificial intelligence. This tale starts with a pseudo “imitation game” in which Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) has been chosen to d[...]
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Review: True Story
— by RON WILKINSON — Debut feature director Rupert Goold pulled one out of the hat with “True Story,” an amazingly entertaining dual of wits, and lies, between two men who are world class in the art of deception. At the heart of the film is the weakness of the human soul when[...]
Review: Black Souls
— by RON WILKINSON — Nominated for the Golden Lion, the highest award of the Venice Film Festival, writer/director Francesco Munzi’s familial crime drama looks deep into the heart of darkness. Based on the novel by Gioacchino Criaco with a screenplay co-written by Maurizio Braucci and [...]
Review: What We Do in the Shadows
— 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[...]
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[...]