— 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 of Gotham. In […][...]
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 constrained academic isolation. Evelyn (“Berberian” star Chiara D’Anna) and Cynthia (Danish actress Sidse […][...]
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 to return when she hears she has lost her […][...]
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 film’s first 10 minutes, it is […][...]
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, production and special effects. Where […][...]
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, “Margin Call,” […][...]
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 Nicholas Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth) being rousted […][...]
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 description of his life. The film is a much better war story. For those […][...]
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 Edgerton) has the […][...]