The Way Back
POW drama inspired by the “true story” of a band of prisoners who escaped a 1940 Soviet labor camp. What should have been a slam dunk in excitement becomes a slow, boring trudge across unforgiving terrain. Wilderness-survival stories are usually riveting because of the various obstacles the protagonists must endure, yet there isn’t a lot […]
Buried
An American truck driver wakes up in a confined space with no knowledge of how he got there. Armed with a lighter and a cell phone he starts to slowly piece together exactly what has transpired. Director Rodrigo Cortés has fashioned a fascinating movie out of a minimalist story that takes place entirely in a […]
Devil
It’s telling that when Devil’s trailer debuted in theaters, the tag line “From the mind of M. Night Shyamalan” elicited laughter. On the plus side, it’s the most satisfying thing the director has developed since Signs. (He’s the producer here) Unfortunately that isn’t saying much given his track record. 5 strangers are trapped in an […]
Rabbit Hole
Penetrating character study of a couple who has suffered the accidental death of their 4 year old son. In events and conversations, we grasp the depth of their loss gradually, layer by layer as they reveal their innermost thoughts. Some explicitly, but some, even more heartbreakingly, implicitly by their actions. The brilliance of the story […]
Blue Valentine
Emotionally draining portrait of a couple in crisis. Dean books a romantic night in a hotel in an attempt to save his faltering marriage. In touching vignettes both past and present, we see a love story unfold through the good and the not so good times. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are absorbing as the […]
Tangled
An elderly witch kidnaps a baby princess possessing hair with the magical power to heal so that the aging woman might stay youthful forever. Update of the Brothers Grimm fairytale Rapunzel is among the most strikingly beautiful (and expensive) animated films ever made. Rapunzel’s hair is a technologically glowing blonde marvel and those thousands of […]
True Grit
Joel and Ethan Coen’s remake of the 1969 classic starring John Wayne about revenge. Straightforward and unpretentious, this is the Coen brothers most traditional film yet. That’s both a good and a bad thing . Rooted firmly in classic storytelling conventions, its old fashioned sentiment is comforting. However it isn’t particularly memorable or as innovative […]
Winter’s Bone
Upon learning her missing father has put their home and land up for bond, a teen sets out on a dangerous quest to find him. At the center of the action is 17 year old Ree Dolly played by actress Jennifer Lawrence. “Forced to grow up fast” situation has her in charge of two young […]
The Fighter
Gritty sports drama detailing the early years of boxer “Irish” Micky Ward and his half-brother who helped train him. The subject matter of underdog fighters might seem like old hat. Anyone who has ever seen the classics Rocky, Raging Bull or The Wrestler will be familiar with the blueprint for these types of stories. But the […]
Tron: Legacy
While attempting to find information regarding the mysterious disappearance of his father, Sam Flynn activates a laser which transports him to the Grid, a cyberworld within the computer program Tron. This continuation of the original Tron from 1982 even sees the return of original star Jeff Bridges as the talented computer programmer from the earlier […]