Archive | June 2015
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Timbuktu
There is a healthy whiff of formula, in this otherwise fine film from Abderrahmane Sissako, that blocks Mauritania’s “Timbuktu” from the threshold of greatness for me. It’s very subtle, which I like, and it’s wise enough to employ an archly comic tone on occasion. The movie carries a consistent feeling of dread, and the light […]
Will T-rex Terminate “Genisys”?
Does “Terminator Genysis” possess the mighty cyborg arm, that can finally unseat three-weekend champion, “Jurassic World”? Many signs point to yes, but as opening day approaches for Arnold’s Independence Day holiday comeback–I find myself not so sure. For one thing, the early reviews are seeping in for the 5th film in the “Terminator” franchise–and they […]
Jurassic World IMAX 3D
C’mon, say it with me. The biggest blockbuster of the summer. It was expected to be big. But not this huge. “Jurassic World” is rampaging its way towards 2 billion dollars worldwide huge. And even that may be conservative. The resurrection of a 14 years dormant franchise, has been gloriously revived from amber. Even better…it’s […]
Begin Again
Am I going a bit soft? Do I sometimes get sucked into the sentimentality? I guess to some level on that last one, because most everything about John Carney’s “Begin Again” signals me that I should despise it. But instead, I was utterly charmed. Carney, of course, had an ultra low-budget success story with 2007’s […]
“Jurassic” billion.
At some point today, maybe it’s already happened, “Jurassic World” topped a billion dollars worldwide, in roughly a week and a half. That’s astonishing. Seeing it myself this afternoon, so you can expect a print review of its full IMAX 3D glory, by later this week. Plus, I’ll be cutting an audio review for national […]
Welcome to Me
Methinks the diverse Kristen Wiig, is going to get showered with awards for a film someday. This may come as no surprise to many, especially after her Oscar nomination for writing the screenplay for 2011’s “Bridesmaids”, as well as grabbing a Best Comedy Actress nom from the Golden Globes, for the same film. But it’s […]
Blackhat
Michael Mann is amongst my favorite film directors, so I’m still trying to grasp why “Blackhat” was such a huge box office bomb. Usually, Mann is able to find just the right mix of commercialism and artistry, to make his work a hit with either the critics, at the ticket line–or both. 2009’s “Public Enemies”, […]
“Jurassic” smash.
“Jurassic World” had a COLOSSAL opening this past weekend. Defying just about ALL expectations, the film took in an estimated 205 million dollars at the North American box office alone, 2nd only to 2012’s “The Avengers” as a 3-day cash cow. Not only that, its weekend worldwide take was around 512 million, the biggest weekend […]
Last Days in Vietnam
This is my fourth documentary watched, out of the 2015 Oscar-nominated quintet, and my clear favorite so far. Director Rory Kennedy Daughter (daughter of assassinated U.S. Senator, Robert Kennedy), has done a wise thing here. She’s helmed a chronicle that focuses on a very small period of what is, most likely, the United States’ most […]
Tony Awards 2015 recap
But I’m really not qualified to do it this year…so, I’m going to cheat. This blog started off covering film and theatre, and while I hope to get back to the boards soon–this has been chiefly a movie site for most of the last year. In other words…I’m far from being even close to up-to-date […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 