Archive | January 2016
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The Look of Silence
Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 88th Annual Academy Awards This film is a companion piece to the director’s (Joshua Oppenheimer) “The Act of Killing” from 2013, a film I reviewed here roughly two years ago. I found that film emotionally and spiritually devastating, and wrote at the time of how I wasn’t certain […]
Truth
It seems that I’m the only one appreciating Robert Redford’s late-career performing resurgence. He was Oscar-worthy in J.C. Chandor’s fine “All Is Lost” in 2013. He then played a slimy villain the following year in MCU’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”. Redford will turn 80 in 2016, and he’s only been nominated for an acting […]
The Revenant
Nominated for Best Picture at the 88th annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Director ( Alejandro G. Inarritu) at the 88th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) at the 88th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Tom Hardy) at the 88th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Cinematography (Emmanuel Lubezki) […]
Tomorrowland
I’ve witnessed a lot of solid critics trying to justify Brad Bird’s overzealous “Tomorrowland”, from Walt Disney Studios. “It’s ambitious”, or “it’s heart is in the right place”, are among the decrees. But, just like it failed for audiences, it didn’t work for me either. Clunky, uneven, confusing, and overreaching–the entire enterprise just fall apart […]
Joy
Nominated for Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence) at the 88th Annual Academy Awards I’m not certain what the hell David O. Russell was trying to accomplish with “Joy”. Something tells me he didn’t know either. It’s sporadically interesting, and occasionally works in fit-and-starts. It also starts story lines, and then abruptly drops them. Mr. O. […]
Star Wars: The Force Awakens IMAX 3D
Nominated for Best Film Editing at the 88th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Original Score at the 88th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Sound Mixing at the 88th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Sound Editing at the 88th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 88th Annual Academy Awards […]
The Big Short
Oh, I’ve read a few highly touted books to try to keep somewhat up to speed, but I’m not exactly razor-sharp when it comes to the world of finance. I guess I could be–but I just don’t want to be. My eyes glaze over if I listen to too much of that stuff. Luckily, I’ve […]
Grandma
You know, “Grandma” written and directed by Paul Weitz, has all the ingredients of your typical coming-of-age road movie. You recognize the drill here: two disparate characters–one old, one young–on a journey of self-discovery. Not only do they learn more about themselves, but they come to understand each other more too. So many films use […]
Sicario
“Sicario” is intense, and violent, and fierce like it’s supposed to be. I liked it. At times, I liked it a lot. However, there was a period when it began to feel like some other movies. 2000’s “Traffic” is the most obvious one, and the comparison completes with the inclusion of Oscar-winner Benicio del Toro […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 