Archive | December 2016
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Fences
It will be touted as progress, if the film adaptation of “Fences” manages to grab a bunch of Academy Awards nominations next month. But I have to state well ahead of that near inevitability, that it’s absolutely not what I was looking for when I supported the #OscarsSoWhite campaign at the ceremony for 2015’s nominees. […]
A Monster Calls
Well, of course I was bawling by the finale of J.A Bayona’s “A Monster Calls”. It’s just that I feel like I’ve been manipulated again (see 2012’s “The Impossible”). Is there any way not to be effected by nearly two hours of a sweet, angry, young boy, losing his mother to cancer? And renowned actors like Felicity […]
Loving
Against all odds, there’s not a hint of violence in it. And I could’ve sworn I smelled it coming, more than once. Even a mid-film car accident is realized off screen…plus the victim survives! Yes, “Loving”, the latest (and most atypical) feature from writer/director Jeff Nichols, works hard to avoid its television drama trappings. It […]
Sully
An obvious, mostly uninteresting hagiography, seemingly cut from the Ron Howard playbook of making something out of nothing. Except “Sully” wasn’t directed by Mr. Howard, it was helmed by the prolific Clint Eastwood. And with his fourth biopic in 5 years, even he must have realized that he had a thin layer of material. 2011’s […]
Don’t Breathe
It’s phenomenal. And after grossing over 150 million dollars, against a 10 million dollar budget, you can officially categorize it as a sleeper hit. I should’ve known. Shame on me, for underestimating this when first seeing the trailers a few months back. I have to stop doing that. Some of these low-budget horror films, that […]
The Girl on the Train
I was wary of the trailers alone. “The Girl on the Train” movie is based on the bestselling novel of the same name, by Paula Hawkins. And, apparently, it’s been read by every suburban housewife in the country–another blaring warning sign. “Gone Girl”, a 2014 David Fincher film, based on the book by Gillian Flynn, […]
Critic Bite #3
“I go to a movie just to be entertained”. This one, of course, intended to be a catch-all, with the express purpose of excusing any piece of garbage someone just paid to see. You see, snooty critics, want everything to be “Citizen Kane” or “Lawrence of Arabia”, is the thought process employed here. So, every cheapo horror […]
Critic Bite #2
“I don’t listen to critics, I decide for myself”. This one, of course, implies that anyone who researches what film critics say, is some type of automaton, and doesn’t think for oneself. Bullshit. There are roughly one thousand films released each calendar year. Does anyone see ALL of them? Of course not. Critics are a guide. […]
Critic Bite #1
“It’s a GREAT movie!”. Often labeling something that never was, or could ever be, a GREAT movie. Language should be diverse. Movies are good. Movies are so-so. Movies are not-so-hot, but contain an exceptional performance. Some movies are awful. And yes, there is an upper echelon, that are GREAT. “Taxi Driver” is great. “2001: A Space […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 