Tag Archive | Emma Stone
La La Land
Suffice to say, that you will not have to look far, to find effusive praise for Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”. Just don’t look here, because I’m not buying. In fact, I’m finding its popularity, and overall acceptance, somewhat bewildering. It’s an empty vessel. A case of playing the notes, but not hearing the music. […]
Cameron Crowe says “Aloha”!
There was a time, not all that long ago, when it appeared that Cameron Crowe was on his way to becoming a great film writer/director. It peaked roughly 15 years back when he grabbed the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for 2000’s “Almost Famous”, and then began a rapid death plunge the following year. Can he […]
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Nominated for Best Picture at the 87th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Director (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu) at the 87th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Actor (Michael Keaton) at the 87th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Edward Norton) at the 87th Annual Academy Awards Nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone) […]
Michael Keaton: I’m “Birdman”!
Do young people even realize what a huge movie star Michael Keaton was at one time? Heck, do they even know who Mr. Keaton is? There was a ten-year period(roughly 1982-92), when he was a BIG star…and another 5 after that saw him consistently working in notable and eclectic films(1993’s “Much Ado About Nothing”, 1994’s […]
Woody’s July “Magic”?
There was a solid 15 year stretch, when I would never miss a Woody Allen release. In fact, between the period of 1986-2000, the Woodman was the sole director of 16 different features. I visited the theater for 8 of them, and caught the other half upon their video debut. Most of them were, at […]
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Now, that’s more like it! A complete improvement over 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man”, with director Marc Webb now officially freed of the shackles of the origin story. Andrew Garfield continues his excellent portrayal in the title role, and Emma Stone has gelled nicely into her performance of Gwen Stacy. I’ll even admit to being wildly […]
The Croods
Nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 86th Annual Academy Awards Yeah, it works well enough. It’s not going to win the Oscar in this category, and it’s not breaking any exciting new ground—but it’s nimble and just a little bit smart. I liked the family dynamic, and the voice work is just fine. The […]
The Amazing Spider-Man 3D
Yeah, the reboot was a bad plan. How about “Spider-Man 4” with a new cast, no origin story and a 120-minute running time…credits and all. That’s my advice, and I’m sticking to it. Still, I couldn’t help but think about how “The Amazing Spider-Man” played to those who haven’t seen the original trilogy. But who […]
Spidey-Bite
Just a little morsel before I’m back at some point with a review proper. A)I need to let “The Amazing Spider-Man” gestate a bit, and B)a lot of Independence Day prep happening, so I don’t have time to give a full review at the moment. So? It’s a mixed bag. Good news—Andrew Garfield is wonderful, […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 