AltWeeklies Wire
Payne’s Fault Not Even George Clooney Can Work a Miracle
Death and dying play a big part in cinema's current zeitgeist. From apocalyptic films like "Melancholia" to cancer-themed comedies like "50/50" there is a pressing dialogue of facing up to the reality of certain death with some amount of courage and dignity.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
11-15-2011 |
Reviews
Straw Dogs and Paper Tigers Lars von Trier Takes No Prisoners
Danish Lars von Trier is a great filmmaker.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
11-08-2011 |
Reviews
Brazil Equals America Crime Drama Sequel Connects the Dots
Co-writer/director José Padilha’s fiery sequel to his right-leaning “Elite Squad” (2007) digs deeper this time into Rio de Janeiro’s culture of crime and corruption through the seen-it-all eyes of returning protagonist Nascimento (Wagner Moura).
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
11-08-2011 |
Reviews
Mickey Rourke vs. Gods & Humans: No Family Jewels are Safe
Pitched to the public for its producer's association to the 2008 cartoon-cutout sword and sandal trash fest "300," this spectacle-driven tale of myth-based fantasy rightly earns its stripes thanks to a heavy-duty cast that includes the masterful John Hurt as a human-disguised Zeus and Mickey Rourke as an incredibly vicious King Hyperion.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
11-07-2011 |
Reviews
Diamond in the Buff: Michelle Williams Embodies Marilyn Monroe
Michelle Williams gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Marilyn Monroe in director Simon Curtis's thoughtful adaptation of diaries by Colin Clark.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
10-31-2011 |
Reviews
Young Love: Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones Deliver the Precious Pain
A surprisingly sweet and candid look at the problematic nature of young love, "Like Crazy" is a sturdy romantic showcase for Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones who share an undeniable sensual chemistry.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
10-24-2011 |
Reviews
Art Film Confidential: Julia Leigh Fires a Shot Across the Bough
A bold feminist exploitation think-piece about the perceived and disguised societal demands placed on women, "Sleeping Beauty" is a hauntingly erotic film that languishes in the recesses of your sub-conscious.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
10-24-2011 |
Reviews
Where'd He Get Those Boots? Shrek Spin-Off Shows Off
Spun off from the finally-adjourned Shrek franchise, "Puss in Boots" is a well crafted DreamWorks animated movie that succeeds in spite of, rather than with the aid of its extraneous 3D treatment.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
10-24-2011 |
Reviews
Hunter’s Legacy: Robinson Directs Depp
"The Rum Diary" is clearly a labor of love from Johnny Depp who came across Hunter S. Thompson's unpublished early novel while visiting his literary friend at his home in Colorado.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
10-21-2011 |
Reviews
Robbing the Elite: Joel Schumacher Presses the Wrong Buttons
Joel Schumacher continues on his career-long habit of hits and misses with a home invasion suspense thriller that signifies yet another dip.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
10-10-2011 |
Reviews
Cynicism and Horror: Tom Six Goes Back to the ATM
“The Human Centipede” is a cinematic provocation in line with banned films such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Nekromantik.”
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-29-2011 |
Reviews
Tangling With the Big C: Gordon-Levitt and Rogan Fight the Good Fight
Director Jonathan Levine ("The Wackness") has a knack for conveying unconventional drama with enough droll spice to make the medicine go down easily even if the subject is cancer.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-26-2011 |
Reviews
Action Mediocrity: De Niro, Owen, and Statham Go Slumming
An unhappy marriage of brawny big-screen talent with a nonsensical script, and a newbie director, make for one very mediocre action movie.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-19-2011 |
Reviews
Remaking Peckinpah: Rod Lurie Falls for Mug’s Game
“When in Rome, [do as the Romans do.]” James Marsdan’s clueless screenwriter character David Sumner uses the age-old adage to rationalize how he should interact with snotty Southern hicks in his wife Amy’s hometown of Blackwater, Mississippi.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-19-2011 |
Reviews
What You Want: Nicholas Winding Refn Burns Slow and Fast
Playing with a William Friedkin-like of patient intensity, atmospheric style, and shocks of violence Dutch director Nicolas Winding Refn creates his own 21st century dialectic of cinema.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-12-2011 |
Reviews
