AltWeeklies Wire
Layer Cake a Slice of the Dangerous Lifenew
Layer Cake exemplifies how recent English gangster films seldom prove as grandly operatic or steeped in social issues as America's Godfather imitators. But that can be good.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-26-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Matthew Vaughn, Layer Cake
Fans Make Own Star Wars Filmsnew
Many fan productions are spoofs, but Star Wars: Revelations keeps a straight face for what might be the most elaborate fan film ever made.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-19-2005 |
Reviews
Humor Comes Too Little Too Latenew
Will Ferrell's primal-scream shtick should be perfect for a comedy about the timely subject of enraged sports parents. But when Phil finally cuts loose and bellows at boys, the humor comes too little too late.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-19-2005 |
Reviews
Sith's Tragic Tone Redeems Prequel Trilogynew
George Lucas's operatic finale, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, nearly redeems the whole prequel trilogy by dramatizing the downfall of Anakin Skywalker.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-19-2005 |
Reviews
Mindhunters Almost Made Obsolete by Changing Timesnew
Despite its slick veneer, Mindhunters never realizes that its expiration date passed long before audiences even got a look at it.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-12-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Renny Harlin, Mindhunters
Pete Tong Rarely Goes Wrongnew
More of an exercise in sensory stimulation than a story with deep insights, It's All Gone Pete Tong offers a surprisingly fresh way to think about disabilities. The dance milieu mostly just provides the backbeat.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-12-2005 |
Reviews
Birds of a Feather Flock Togethernew
Though hardly a beloved pet tearjerker like Old Yeller, Wild Parrots' bittersweet final section proves surprisingly moving and demonstrates how animals can teach us unexpected lessons about ourselves.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-05-2005 |
Reviews
Film Lights Fire Under Racial Melting Potnew
Crash ambitiously takes on a huge theme from more angles than one film can really encompass. Nevertheless, it's filled with taut, engrossing sequences, and it honestly shows how ordinary people can rise or fall when given a chance for redemption.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
05-05-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Crash, Paul Haggis
Hitchhiker's Guide Doesn't Go Off Without a Hitchnew
"Don't panic" may be the motto of the universal travel book that gives Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy its name, but the new big-screen adaptation frequently feels on the verge of freaking out.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
04-28-2005 |
Reviews
Small Moments Power Remarkable Debut Filmnew
Josh Sternfeld's quiet debut film has the kind of story that doesn't explode or even simmer, but simply ... happens.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
04-21-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Josh Sternfeld, Winter Solstice
Kung Fu Hustle Kicks Genre Into Whole New Realmnew
Kung Fu Hustle isn't just a goofy, gravity-defying combo of two-fisted action flick and anything-for-a-laugh parody. It feels like the latest volley in a globe-spanning table tennis match between American and Hong Kong filmmakers.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
04-21-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Stephen Chow, Kung Fu Hustle
Romantic Comedy Ends Up Actually Being About Somethingnew
The pointedly unfunny first half-hour makes Fallon and Barrymore look like big-screen comedy rookies. But once the film starts digging into sports rituals, fan psychology and incompatible passions, Fever Pitch turns into the rare Hollywood romantic comedy that's actually about something.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
04-14-2005 |
Reviews
Little Gems Found Among Oscar-Nominated Short Filmsnew
Episodes from and about youth shine in Academy Award Nominated Shorts 2005, a program made up of four live-action and four animated short Oscar contenders.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
04-14-2005 |
Reviews
Movie Tries to Turn Woody Allen's Frown Upside Downnew
Seeing Melinda and Melinda is like watching a filmmaker beat himself up, which would be funny if it wasn't so sad.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
04-07-2005 |
Reviews
Tags: Woody Allen, Melinda and Melinda
Sin City Beats Noir Genre to a Pulpnew
Sin City's lurid, brutal stories unfold in a black-and-white world with rare intrusions of color -- but no sunlight, no superfluous people and scarcely any props beyond weapons, muscle and skin.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
03-31-2005 |
Reviews
