AltWeeklies Wire
'Departures': Between Life and Deathnew
This Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Language Film is a gentle and comedically nuanced exercise in mourning from Japan.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-28-2009 |
Reviews
'Post Grad' Doesn't Make the Gradenew
Bland to the point of pointlessness, Post Grad follows the inane highs and lows of a perky young optimist.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-20-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Post Grad, Vicky Jenson
'Ponyo' Is a Fabulous Fish Storynew
In this animated adventure by the Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki, a 5-year-old boy forms a friendship with a goldfish princess who longs to be human.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-20-2009 |
Reviews
'Paper Heart' Is No Candy Valentinenew
Ultra-introverted mumblenerd comedian Charlene Yi shines in this faux documentary that problematically blurs the line between staged, improvised, and "real" events.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-20-2009 |
Reviews
Rewriting the War in 'Inglourious Basterds'new
In this World War II movie, Quentin Tarantino weaves together multiple storylines that coalesce into a literally explosive finale that daringly rewrites history.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-20-2009 |
Reviews
'Thirst': Vampire Lovenew
The new film from the South Korean director of Oldboy is a stunning feast for the senses but veers off-track with its overlong meditation on vampirism.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-14-2009 |
Reviews
The Alien Nation of 'District 9'new
District 9 is a wrenching, riveting, occasionally violent, often heartbreaking, socially conscious science fiction film, and, best of all, a love story.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-14-2009 |
Reviews
'A Perfect Getaway' is an Above-Average Thrillernew
This is a smartly paced and ultimately pure exploitation head trip that's a lot of fun if you can get past its third-act meltdown.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-06-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: A Perfect Getaway, David Twohy
'O'Horten' is a Danish Treatnew
This strange little Danish gem tells the story of the aptly named Odd Horten, a man cut from his moorings when he's forced to take retirement at age 67.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
08-06-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: O'Horten, Bent Hamer
'The Collector': A Nail in the Torture Porn Coffinnew
From the writer and director of Saw 4-6 comes this horror film about a handyman who tries to rob his employers' home but finds it rigged with a lethal maze.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
07-30-2009 |
Reviews
'Unmistaken Child' Crawls Toward Enlightenmentnew
This documentary is a full-immersion glimpse into the ancient traditions of Buddhist reincarnation and one that no filmmaker has ever before explored with this level of freedom and insight.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
07-30-2009 |
Reviews
'Year One': Sub-Zeronew
Slayer was right: God hates us all. How else to explain this blasphemously asinine and crudely scatological buddy pic?
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
06-26-2009 |
Reviews
'Burma VJ' is a Journalistic Masterpiecenew
This gripping doc makes an airtight argument for the absolute necessity of a free press, and it should be required viewing for anyone thinking of becoming any kind of journalist.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
06-26-2009 |
Reviews
'Enlighten Up!' Documents a Skeptic's Journey into the Big Omnew
Director Kate Churchill, who admits up front that her own yoga discipline has changed her life dramatically, chooses a 29-year-old New York journalist to serve as the control factor in her argument for the benefits of yoga.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
06-19-2009 |
Reviews
Sam Raimi Returns to His Rootsnew
Sam Raimi makes a triumphant return to the "splatstick" horror genre he more or less invented with The Evil Dead trilogy.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
05-29-2009 |
Reviews
