AltWeeklies Wire
'Jennifer's Body' is 'Heathers' as a 'Maxim' Photo Spreadnew
Jennifer's Body begs for outraged reviews condemning it as repellent and vindictive, when in fact it is derivative and incompetent. If it were not written by Diablo Cody, it would be completely ignored. In fact, it can still be ignored.
Willamette Week |
Aaron Mesh |
09-16-2009 |
Reviews
Steven Soderbergh's Satire 'The Informant!' Pales
Soderbergh has loads of fun with a perky musical score and jaunty '70s-era visual hat-tips toward a certain Get Smart aura of goofy charm. But the filmmaker is unable to tease out substance from what is essentially an off-key one-note samba.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-14-2009 |
Reviews
Indie Idol Andrew Bujalski's 'Beeswax' is a Lo-Fi Standoutnew
Beeswax will surely lure Bujalski fans, but even those who think they hate mumblecore won't be disappointed by this tale. It's his best and most mature work to date, focusing on Austin, Texas twins Jeannie and Lauren.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Cheryl Eddy |
09-10-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Beeswax, Andrew Bujalski
'Big Fan' Piles Shame Upon Failure for Patton Oswalt's Football Lovernew
The director of Big Fan, Robert Siegel, is the screenwriter of last year's The Wrestler. I was not an admirer of that movie, but I'll concede that its patronizing melodrama was elevated by the grace notes of Mickey Rourke. Big Fan, however, is pure, concentrated condescension.
Willamette Week |
Aaron Mesh |
09-09-2009 |
Reviews
'All About Steve' Should've Been About Sandranew
It is reasonable to assume that the delay of All About Steve's release, from late February to Labor Day weekend, is not a sign of studio confidence. But with Sandra Bullock resuscitated by The Proposal and Bradley Cooper proven bankable by The Hangover, it's now or never for the tale of Bullock's nutty crossword puzzle designer following Cooper's TV news cameraman all across the country.
C-Ville Weekly |
Jonathan Kiefer |
09-09-2009 |
Reviews
Post-Apocalyptic 'Stitchpunk' Goes Limp in '9'
At barely 80 minutes, 9 still feels too long for what it is; an expanded visual experimentation that might allow Shane Acker to finally put an old UCLA student project behind him.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
09-07-2009 |
Reviews
Gerald Peary's Ode To The Film Criticnew
Rock critics rarely cut gold records. Likewise, few football reporters go on to quarterback Super Bowl winners. But with his eight-years-in-the-making documentary on film criticism, long-time critic and professor Gerald Peary incinerates the barrier between subject and reporter, demonstrating more than mere comprehension of the art he's scrutinized for decades.
Boston Phoenix |
Chris Faraone |
09-03-2009 |
Reviews
'Cold Souls': Paul Giamatti! Paul Giamatti!new
I'm not exactly sure how to characterize Cold Souls -- maybe as an existential dark comedy that deals with the black market of soul trafficking? -- but I do know it does writer/director Sophie Barthes' film a disservice to compare it to just about anything else.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
09-03-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Sophie Barthes, Cold Souls
'Amreeka' Skillfully Evokes American Post-9/11 Uneasenew
Amreeka hops over every one of its predictable, carefully laid-out hurdles.
New York Press |
Armond White |
09-03-2009 |
Reviews
'In the Loop': War Machinenew
A fictional exploration hilariously takes aim at chicken-hawk politicians.
Tucson Weekly |
James DiGiovanna |
09-02-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Armando Iannucci, In the Loop
Robin Williams Does His Best Work in Years in 'World's Greatest Dad'new
It'd be somewhat inaccurate to call Bobcat Goldthwait's new movie a more mature effort than his earlier films, because it contains as much nastiness. But in some ways, it's more mature because it tackles some serious subject matter and actually provides Robin Williams with his best role in years.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
09-02-2009 |
Reviews
'Still Walking' Observes a Family in Quiet Crisisnew
This is Kore-eda's most truly naturalistic, let alone Ozu-like film since his first -- the comparatively bleak 1995 Maborosi -- as well as a dysfunctional-family seriocomedy uncommonly beautiful inside and out. It's a quietly funny and insightful two hours capable of inducing one pretty ecstatic afterglow.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
09-02-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Still Walking, Hirokazu Kore-eda
DIY Documentary 'Handmade Nation' Chronicles the Indie Crafts Movementnew
Several years ago, Faythe Levine set out to document the world of DIY art, craft and design. This deeply personal quest led to the creation of a just-released feature documentary called Handmade Nation and a popular companion book of the same name.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O'Leary |
09-01-2009 |
Reviews
'Extract' Makes it Clear That Mike Judge Needs to Make More Features
Extract can't help but pale to Judd Apatow's work that has set the bar high for this kind of comedy. Nonetheless, you get the sense that if Mike Judge made more pictures, he'd hit his stride alongside the likes of Apatow pretty quick.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
08-31-2009 |
Reviews
Sleuth Goof 'Mystery Team' is a Chuckler With the Occasional Full-Throated Laughnew
The twentysomething talents behind Mystery Team are still in the comedy minors, but this nerdy, nutty, perfectly pitched first swing suggests there are major things to come.
Austin Chronicle |
Kimberley Jones |
08-28-2009 |
Reviews
