AltWeeklies Wire
'Slumdog Millionaire' is a Wealth of Richesnew
Along with its depictions of horrendous poverty, underage prostitution, child abuse and savage dehumanization of the developing world, it's also a terrific, feel-good film, an audience pleaser that offers a smidgen of hope in a world that's rapidly spiraling down the bowl.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
11-19-2008 |
Reviews
'Quantum of Solace': Don't Bet On This 'Casino Royale' Follow-Upnew
There's no point in calling Quantum of Solace the worst James Bond film yet. It isn't. The franchise has had some serious flops throughout the years, and Daniel Craig's second outing as 007 is better than those. But it doesn't live up to the promise of its predecessor.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
11-12-2008 |
Reviews
We're All Just Players in 'Synecdoche, New York'new
Synecdoche is conceptually enormous, and at times it threatens to collapse under the heavy weight of its ambition, but it’s also new, fresh and, if you're willing to take the stage with Kaufman, as tragic and exciting as real life itself.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
11-05-2008 |
Reviews
Mike Leigh Does a 180 with 'Happy-Go-Lucky'new
Leigh's films are usually brutal and uncompromising, challenging and, ultimately, painfully easy to relate to -- but he goes in the opposite direction with Happy-Go-Lucky.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
10-22-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Weathermen Doc 'The Weather Underground' Lets You Make the Callnew
With Barack Obama's William Ayers connection becoming recent fodder for GOP attacks, this Oscar-nominated 2002 documentary is making a timely appearance in theaters.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
10-15-2008 |
Reviews
'Rachel Getting Married' Brings Out the Best in Anne Hathawaynew
Hathaway's performance as an acerbic and bitter sister is so good that it’ll surely be considered come Oscar time.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
10-08-2008 |
Reviews
'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist': John Hughes 2.0new
Of course, Hughes was the mastermind of '80s teen drama, taking a sweet, funny look at the utterly heavy-duty emotions that come with being in high school or just beyond. And that's precisely what director Peter Sollett does with Nick and Norah.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
10-01-2008 |
Reviews
'Choke': How to Turn a Cult Novel into a Movienew
Making your first film is challenging enough. But writing and directing a movie about a sex addict who intentionally chokes on food in restaurants to engender sympathy and make money? Well, that's something else entirely.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
09-24-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Choke, Clark Gregg
'Sixty Six' is More Than Just a Coming-of-age Movienew
It'd be easy to look at it as a coming-of-age film, or a Jewish film, or even a foreign film (since it's British, and they talk funny). But to do so would be to disregard a treat of a movie that features some sharp performances.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
09-10-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Paul Weiland, Sixty Six
Darby Crash and Burnnew
It's to Rodger Grossman's credit that he tries to make the characters in What We Do is Secret real people. But he doesn't succeed.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
09-03-2008 |
Reviews
'The Rocker' is Stupid But Enjoyablenew
There's something Novery sweet about it, even if much of the humor is found in physical comedy involving Rainn Wilson getting hit in the head or the nuts.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
08-20-2008 |
Reviews
More Star Wars?new
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the franchise’s new animated feature, doesn't come within light years of the original entry's glory, but it's a welcome relief from the last three.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
08-13-2008 |
Reviews
'Lost Boys' Sequel Goes Straight to DVDnew
Though Corey Haim has a small part in Lost Boys: The Tribe, it's the Frog brothers (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander) who reprise their roles in this installment.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
07-30-2008 |
Reviews
Is Mumblecore Going Mainstream?new
The Duplass brothers are considered two of mumblecore's founding fathers, having made the strange, awkward and sweet film The Puffy Chair a couple of years ago. With their latest, Baghead, they've created something very different: the first mumblecore horror film.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
07-30-2008 |
Reviews
'Step Brothers' is a Good Joke with No Place to Gonew
This feels less like a story than just an amusing idea, having Reilly and Ferrell, two very funny guys, acting like pubescent 15-year-olds.
San Diego CityBeat |
Anders Wright |
07-23-2008 |
Reviews
