AltWeeklies Wire
Characters can't leave the room in Polanski's latest, Carnagenew
For God's sake, why don't the Cowans just leave? The answer lies in the fact that, for his whole career, Roman Polanski has been interested in domestic interiors and how they take hold of his characters.
Tags: Roman Polanski, Carnage
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a solid revival of Cold War-era le Carré novelnew
This well-acted, well-made movie keeps the us-against-them theatrics in the background in favor of a compelling character study of men fighting to stay relevant in a world where they can easily be replaced.
From the streets of Baltimore to Sesame Street, Kevin Clash has spent a lifetime Being Elmonew
Elmo is warm, curious and affectionate, seemingly a reflection of the talented artist who supplies his voice.
We Bought a Zoo wins prize for most mediocre, heartwarming family filmnew
Considering that Cameron Crowe has practically grown up along with his films, seeing him pull a hack move and direct the painfully middlebrow We Bought a Zoo isn't that much of a surprise.
Spielberg's Adventures of Tintin is surprisingly funnew
With The Adventures of Tintin, Steven Spielberg remembers that even if you make a movie that isn't about that much, at least make it an exciting, awe-inspiring movie about not that much.
Tags: The Adventures of Tintin
With War Horse, Spielberg makes his WWI movienew
Steven Spielberg adeptly captures the transitional nature of the Great War, one of the last fought with horses and swords.
The American Girl with the Dragon Tattoonew
David Fincher's remake of Girl remains as cold as its Swedish winterscape, but the actors frequently appear to be mechanically hitting their marks, often in conspicuous proximity to product placement.
Charlize Theron Plays a Selfish Writer in Young Adultnew
This movie is about a stupid woman behaving very badly, and it's rebelliously free of redeeming values.
To the End of Hawaii with George Clooney in The Descendantsnew
Director Alexander Payne—who has married and divorced since Paul Giamatti sipped wine in his last film, Sideways—now presents a character who enjoys redemption only once his wife is brain-dead and on a ventilator.
To the end of the world with Lars von Trier in Melancholianew
Melancholia is a lingering, thorny, beautiful experience that makes our doomed planet and our fickle lives richer for the tiny amount of time we're here to appreciate them.
Werner Herzog's Riveting Death Row Docnew
Herzog's fervent fans surely rushed out to see Into the Abyss over the weekend, but for those who need coaxing, let me urge you to do the same in the limited time left for this title.
Pedro Almodovar's bizarre but bloodless The Skin I Live Innew
The Skin I Live In is a hyper-realized illustration of Almodovar's fondness for audience manipulation.
My Week with Marilyn's intellectual slovenlinessnew
Director Simon Curtis' film is not effective or well-made enough to make any lasting impressions, but that doesn't mean its sentiments are any less inartistic or offensive.
The Muppets keeps family entertainment realnew
The Muppets aren't just one-note characters. They're fully realized beings, perfectly able to convey emotions. Even monosyllabic drummer Animal is just a dude looking for some inner peace.
Tags: The Muppets
Scorsese's Hugo celebrates the joy and art of moviemakingnew
The brilliance of Hugo is that director Martin Scorsese appropriates the en vogue 3-D technology of today's movies to preserve and venerate pioneers of the medium.
Tags: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
