AltWeeklies Wire
'The Walker' Plays Fill in the Blanksnew
The Walker provides glimmers of detail, with hardly any context -- and it's pretty impossible to get into a film when you feel like you're only getting half the story.
The Portland Mercury |
Ned Lannamann |
12-27-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Paul Schrader, The Walker
Extreme Skiers are So... So... Extreme!new
Steep is one more fawning sports documentary in the vein of Dogtown and Z-Boys, Riding Giants, Step into Liquid, and First Descent, and while it's not nearly as good as any of those, it still has some stuff to recommend.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
12-27-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Mark Obenhaus, Steep
Denzel Fires It Up in 'The Great Debaters'new
There's a lot here about institutionalized racism and the ways in which violence and humiliation are systematically employed to keep people afraid, and it's all packaged up in a nice sentimental package, with a few fat-kid-makes-good and pretty-girl-gets-laid subplots for good measure.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
12-20-2007 |
Reviews
Fun in Nursing Homesnew
The Savages is bleak (though not without a certain dry humor), but it will likely resonate strongly with the boomer crowd, who are starting to deal with these issues themselves.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
12-20-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Tamara Jenkins, The Savages
Going to War with Charlie Wilsonnew
Hollywood loves nothing more than a "____ with a heart of gold" story, and the phrase "corrupt congressman" fits that empty spot pretty well.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
12-20-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Mike Nichols, Charlie Wilson's War
Of Hollywood, Bruce Lee, and MC Hammernew
Far be it from me to declare that an entire genre of film is dead, but shit, the reels that make up Finishing the Game would probably be just as useful as a tombstone on mockumentary's grave.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Hedriksen |
12-06-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Finishing the Game, Justin Lin
God is Deadnew
Just kidding. He's fine. But in a predictably spineless move, all direct references to religion have been dropped from The Golden Compass.
The Portland Mercury |
Allison Hallett |
12-06-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Chris Weitz, The Golden Compass
The Righteous Bigots of 'For the Bible Tells Me So'new
In its fascinating examination of five religious families in which a son or daughter is gay (surprise!), For the Bible Tells Me So is nothing less than astonishing.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
11-29-2007 |
Reviews
Heartbreak Be Damnednew
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir's seemingly sweet, bouncy pop songs come with a strong dash of melancholy and bitterness and dry humor, a self-aware cynical hint that they know how futile and silly it is to write songs about heartbreak, but knowledge be damned -- they're doing it anyway.
The Portland Mercury |
Hannah Carlen |
11-29-2007 |
Reviews
'August Rush' Sounds Terrible But It Isn'tnew
August Rush is actually a charming little film about a musical prodigy who ends up performing with the New York Philharmonic in order to find the mom and dad who don't even know he exists.
The Portland Mercury |
Megan Seling |
11-26-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: August Rush, Kirsten Sheridan
'Hitman': Another Videogame Movie. Sigh.new
Turning a videogame into a film is like trying to make a chocolate cake when the only ingredient you have is orange juice.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
11-26-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Hitman, Xavier Gens
Weather isn't Really That Scarynew
Seeing as how The Mist is an adaptation of a Stephen King novella, it doesn't take a genius to figure out whether Gramps is deranged or prophetic, and less than 30 minutes later, the unlucky grocery shoppers figure out what that something is: monsters.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
11-26-2007 |
Reviews
Hooray for Family!new
If there's tenderness in Margot at the Wedding, it's steeped in ulterior motives and self-deception: This is not a feel-good film.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
11-26-2007 |
Reviews
Southland is a Non-Funny Laff Riotnew
If there was ever a director in dire need of a studio muzzle (as well as arm and leg shackles), it's Richard Kelly.
The Portland Mercury |
Wm. Steven Humphrey |
11-15-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Richard Kelly, Southland Tales
Beowulf: Cooler Than 10th Grade English!new
Director Robert Zemeckis' vision of the Old English epic is mostly notable for two things: (A) It's all CG, and (B), it features a naked Angelina Jolie.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
11-15-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Beowulf, Robert Zemeckis
