AltWeeklies Wire
Morgan Spurlock Gets Irrelevantnew
It's a huckster's dream: Spurlock makes his movie, the sponsors promote their brand, and the film distributor pockets a tidy sum. The audience is the one left holding the shopping bag.
Kristen Wiig gets Apatow-ed in Bridesmaidsnew
If nothing else, Bridesmaids rebuts the criticism that Judd Apatow's films are nothing but wish-fulfillment scenarios for schlubby guys; in this one, whininess and low self-esteem are definitely gender-neutral.
Will Ferrell Gets Semi-Serious in Everything Must Gonew
Everything Must Go is a commentary about the artificiality of suburbia as well as an earnest fable about a man who must confront and let go of his past in order to embark on a better future.
Tags: Will Ferrell, Everything Must Go
Well-Timed Danish Drama In a Better World Examines Violence and Vengeancenew
It's to the credit of Susanne Bier's film that, even as it sets up fairly Manichean conflicts, it discourages us from taking pleasure in easy violence.
Monks on the Brink in Stirring 'Of Gods and Men'new
Of Gods and Men is concerned about faith, courage and love. The group of eight men, all in their 50s or older, must confront their fear of death -- and ready themselves to submit to it humbly, as witnesses to their vows.
Tags: Xavier Beauvois, Of Gods and Men
Would-be Woody Allen-ish Indie 'happythankyoumoreplease'new
Writer-director-star Josh Radnor's film, placed in a superficially recognizable but lifeless version of Manhattan's East Village, is full of distractingly dissonant moments.
'The Conspirator' is Studious but Inertnew
The film's opening act is a well-crafted recounting of the conspiracy, and Robert Redford's attention to detail is impressive throughout, but we're left puzzling over the figures at the center of the diorama.
Tags: Robert Redford, The Conspirator
'Hanna' is Filled with Precocious Kids and Corrupt Adultsnew
A stylized fable whose substance doesn't measure up to its resounding razzmatazz, Hanna is a blend of breathless chase thriller and fairy-tale conceit.
Tags: Joe Wright, Hanna
Cary Fukunaga's 'Jane Eyre' Disappointsnew
With so few opportunities given to female directors, it seems a shame the producers picked the wrong man for this job.
Grappling with Demons in 'Win Win'new
Win Win is director Tom McCarthy's most accessible yet subtly subversive film to date, one that manages to both celebrate the virtues of middle-class America while laying bare some unpleasant human frailties.
Tags: Tom McCarthy, Win Win
No More Working For the Man in Made in Dagenhamnew
Dagenham is a suburb on the east side of London and, in 1968, was home to a Ford automotive plant. Several thousand worked there, including 187 women who were assigned the job of cutting and stitching the upholstery for the cars.
Sofia Coppola's Hollywood Movie Somewhere Strips the Glamournew
Many scenes are wordless, most are simply conceived and beautifully executed, almost all are poignant, and only rarely do they seem to editorialize.
Tags: Sofia Coppola, Somewhere
Cedar Rapids Finds Joy in the Midwestnew
Cedar Rapids is one of the most adorable movies featuring drugs, alcohol, infidelity, prostitution, bribery and a fleeting moment of sidelong racism that you'll ever see.
Slasher Flick Bereavement is a "Poor Man's Eli Roth"new
No horror trope goes unexploited, from the emotionally scarred youngster to the derelict slaughterhouse to the comely damsel in distress.
The Adjustment Bureau is Charming but Flawednew
Instead of exploring the themes of destiny and choice, writer-director George Nolfi constructs a giant hamster maze designed to test the lengths two crazy kids will go to find true love.
