AltWeeklies Wire
Are You Totally Sick of Vince Vaughn Yet?new
As is the case with nearly every film he's made since he stopped giving a fuck about his integrity, your capacity to sit through the madcappish holiday extravaganza of Fred Claus can likely be extrapolated from your answer to that question.
The Portland Mercury |
Zac Pennington |
11-08-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: David Dobkin, Fred Claus
Even Bono Can't Ruin Joe Strummernew
The Future Is Unwritten is saved by an absolutely stunning second act that focuses on Strummer's post-Clash output, his painfully lonely lost years, his family, and the man's storied legacy following his sudden death in 2002 from an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
11-08-2007 |
Reviews
Getting Drafted in 'Lions for Lambs'new
In his first turn in the director's chair since the political minefield of The Legend of Bagger Vance(?!?!), Robert Redford joins the well-intentioned, liberal baby-boomer chorus with his uniquely astute reaction to the War on Terror, Lions for Lambs.
The Portland Mercury |
Zac Pennington |
11-08-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Lions for Lambs, Robert Redford
'Sleuth': Verbal Sadomasochismnew
Branagh's remake of the 1972 film Sleuth represents that theater/cinema crossover at its finest.
The Portland Mercury |
Scott Moore |
11-01-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Kenneth Branagh, Sleuth
Dealing Drugs is Fun, Profitablenew
Yes, American Gangster touches on all sorts of things -- Vietnam, police corruption, urban decay, race -- but at its entertaining core, it's really just about two badasses going head to head.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
11-01-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: American Gangster, Ridley Scott
Plowing Down Kids on 'Reservation Road'new
Based on its concept, the film should have been an all-out gut-wrench fest. If you're going to have a plot device as emotionally manipulative as a dead child, I should at least choke up once, right?
The Portland Mercury |
Chas Bowie |
10-18-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Reservation Road, Terry George
'30 Days of Night': Why I Will Never, Ever Go to Alaskanew
Based on a fairly overrated graphic novel by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, the film version of 30 Days of Night is pretty goddamn cool.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
10-18-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: David Slade, 30 Days of Night
'We Own the Night' Disappointsnew
The "two brothers on opposite sides of the law" storyline is formulaic and uninspired, but the presence of loveable freaks Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg and Joaquin "It's Not a Harelip!" Phoenix offers faint hope. Alas, mediocrity wins the day.
The Portland Mercury |
Alison Hallett |
10-11-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: James Gray, We Own the Night
Morality 101 with Professor 'Michael Clayton'new
It's nothing that we haven't seen before: A stereotypically villainous corporation hurts the little guy; our conflicted protagonist has to figure out what to do. But an impressive cast and Tony Gilroy's sharp direction allow the smart, intense film to take a John Grisham-y concept and amp it up.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
10-11-2007 |
Reviews
Tags: Michael Clayton, Tony Gilroy
Spoiler Alert: Jesse James Diesnew
The much-anticipated revisionist western The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, as evidenced by its chewily purple title, has a lot on its plate -- too much, possibly.
The Portland Mercury |
Andrew Wright |
10-11-2007 |
Reviews
The Virgin Queen Gives Cinematic Blue Ballsnew
The courtly bravado of 1998's Elizabeth had a purpose: to show Cate Blanchett tearing up the scenery as she dallied about with the Earl of Leicester and spouted feministic jingo. It was sumptuous, kinda sexy, and complex. Elizabeth: The Golden Age is none of that.
The Portland Mercury |
Courtney Ferguson |
10-11-2007 |
Reviews
Wes Anderson Lets Loose with 'The Darjeeling Limited'new
With a scant wire frame of a plot, writer/director Wes Anderson is content to let the plot's details slip into a blurry haze, focusing on the tone and the spirit of the film more than its specifics.
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
10-11-2007 |
Reviews
Exorbitant Hyperbolenew
But it's True: Science of Sleep Is Really That Good
The Portland Mercury |
Erik Henriksen |
09-21-2006 |
Reviews
