AltWeeklies Wire
'Prodigal Sons,' a Documentary by Writer-Director Kimberly Reednew
Even if this riveting documentary holds back some key information for as long as it can, no review of Prodigal Sons can avoid the central thrust of writer-director Kimberly Reed’s multiple returns to her hometown of Helena, Montana.
The Georgia Straight |
Ken Eisner |
03-15-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Kimberly Reed, Prodigal Sons
Chiselled Channing Tatum Shows Soft Side in 'Dear John'new
Based on weepie-novel master Nicholas Sparks’s same-named book, the movie chronicles the romance between John, who had a tough upbringing, and the more privileged Savannah Curtis, played by the equally young and attractive actor Amanda Seyfried.
The Georgia Straight |
Patty Jones |
02-08-2010 |
Reviews
'Paranormal Activity' Offers a Surprisingly Taut Storynew
Thanks to steady word of mouth, writer-director Oren Peli's debut feature has received a major-studio release after years of bouncing around the festival circuit.
The Georgia Straight |
John Lekich |
10-20-2009 |
Reviews
Tags: Oren Peli, Paranormal Activity
Blaxploitation-Inspired French Action Flick 'Black' is Rife With Weirdnessnew
Turning thumbs up or down on this movie would be a complete waste of time. Why? Because your opinion will change every five minutes (which is, perhaps, more than enough reason to justify its existence).
The Georgia Straight |
Mark Harris |
09-22-2009 |
Reviews
'Whiteout' is an Uncomfortably Numb Thriller-Wannabenew
Maybe snow blindness struck director Dominic Sena and his four screenwriters, as they transformed Greg Rucka's graphic novel into an uncomfortably numb movie.
The Georgia Straight |
Patty Jones |
09-11-2009 |
Reviews
'One Day You'll Understand' Employs a Steely Form of Thoughtfulnessnew
In adapting Jerome Clement's book for the screen, Israeli director Amos Gitai is fully aware of the amount of restraint, denial, and dissociation that must be employed to survive a trauma the size of the Holocaust.
The Georgia Straight |
Mark Harris |
08-18-2009 |
Reviews
'12' Examines Masculine Archetypes in Modern Russianew
Beleaguered ideals regarding compassion and freedom from prejudice were the subjects of the Americanski version of 12 Angry Men. Mikhalkov, best known for his 1994 Oscar-winning Burnt by the Sun, is more interested in the philosophical and political elements.
The Georgia Straight |
Ken Eisner |
03-23-2009 |
Reviews
'Push' Has Solid Premise But Not Much Elsenew
What Push's heroes need is super-Prozac. Instead they get one chase scene after another, as McGuigan plasters over the many plot holes with quick cuts, flashbacks, changes of film stock, and disturbing glimpses of Fanning’s milky upper thighs. It’s entertaining, in a nervous, just-ate-ten-boxes-of-Nerds kind of way.
The Georgia Straight |
Ron Yamauchi |
02-09-2009 |
Reviews
The African Diaspora and Its Beautiful Discontentsnew
The puzzlingly punctuated title of Nurse.Fighter.Boy is a tip-off that characters here are to be taken with several grains of mythopoeic salt.
The Georgia Straight |
Ken Eisner |
02-09-2009 |
Reviews
'The Grocer's Son' is a Pastoral Respite from the Larger Conflicts of the Worldnew
The real stars of the movie are the crusty rustics in the background. Writer-director Eric Guirado reportedly spent months observing a passing way of life in this region before turning the locals into actors, and the effect is less predictable than is the central story.
The Georgia Straight |
Ken Eisner |
01-13-2009 |
Reviews
There's Nothing Redeeming About 'The Unborn'new
As soon as The Unborn's end credits started to roll, a guy seated two rows down from me at the promotional screening declared: "That sucked!" I couldn't have said it better myself.
The Georgia Straight |
Steve Newton |
01-13-2009 |
Reviews
'Trip to Asia': The Quest for Harmonynew
This stunningly ambitious -- not to mention just plain stunning -- documentary follows the Berlin Philharmonic on a long journey abroad, to five Asian countries.
The Georgia Straight |
Ken Eisner |
01-05-2009 |
Reviews
'Dostana' Harks Back to Traditionnew
Dostana has been hyped as the first Bollywood film with openly gay characters and as a step forward in terms of positive representation. Don't believe the hype.
The Georgia Straight |
Itrath Syed |
11-18-2008 |
Reviews
Bill Maher Tackles Taboo of Faith in 'Religulous'new
About a dozen very polite protesters attempted to mar the Canadian premiere of Bill Maher's gleefully sacrilegious standup documentary, Religulous, at the Toronto International Film Festival recently.
The Georgia Straight |
Mark Leiren-Young |
10-03-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Larry Charles, Religulous
'The Duchess' Inspires Modern Relevance in Keira Knightleynew
The screenplay is based on the Amanda Foreman biography Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and tells the story of a teenager who marries the duke of Devonshire, a leading force in the new Whig Party.
The Georgia Straight |
Ian Caddell |
09-26-2008 |
Reviews
Tags: Saul Dibb, The Duchess
