AltWeeklies Wire
'Public Enemies' is Less a Biopic Than a Glossy, Stylish Elegynew
What keeps Public Enemies from being a masterpiece is a peculiar lack of emotional accessibility to the key characters.
This Year's Rock Documentaries Are Funny, Moving, Exciting and Tragicnew
This year's crop of rock docs bring us talkes about Arthur Russell, the Monks, the '80s New Haven punk scene, the Hold Steady and Scott Walker.
New Haven Advocate |
John Adamian, Christopher Arnott and Brianna Snyder |
06-30-2009 |
Movies
The Latest 'Transformers' Ups the Ante on Big and Dumbnew
Revenge of the Fallen might not be louder than its predecessor, but it's assuredly "noisier" in the sense that the film is a clanging, full-metal racket from start to finish, with only the rare narrative pause for dramatic scenes devoted to exclusively human interactions.
Austin Chronicle |
Marjorie Baumgarten |
06-26-2009 |
Reviews
'Burma VJ' is a Journalistic Masterpiecenew
This gripping doc makes an airtight argument for the absolute necessity of a free press, and it should be required viewing for anyone thinking of becoming any kind of journalist.
Austin Chronicle |
Marc Savlov |
06-26-2009 |
Reviews
'Every Little Step' Is a Life-Affirming Look at Performancenew
Every Little Step, the absorbing documentary about the 2006 revival of the Broadway hit A Chorus Line — in other words, a movie about the casting of a musical that's about actors auditioning for a musical — is a rabbit hole well worth tumbling down.
The Memphis Flyer |
Addison Engelking |
06-26-2009 |
Reviews
'The Room' Takes Up Residence in Little Rocknew
If Levi Agee has his way, the melodrama-turned-cult-hit The Room will screen indefinitely in Little Rock.
Arkansas Times |
Lindsey Millar |
06-25-2009 |
Movies
'Sin Nombre' Gets an Under-Told Story Rightnew
Its utter lack of romanticism about riding the rails doesn't preclude Sin Nombre from finding heart in the land it traverses or between its characters.
Arkansas Times |
Sam Eifling |
06-25-2009 |
Reviews
Bullock and Reynolds Have Great Chemistry, But the Movie Around Them Falls Apartnew
Hopefully, The Proposal won't be the only time Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds share the screen—because the movie isn't half as good as the stars occupying it.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
06-25-2009 |
Reviews
'Little Ashes' Burns Time Instead of Blazingnew
Little Ashes is as pretty as an illustrated picture book, with wind-blown fields of Andalusian grass and gorgeous cliff-side seascapes, but has only about as much to say.
Boise Weekly |
Jeremiah Wierenga |
06-24-2009 |
Reviews
San Antonio Film Festival Turns 15new
San Antonio Film Festival curator Adam Rocha says he's grown up over the past 15 years, and the festival has, too.
San Antonio Current |
Christine Stanley |
06-24-2009 |
Movies
'Objectified''s Subjects Plot a User-Friendly Universenew
Gary Hustwit's Objectified is more an appreciation than a critique of something utterly ubiquitous -- in this case product design -- and a few stellar personalities behind it.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
06-24-2009 |
Reviews
Michael Bay Pimps His Transformers Ridenew
The sequel to 2007's Transformers is measurably better, simply by virtue of its utter commitment to spectacle.
Willamette Week |
Aaron Mesh |
06-24-2009 |
Reviews
An Outrage Porn and a Decorously Hammy Frou-Frounew
The Stoning of Soraya M. is cheap and degrading and it stinks from here to Tehran. Meanwhile, Cheri is an insubstantial bit of fluff.
East Bay Express |
Kelly Vance |
06-24-2009 |
Reviews
'My Sister's Keeper' Turns on the Waterworks
Nick Cassavetes' three-hankie weepy lurches during moments of music-video sequences, and gratuitous voice-over narration from members of the Fitzgerald family as they struggle with their terminally ill daughter Kate (well played by Sofia Vassilieva).
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
06-22-2009 |
Reviews
Special-Effects Guru Behind 'Transformers' Sees the Field Morphingnew
The computer-generated side has thoroughly taken over from hands-on engineering, which is what John Frazier studied back at the start of his long career. "The last movie we did that was all mechanical, other than maybe one visual-effects shot, was Speed," he says.
The Georgia Straight |
Ken Eisner |
06-22-2009 |
Movies
