AltWeeklies Wire
'The Soloist' Is As Much About the Power of Music to Transform As It Is About Friendshipnew
You can learn more about the story of mentally ill musical prodigy Nathaniel Ayers in a 12-minute segment of a March 60 Minutes broadcast than in the 109 minutes of The Soloist. But what a wonderful 109 minutes they are.
San Antonio Current |
John Thomason |
04-22-2009 |
Reviews
The Circle Of Inconvenient Half-Truthsnew
Disney's Earth is a stunning spectacle of nature's richness, packaged and delivered without the faintest whiff of corporate deception. But don't worry, it's in there.
San Antonio Current |
Greg Harman |
04-22-2009 |
Reviews
'Lymelife' Nails a Savvy Balance of Comedy and Dramanew
Do we really need another dysfunctional-family flashback with the requisite retro pop hits, pot smoking (back when it came dirt cheap), awkward virginity loss, and nostalgically horrible decor? Sure, why not?
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Dennis Harvey |
04-22-2009 |
Reviews
The Heroic Optimism of Anvilnew
It has been a long, strange trip for Anvil, but the trajectory has been smoothly downward. As Anvil! The Story of Anvil trails Anvil through an increasingly dire European tour, what distinguishes the film is Sacha Gervasi's palpable affection for her subjects, and her subjects' awareness of themselves.
Willamette Week |
Aaron Mesh |
04-22-2009 |
Reviews
Bare-Knuckles: Dito Montiel Hits His Sophomore Slump
Writer/director Dito Montiel drops down a few rungs after his promising debut film A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, with an undernourished drama about small-town fighter Shawn MacArthur (played by Channing Tatum) who comes to Manhattan where he meets two-bit hustler Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard).
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
04-20-2009 |
Reviews
'The Soloist': Mispronounced Orchestration
Heartfelt performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx can't counteract a lack of narrative focus that prevents the film from taking hold, although they are entrancing in and of themselves.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
04-20-2009 |
Reviews
Why Filmmakers Love Stranded Polar Bearsnew
Filmmaker Todd Anders Johnson films Alaskan glaciers for a salient image of the dangers of climate change. But will it move the pundit class?
Boulder Weekly |
Dylan Otto Krider |
04-19-2009 |
Profiles & Interviews
New Doc on 'A Chorus Line' Misses the Marknew
Reality TV has squandered the great impulse toward cultural-political exploration by turning democracy and the documentary into bread and circuses. This tragedy defeats Every Little Step, the first doc to chronicle A Chorus Line's creation.
New York Press |
Armond White |
04-16-2009 |
Reviews
Post-'K-Ville'new
New Orleans could get a proper prime-time spotlight with David Simon's Treme, whose pilot shoot wrapped earlier this month. Now all HBO needs to say is "go."
Another Young Star Tries on a Familiar Generic Premise in '17 Again'
It's High School Musical star Zac Efron's turn to attempt name-above-the-title status, and 17 Again sort of works -- except that one wild card steals Efron's thunder.
Salt Lake City Weekly |
Scott Renshaw |
04-14-2009 |
Reviews
On the Beat: 'Southland'new
Give Southland a little time to unfold and you'll see a crime series almost as distinctive as ER was (at least initially) as a medical series.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O'Leart |
04-14-2009 |
TV
'State of Play' is a Pedantic Thriller Caught in its Own Obvious Clockwork
Nothing is organic and no situation believable in a movie that plays like a collection of isolated sub plots.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
04-13-2009 |
Reviews
'Un Secret' Exposes One Family's Wartime Mythsnew
Un Secret could be a companion film to The Reader in its exploration of sexuality and World War II survivors' guilt. Instead of focusing on German culpability, Un Secret explores a family's repressed memories and ambivalent feelings toward its own Jewishness.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
04-10-2009 |
Reviews
Vin Diesel Mopes a Lot As He Returns to the Film Franchise That Made Him a Starnew
Vin Diesel returns to the series that made him a big star with Fast and Furious, a tiresome speedy-car movie. Things have really deteriorated since the fun original.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
04-08-2009 |
Reviews
If You Like Sappy, Cute, Formulaic Films Go See 'The Black Balloon'new
There are some nice things to say about The Black Balloon. I mean, it's sappy and cute and formulaic, and people enjoy that. Who am I to stop them?
Tucson Weekly |
James DiGiovanna |
04-08-2009 |
Reviews
