AltWeeklies Wire
The Talented Mr. Hoffmannew

John le Carre's thriller reminds us that America--the CIA in particular--has chosen to arrest and prosecute small-time terrorists instead of being patient enough to trap a big-time mastermind.
Boise Weekly |
George Prentice |
07-23-2014 |
Reviews
Skin Game: Post-9/11 & Pre-Snowden Spy Thriller Speaks German

Anton Corbjin’s unconventional post-9/11 spy thriller (based on a 2008 John le Carré novel) remains an engaging experience despite numerous aspects that weigh it down.
Sex Tapenew

The most scandalous aspect of this harmless comedy may be the title itself.
East Bay Express |
Kelly Vance |
07-18-2014 |
Reviews
Summer Blockbusters: Part Twonew
“Get on Up” will highlight the life of James Brown, from his childhood to his rise to fame.
Jackson Free Press |
Jordan Sudduth |
07-17-2014 |
Movies
Crossed Thumbs: Steve James’s Flawed Roger Ebert Documentary

Documentarian Steve James — the filmmaker responsible for “Hoop Dreams,” one of the 20th century’s most significant additions to the genre — arrived at his lauded film-critic subject both too early and late to properly tell the story of a man whose prickly personality remains guarded.
Splendid Isolation: Bernardo Bertolucci Offers Another Cinematic Gift

Bernardo Bertolucci’s long awaited return to filmmaking after a decade-long absence is a beautifully photographed and provocative coming-of-age drama in the vein of Bertolucci’s “La Luna” and his last film “The Dreamers.”
Sophomore Slump: Not Even Robert Pattinson Can Save “The Rover”

Director/co-writer David Michôd suffers a sophomore slump in this disappointing follow-up to his well-crafted debut “Animal Kingdom” (2010).
Kinky Boots: Roman Polanski Gives Takes Venus All The Way

Roman Polanski’s 20th film is an exquisite deconstructionist articulation of a quicksilver sadomasochistic tug-of-war between a middle-aged theater director and an enigmatic actress auditioning for a role in his upcoming play “Venus in Furs.” She just might be Venus incarnate.
Bromancing With Guns Out: Hollywood Gutter Spits Up Another Load of Debris

Everything about the concept of a “Jump Street” comedy franchise reeks of Hollywood’s perpetual endeavor to repackage a formula and call it a movie. 2014 has been an abysmal year for Hollywood movies — bottom-line grosses notwithstanding — and the near future looks just as bleak.
Time-Warped Nightmare Profusion: Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Gets Stuck

All high-concept, but affording only minimal entertainment reward by way of its stale ghost-in-the-machine storyline, “Edge of Tomorrow” is the “Groundhog Day” of sci-fi movies.
Godzilla: The biggest cock-blocker on Earthnew

It has its frustrating moments, but the new Godzilla is the best Ed's seen since the first one.
Loose With Math: Seth MacFarlane’s Comedy: 50 Laughs From 100 Tries

Of the hundred or so gags, jokes, and one-liners that comic genius Seth MacFarlane throws at the wall over the course of his bawdy and sometimes grotesque western comedy, nearly half of them connect with a funny bone.
The Three 'B's' of Summer Movies: Blockbusters, B-Grades and Bustsnew

10 movies you must see; 10 more that you can wait for to appear at the discount theater; and 10 movies that, if you do see, we'll never talk to you again.
Boise Weekly |
George Prentice |
05-21-2014 |
Movies
Pure Cinema: Alejandro Jodorowsky Returns

After a 23 year hiatus from making feature films — his last was “The Rainbow Thief,” a work-for-hire film from 1990 starring Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif that he disowned after it was completed — Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky makes a striking return to filmmaking.
‘Nymphomaniac: Volume I and II’ are embarrassingly excessivenew

Lars von Trier’s Nymphomanic films are ambitious but pretentious
Orlando Weekly |
Cameron Meier |
05-19-2014 |
Reviews