AltWeeklies Wire
Rod Lurie Makes a Political Thriller for Our Times
Clearly inspired by Judith Miller's role in the Valerie Plame case, writer/director Rod Lurie takes dramatic liberties to allow for a provocative treatment of an ongoing battle for civil liberties exacted in the name of national security.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
01-05-2009 |
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
Clint Eastwood Bids a Limp Farewell to Acting in the Laughable 'Gran Torino'
As Eastwood delivers his self-professed farewell performance in Gran Torino, people are lining up to hand him gold statuettes -- this despite the fact this may be one of the worst performances ever by a guy who's turned in a lot of fairly lame ones.
Salt Lake City Weekly |
Scott Renshaw |
01-02-2009 |
Reviews
'Doubt' is an Ambiguous Mysterynew
John Patrick Shanley's adaptation succeeds wonderfully, because it's a film that conveys just that -- doubt.
Tucson Weekly |
James DiGiovanna |
01-02-2009 |
Reviews
David Fincher and Brad Pitt Have Teamed Up to Make a Classicnew
Based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button casts a spell for nearly three hours, and Fincher proves he is right at home in enchanting-fable territory.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
01-02-2009 |
Reviews
'Marley and Me' is a Surprisingly Entertaining and Realistic Dog Movienew
Marley and Me is one of 2008's best family films. It's going to spike the sales of white Labradors around the planet, and will earn a lot of dogs clemency after they chew couch pillows. It will also cause tears to be shed -- so be prepared.
Tucson Weekly |
Bob Grimm |
01-02-2009 |
Reviews
'The Reader' Falls Apart in Final Two Sequencesnew
It's still not a very good film, but it's a long way from the middlebrow pandering that was The Hours.
Tucson Weekly |
James DiGiovanna |
01-02-2009 |
Reviews
'Benjamin Button' Looks Cool, but Is That Reason Enough to Care?new
Unfortunately, Benjamin's aging process isn't the only thing the movie gets backward. Despite all the care lavished on its execution, it never manages to be about anything more than its own gimmickry.
Philadelphia City Paper |
Sam Adams |
12-30-2008 |
Reviews
Tom Cruise Plots to Kill Hitler in 'Valkyrie'new
What truly fueled Stauffenberg's desire to kill Hitler -- his breeding, that bleeding or just his fear of the approaching Allies -- is a question for which Valkyrie has little interest.
Dallas Observer |
Robert Wilonsky |
12-29-2008 |
Reviews
'Valkyrie' is an Impressive Historical Drama with a Strong Ensemble Castnew
Valkyrie tells a story that may better have been served by a television miniseries, but it's an engrossing story nonetheless.
Many Will Find 'The Reader''s Treatment of Bernard Schlink's Novel Distastefulnew
Director Steven Daldry and writer David Hare's extensive depiction of the physical nature of the affair is, in itself, redolent of the old erotic convention of the older woman and the youth craving initiation. There's a soft porn lubricity which may have been intended to convey what it is that Michael feels he has lost.
Brad Pitt Nails 'Button'new
How crazy ... or bold ... or foolhardy ... do you have to be to make a big, expensive movie out of F. Scott Fitzgerald's least adaptable short story?
Los Angeles CityBeat |
Andy Klein |
12-29-2008 |
Reviews
'Benjamin Button' & 'Gran Torino': Showcasing Artful Codgersnew
Two of the holiday season's most prestigious, Oscar-baiting movies seem informed by the resentment of aging and mortality summed up in Dylan Thomas' poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night."
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
12-24-2008 |
Reviews
Hollywood Product: 'The Spirit'new
Imagine the stark, monochromatic visuals of Miller's Sin City as a backdrop for the campy humor of Adam West's Batman series. Then imagine that the visuals hurt your eyes and the humor leaves you cold, and you get a sense of The Spirit as a wearying waste.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
12-24-2008 |
Reviews
'Yes Man' Repackages Jim Carrey's Greatest Hits ... It's a Small Packagenew
For so major a movie star -- at least, once upon a time -- Jim Carrey seems to make a lot of awfully minor films, several of them over and over again.
Dallas Observer |
Robert Wilonsky |
12-22-2008 |
Reviews
