AltWeeklies Wire
Mel Gibson Crosses the Line in 'Edge of Darkness'new
In the pair of emotionally contradictory images that open Mel Gibson’s Edge of Darkness, swollen corpses surfacing on a moonlit river are followed without pause by grainy home video of a little girl playing in the surf.
Shepherd Express |
David Luhrssen |
01-29-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Edge of Darkness, Martin Campbell
The War Comes Home in 'The Messenger'new
The backdrop for The Messenger, Oren Moverman's astonishing directing debut, is especially resonant and cinematically uncharted.
Tags: Oren Moverman, The Messenger
'Extraordinary Measures,' Ordinary Resultsnew
Harrison Ford turns up in a supporting role in Extraordinary Measures, and it's a good fit, probably the reason he also signed on as an executive producer.
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) |
Matt Brunson |
01-27-2010 |
Reviews
Hal Holbrook Shines in 'That Evening Sun'new
Like the Jeff Bridges vehicle Crazy Heart (scheduled to open locally this Friday), That Evening Sun is one of those films that generates nearly all of its goodwill from a smashing central performance by a long-established veteran.
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) |
Matt Brunson |
01-27-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Scott Teems, The Evening Sun
'The Providence Effect' Stands, Doesn’t Delivernew
Thanks to films like Dangerous Minds and Stand and Deliver, the "inspirational teacher" movie genre has become one of Hollywood's most predictable formulas. The Providence Effect proves that educational documentaries can succumb to clichés just as easily.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-26-2010 |
Reviews
'Hideous Men' Transcribes Interviews With Jerksnew
John Krasinski’s adaptation comes off awkward and obvious. Krasinski (of "The Office") wrote, directed and co-stars in his adaptation of the book by the late David Foster Wallace, but wastes his cast's manpower on themes that could fit on the average tweet, with letters to spare.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) |
Curt Holman |
01-26-2010 |
Reviews
Swedish Director Takes Us On a Guilt Trip Around the Worldnew
Lukas Moodysson’s Mammoth employs a polyglot cast, a wide-ranging backdrop and assorted convergent storylines to ruminate on the sad state of interpersonal politics — in this case, modern parenthood and the worldwide socioeconomic factors that affect it both positively and negatively.
Weekly Alibi |
Devin D. O’Leary |
01-26-2010 |
Reviews
Looking Back: Mel Gibson Atones, Defeated
Acting in his first film since 2003, Mel Gibson is a bit rusty as retiring Boston homicide detective Thomas Craven in a part corporate-thriller and part old-school revenge fantasy that feels dated from the start.
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
01-25-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: Edge of Darkness, Martin Campbell
The Latest 'Bad Lieutenant' Isn't Good or Bad. It Just Isnew
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (why the "Port of Call" part? Who knows! Who cares!) is a conventional detective thriller in basic form, but the procedural elements are sometimes listless.
The Memphis Flyer |
Chris Herrington |
01-22-2010 |
Reviews
André Téchiné Explores Difficult Emotional Territory With Exquisite Detailnew
America may not be ready for André Téchiné’s superb new movie The Girl on the Train. To judge by the audience’s gasp at the film’s Lincoln Center world premiere last year, Téchiné’s signature interest in how race, class and sex intersect remains shocking.
New York Press |
Armond White |
01-21-2010 |
Reviews
'Lovely Bones' is Predictable, Filled with Cheap Emotional Momentsnew
Don't worry, Susie Salmon. You'll eventually make it to heaven, where, lucky for you, nobody wants to talk about the shitty movies they did on earth.
Dig Boston |
Martin Caballero |
01-20-2010 |
Reviews
'Extraordinary Measures' a Dependable but Unflashy Ridenew
The picture’s most revelatory aspect, for me, was its introduction of the affliction at its crux: Pompe disease. I’d never heard of it, and now probably won’t soon forget it.
San Antonio Current |
Brian Villalobos |
01-20-2010 |
Reviews
'The Lovely Bones': Book's Adaptation Certain to Divide Viewersnew
Moviegoers who haven't read the book and accept director Peter Jackson's picture on its own terms (which, ultimately, is how any artistic interpretation should be judged) will be greeted with a powerful viewing experience.
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) |
Matt Brunson |
01-19-2010 |
Reviews
Tags: The Lovely Bones, Peter Jackson
A Fire Within: Charles Darwin Biopic Stays Cold
As reworked by screenwriter John Collee, Jon Amiel's adaptation of Randal Keynes's novel "Annie's Box" is too driven by melodrama to work as a biopic. The story moves to the relationship between Darwin and his brilliant daughter Annie (wonderfully played by newcomer Martha West).
City Pulse |
Cole Smithey |
01-18-2010 |
Reviews
Colin Firth's Presence Elevates Tom Ford’s Directorial Debutnew
A deeply felt and slickly polished adaptation of a novel by Christopher Isherwood, the directorial debut by designer-turned-filmmaker Tom Ford primarily succeeds as a showcase for its star. Indeed, it’s exciting to see what Colin Firth can do when he’s pushed out of his comfort zone.
Fast Forward Weekly |
Jason Anderson |
01-14-2010 |
Reviews
