It is the age old question, just because we >can< so something, does that automatically mean that we should? In the case of pitting an older Will Smith against a younger Will Smith courtesy of the slick visual effects in GEMINI MAN, the answer is a resounding no. Make that NO. The visual trickery that… Read More »
INTERNATIONAL, THE
THE INTERNATIONAL is a convoluted film about a complicated subject. Certainly complicated best describes the ins and outs of international banking, a business that doesnt so much disrespect borders and politics as ignore them altogether as being just so much piffle in the grand scheme of things. Certainly the premise that debt rules the world,… Read More »
DUPLICITY
DUPLICITY is a smartly crafted, expertly acted, exquisitely directed exercise in smoke, mirrors, and greed. Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, whose MICHAEL CLAYTON was a tale of corporate expediency and redemption, his new film returns to the world of corporate skullduggery with the same sharp character studies, the same resignation about people sinking to… Read More »
KILLER ELITE
Though inspired by actual events, and based (loosely) on an actual book, The Feather Men by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, THE KILLER ELITE is a vehicle expertly tailored to the particular talents of Jason Statham. This is, in itself, not an indictment. Mr. Statham has starred in high-adrenaline action flicks that are more than worthy of… Read More »
GREENFINGERS
There are many reasons to see GREENFINGERS. Its a pleasant little bit of British escapism, based on a true story, that charms with its odd premise, keen sense of justice, and sharp humor as it delivers a sweet little love story. But right at the top of the list of reasons has to be its star,… Read More »
KING ARTHUR
The legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table conjure up words such as magic, stirring, spellbinding, and timeless, none of which apply to Jerry Bruckheimer’s cinematic rendering. Except, maybe, the timeless part, because sitting through this seems like an eternity. Bruckheimer and director Antoine Fuqua have taken gold, as in the… Read More »
SIN CITY
SIN CITY is not for the faint of stomach. It may or may not be for the faint of heart, either, but there is such a solid, irresistible core of romanticism anchoring the interrelated tales that loosely form the narrative, that true believers in true love might be able to get past the part where… Read More »
DERAILED
Clive Owen is an actor of enormous charisma, a tough vulnerability, and a not inconsiderable amount of animal magnetism, none of which are on display in DERAILED, a ridiculously overplotted and underthought exercise in muddled filmmaking. Blame director Mikael Hafstrom for quashing Owen’s appeal along with everything else that threatens to light up his film.… Read More »
CHILDREN OF MEN
In a here-and-now where the primacy of children is given ample lip service by proponents of any and all social issues, it is refreshing, and not a little thought-provoking, to see in Alfonso Cuaron’s CHILDREN OF MEN, based on the P.D. James novel of the same name, a world in which this is actually the case.… Read More »
THE ELIZABETH — THE GOLDEN AGE
ELIZABETH, THE GOLDEN AGE is as ambitious and as opulent as its predecessor, ELIZABETH. Both starring Cate Blanchett in the title role, both directed with panache by Shekhar Kapur, the former was a triumph in depicting the private Elizabeth subsuming her personal desires in order to become a national icon. The latter is a muddle… Read More »