NARC begins intensely with a narc’s-eye view of a bust gone bad. Everything happens too quickly and there is no time to focus on any one event, from the killing of a bystander to the killing of the perp as he attempts to take a toddler hostage, to the shooting of the toddler’s pregnant mother.… Read More »
AGENT CODY BANKS
AGENT CODY BANKS proves that it’s possible to make a smart kid’s film that adults will like, too. And this is all the more satisfying because when you see a hefty team of screenwriters in the credits, in this case , Zack Stenz, Ashley Miller, Scott Alexander, and Larry Karaszweski, it usually doesnt bode well… Read More »
THE EQUALIZER
THE EQUALIZER is non-ironic escapist fare superbly acted and directed. It doesnt indulge in psychological underpinnings or great philosophical conundrums beyond the need to keep the story going. It is a powerhouse of a vehicle for star and co-producer Denzel Washington that plays to his strengths and to the audience’ weakness for wanting someone to… Read More »
Idris Elba and TAKERS
Idris Elba has several thriving careers going for him, not the least of which is giving powerful performances in both feature films and on television. When I spoke with him on August 8, 2010, he explained how his career in music informs his thespian efforts, how and why he wanted to make his TAKERS character, a daring… Read More »
Michael Pena & Natalie Martinez Take the END OF WATCH
END OF WATCH is anything but a typical cop flick. Written and directed by David Ayers of TRAINING DAY fame, it makes an edgy, gritty, and engrossing film about cops, played by Michael Pena and Jake Gyllenhaal, who are neither corrupt, as in TRAINING DAY, nor of the rogue variety that are out for their own brand of… Read More »
Ang Lee Tells the LIFE OF PI
When I spoke to Ang Lee on October 15, 2012, one thing I wanted to know first was what was the spark that let him think he could film a book that had been considered unfilmable by a bevy of studios and directors. His answer revealed both his innate modesty, and his personal spark of… Read More »