Atom Egoyan – the director of such great films as Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter – misses the mark with The Captive, a film that takes pedophilia and spins it into something even worse.
Category: Movie Reviews
Early Review: Lawrence & Holloman: Always Look On The Bright Side of Life!
Canadian indie flick Lawrence & Holloman is a black comedy about a suicidal accounting clerk and the cheerful salesman who makes it his mission to cheer him up. The blackness of its comedy clicks because of fine performances from Daniel Arnold (who also co-wrote) and Ben Cotton and a really twisted script.
As Above So Below: Surprisingly Decent Little Horrorshow!
So, you’ve got elements of Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones; overt references to Dante and less overt references to Sartre; a strong (maybe even ridiculously strong ) female lead and the Philosopher’s Stone. What could that possibly add up to? A movie that is significantly better than its pathetic trailers (as with the folks that did the […]
The November Man Gives Familiar Tropes An Edgy Spin!
With Pierce Brosnan returning to espionage in this moderately budgeted thriller, you can expect great performances from the cast; mayhem controlled and uncontrolled; a damsel in distress who is more than she seems to be, and, of course, monumental betrayal – not necessarily in that order.
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For – Would-be Mighty, Mega-Noir!
When Sin City came out, seemingly eons ago, the idea of a film being almost entirely CG was something that hadn’t really been done to such an extent. It was visually groundbreaking, technologically breathtaking, and for fans of film noir, exhilarating. A Dame To Kill for is still visually arresting and mega-noir, but its impact […]
If I Stay – Sometimes It Really Is Life Or Death!
If I Stay is yet another movie based on a Young Adult novel I haven’t read. I’ve heard it’s a more faithful adaptation than most. What it is, is story about a teen cello prodigy who is faced with the biggest decision anyone could ever have to make – whether to live or die.
The Trip To Italy – A Tasty Sequel!
Sometimes a sequel can be just as much fun as the original. The Trip To Italy is a case in point. The premise of The Trip was two guys on a road trip to write a book about sampling the best food in the UK. It was just Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing somewhat […]
What If The F Word Was Friend?
What If is the latest movie to tackle the question of whether a man and a woman can just be friends. Its subjects are Wallace (still, a year later, not able to get over a horrific breakup) and Chantry (an animator with a great boyfriend). Titled The F World everywhere except in the U.S. and […]
The One I Love -The Path Less Taken!
The One I Love is an impressive debut for director Charlie McDowell – a romantic drama that takes a most unexpected turn and delights in its own, unique way.
Calvary: Let He Who Is Without Sin Perish!
An Irish priest in a country parish is hearing confessions when a voice tells him of how he was abused by a priest as a child and has decide that killing an evil priest wouldn’t get much notice but killing an innocent one would make a point. He gives the priest a week to get […]
Expendables 3: So Many Characters, So Little Time!
After a mission goes wrong, Barney Ross decides to retire his team and recruit a bunch of (relative) youngsters. The result is a movie that runs for a bit over two hours and serves none of the characters well.