As most pre-pubescent adolescents do, I wanted to be a super hero. My attire was a black cloak – an old Halloween costume from an early obsession with the Grim Reaper; its hood was large enough to cast a shadow over my face, but allowed enough horizontal space so that I could see clearly without an impeded […]
In Brooklyn’s Finest, Anthony Fuqua applies his wonky, gritty vision of police-realism to a triumvirate of NYPD officers whose fates will eventually intermingle prior to the unnecessarily frozen and symbolism-riddled final frame that captures Eddie’s eyes, filled with pent-up rage that is snuffed by twenty two years of learned indifference and futility sullenly staring at the audience. Translation: […]
The power of disasters and the potential of an apocalypse fascinate movie goers, usually during times of strife or near the end of a decade. In the eighties, forty-six movies were released that focused on the dissolution of society as we know it, and most dealt with the threat or the consequence of nuclear war – alluding […]
Logic dictates that when a movie slated for release in October is pushed back until February of the next year, the film probably has some major flaws that would pull it out of contention for any major awards. And, for the most part, the producers are conceding that the film isn’t very good and would only be […]
Andrea Arnold masterfully handles Fish Tank, a film of gritty British realism that captivates and depresses, but does not wear itself out trying to rend your heartstrings. The soundtrack is minimal and is most often comprised of various background noises and the cockney-laced vocal outburst of the oft-volatile Mia (Katie Jarvis), a fifteen-year-old who is ostracized by […]
In a previous post, I determined that The Happening edged Taking Lives as the worst movie that I had seen in the first decade of this millennium, and moving forward, I’m proud—or saddened—to announce that I have a front runner for the worst movie I will see in the next ten years. Just to put this in […]
The other night, I watched Fight Club and the haiku scene spoke to me: First off, it emphasizes the mundane routines that most of us trudge through each day, but more poignantly, seventeen syllables really sum up the theme of the movie. That said, I figured I’d go through this year’s Best Picture nominees and see if I could […]
Set in 1961 England, An Education examines the limited options for a young woman, offering either the academic route that would lead to a life of education and a professorial profession, or the wife of a husband who offers security. We fine Jenny Mellor caught in this binary as she is too bright for a 16 year […]
As if the unoriginality of Hollywood needed further attesting to, they have decided to reboot the Spiderman franchise as well as—wait for it—Daredevil. Yes. Daredevil. For those of you who can’t, or choose not to remember, Daredevil was anchored by Ben Affleck, who might possibly be the worst person to cast in the role of superhero. I […]
As if the unoriginality of Hollywood needed further attesting to, they have decided to reboot theSpiderman franchise as well as—wait for it—Daredevil. Yes. Daredevil. For those of you who can’t, or choose not to remember, Daredevil was anchored by Ben Affleck, who might possibly be the worst person to cast in the role of superhero. I don’t dislike Ben Affleck (the devil […]