It’s not often that animated films make it to Gladiators, but Rango gave me reason to pause. It’s not genius, and it’s not really unique: the overall theme centers on the quest for an identity, something that is often a dime-a-dozen in animated and live-action features alike. The computer animation is flawless, and the voice talents are […]
We open on a large, oak conference table parked in the center of a board room in Chicago. Black and Brown faces huddle around it in a series of stern circles. They are the Interrupters, a group of civilian activists who fight to curb violence on the streets of the Windy City. These men–most of them are […]
I might just be tempted to watch the Academy Awards this year. It’s no secret that last year’s broadcast was an abomination, absolutely boring, and unintentionally farcical. However, the decision a few months ago to hire Brett Ratner to produce the 2012 telecast and Eddie Murphy to host might have defied the assumption that “it can’t get […]
The buzz around Martha Marcy May Marlene was initially kindled by the emergence of an Olsen sister who isn’t a twin; however, the first few moments of the film erase this potential novelty, entrapping the viewer in a film that is much less a cult film and more a film about a cult. To cut to the […]
In Red State, director Kevin Smith deviates from the canon of familiar characters and actors that made previous films like Mallrats, Clerks, and Chasing Amy cult successes. Here, he branches further into political and religious satire. Admittedly, he tested the bounds of biblical interpretation and scripture in Dogma (1999), a film that I happen to enjoy […]
Unless you plan to take off from work in observation of All Saints Day, it’s possible that the Tuesday morning alarm will prevent you from celebrating the witching hours of Halloween proper away with gallons of Guinness. However, if you happened to celebrate the day of the dead on the Saturday prior and you’re looking to have […]
Perhaps I’m being influenced by the ubiquitous coverage and postings on Facebook that discuss the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York and is trickling throughout various cities. But, In Time might actually be trying to disguise itself as an allegory aimed at the class differences in this country. Or not. Admittedly, there are some […]
Back in March, Tim Adkins took a poignant look at the unplanned pregnancy crux of Blue Valentine and transitioned the filmic conflict into a personal one, exploring the ways in which one deals with similar crises. He is not alone. The fork in the relationship road has been stumbled upon by many whether the roads taken and […]
From the moment a soothsayer warns Julius Caeser to “Beware the Ides of March,” the marriage of politics and assassination were forever canonized in eternal lines. And, in what might exemplify the upcoming season of Oscarbation, The Ides of March is star-studded, characteristically well-acted and brims with tension that is slightly reminiscent of scenes from 1998’s Bulworth. At […]
Marketing 50/50 as a film from “the guys who brought you Superbad” is highly misleading. While there’s truth to this declaration, 50/50 is not a comedy – at least, not like Superbad. The funny moments are mordant and uncomfortable – as they should be. They don’t so much evoke laughs of elation and happiness, but more laughs-of-last […]