Tuesday 30 October 2018
Straw Dogs (2011)
A Los Angeles screenwriter relocates with his wife to her hometown in the deep South, where, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both.
Superfluous and miscast remake of a controversial classic neither reaches the original's nastiness nor adds any new perspective; James Woods' performance is remarkable as he's obviously just playing himself.
Maltin**: "Remake...resetting it in the American South. That change, the reduction of violence, and efforts to make the characters more "relatable" and contemporary (especially Bosworth) grind off the sharp - and significant - corners. Result is bland and forgettable, despite Woods' excellent performance."
I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (2009)
A portrait of the acting craft of John Cazale and a tour through the movies that defined a generation.
Insightful, but much too short celebration of a great actor; lots of famous actors of equal talent get to pay homage.
Sunday 28 October 2018
Cop Out (2010)
Jimmy's rare baseball card is robbed. Since it's his only hope to pay for his daughter's upcoming wedding, he recruits his cop partner Paul to track down the robber, a memorabilia-obsessed gangster.
Misguided buddy cop comedy-drama with bottom-of-the barrel humor (in one scene the cops even punch a small child!); hard to watch a talented crew seamlessly go down the drain.
Maltin BOMB: "Crude, needlessly overlong, excruciating cop/buddy "comedy"...Annoying music score is icing on the cake."
Babylon Berlin, Season 1 (2107)
A Colognian commissioner moves to Berlin, which is the epicenter of political and social changes in the Golden Twenties.
Unusually professionally made German TV series with great period detail, a sense for atmosphere and a large cast of good actors is fascinating to watch, but the complex and mult-faceted story with numerous sub-plots requires close attention and some historical knowledge and erodes any notion of suspense.
Friday 26 October 2018
50/50 (2011)
Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.
It's always a risk to stage the drama of a life-threatening illness and try to spice it with humor, but careful direction and an excellent cast actually help manage to pull it off.
Maltin***: "...this sure-footed film manages to blend comedy and drama with satisfying results. Gordon-Levitt is perfect in the leading role."
Truth (2015)
Newsroom drama detailing the 2004 CBS 60 Minutes report investigating then-President George W. Bush's military service, and the subsequent firestorm of criticism that cost anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes their careers.
Solid, but a bit old-fashioned political docudrama makes well use of its star cast and does manage to convey the vagaries and risks of a high-profile journalistic investigation into a political scandal.
Thursday 25 October 2018
Psycho II (1983)
After twenty-two years of psychiatric care, Norman Bates attempts to return to a life of solitude, but the specters of his crimes - and his mother - continue to haunt him.
Amazingly imaginative (late) sequel makes you route for the former villain, Anthony Perkins in a wonderfully ambiguous role, and actually continues the saga with some surprising twists.
Halliwell*: "A reasonably inventive sequel, if on the gory side. It probably holds the record for the longest delayed follow-up."
Maltin**1/2: "Surprisingly good sequel, with Perkins in a wonderfully canny reprise of his role as Norman Bates...Director Franklin builds some terrific suspense scenes, but finally goes for graphic violence toward the end, and tacks on a silly conclusion, undermining an otherwise first-rate shocker."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)