|
| 1. |
|
03/14/13 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...an aesthetic blender. One moment Berg tries to inspire with shots of flying birds set to 'The Times They Are a-Changin'; then she attempts a procedural detailing the case." |
| 2. |
|
03/07/13 |
Outstanding |
 "There's a great scene in 'Taxi Driver' where Cybill Shepherd says that selling a political candidate is like 'selling mouthwash.' Here's a movie about a man who realizes that." |
| 3. |
|
03/07/13 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Fox hardly breaks new ground -- this is a standard bildungsroman... But he lights the scenes well, frames shots competently, and moves things along at an enjoyable pace." |
| 4. |
|
02/28/13 |
Weak |
 "Simultaneously bizarre and banal.... The crass Americanization invalidates the detail; the silly melodrama invalidates the realism... leaves it all feeling like self-parody." |
| 5. |
|
02/28/13 |
Moderate |
 "...originally a 1970s TV show, but with the archetypal characters, the rote plot, and the nondescript gunfights, it feels more like an adaptation of a video game." |
| 6. |
|
02/21/13 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "The conspiracy-laden plot, told with fetishistic devotion in numerous expository conversations, becomes so convoluted that it morphs into sci-fi satire." |
| 7. |
|
01/31/13 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...more like fan fiction than a coherent script. At one point, Levine even dedicates a close-up to a copy of the grindhouse classic 'Zombi 2.' " |
| 8. |
|
01/03/13 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...alternates between intense set pieces and sub-Spielbergian drivel.... The hokum can wear you down worse than the tsunami." |
| 9. |
|
12/27/12 |
Outstanding |
 "...the picture captures our country with daring honesty.... This is Chase's attempt to make the 'Great American Film About Music.' He almost succeeds." |
| 10. |
|
12/13/12 |
Moderate |
 "...it's all played for droll, knowing laughs. But most of the time it feels like an 'SNL' sketch with all the punchlines removed." |
| 11. |
|
11/22/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "...more about beauty than about searching for something under its surface. The film poses as a spiritual experience, but it's more like a postcard." |
| 12. |
|
11/08/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "It desperately wants to be 'Kill Bill' -- Quentin Tarantino even serves as 'presenter' -- but unlike that picture, 'Iron Fists' never transcends its genre shackles." |
| 13. |
|
10/25/12 |
Moderate |
 "The stage seems to be set for a boozed-up 'Blue Valentine,' but just as the melodrama gains traction we cut to a coda and the credits..." |
| 14. |
|
10/11/12 |
Outstanding |
 "In trying to capture a moment in time, Sachs has left nothing uncovered. Navigating his darkest moments with unsparing honesty, he finds a flicker of hope." |
| 15. |
|
10/04/12 |
Poor |
 "...a dumbed-down, Capraesque crowd-pleaser... The movie preaches about 'hope' and 'yes we can,' but a slightly different buzzword comes to my mind: bullshit." |
| 16. |
|
10/04/12 |
Very Good |
 "...all it takes is a few moments with the next generation to see the gravity of the problem.... before the games can change, we need to." |
| 17. |
|
09/28/12 |
Poor |
 "Tasteless and sentimental, yet unfunny and offensive, this is one film you don't want to take the kids to. Especially when paying extra bucks for the worst 3D of the year." |
| 18. |
|
09/27/12 |
Very Good |
 "It's the people, not the plot, that win us over. This could have ended up feeling like a B-list 'New Year's Eve,' but it's more like 'Dazed and Confused: Ten Years Later.' " |
| 19. |
|
09/27/12 |
Good (Not Great) |
 "Josh Radnor has undeniable talent behind the camera. But his films are hobbled by his own humorless performances.... The script is strong..." |
| 20. |
|
09/27/12 |
Weak |
 "Thomas, as if this were a master class in lazy writing, ignores the human drama; instead she strings together well-worn subplots about cold-hearted moms..." |
