Drama/Comedy, 113 Minutes, 2011
Some movies can be judged for their quality. The quality of the performances, the script, the effects, staging or any number of things. Others can be judged for their passion or their commitment to their subjects and still others for their social stances.
Romance, 100 Minutes, 2011:
“The Artist” is a wonderful film that masterfully tells a timeless story. However if you watch it in the theater you’ll have to prepare for some things. Perhaps ten minutes into the movie you’ll have deal with the older woman loudly whispering to her husband, “What, they don’t talk in this whole thing?”
Drama, 103 Minutes, 2009
Harry Brown is an ex-marine who, shortly after losing his wife, losses his oldest (and only) friend to gang violence. Harry Brown decides to get even. You can say that this is just “Death Wish” with a British sensibility and you’d be right. However if you thought that was an insult you’d be wrong.
Drama, 146 Minutes, 2011
Before getting into the movie let me say: I had no idea what this was. My wife had read the book and demanded that we see it so… we did. But I asked her, “what’s this about?” She got a gleam in her eye and started, “Well, there’s this white woman that -” and I stopped her. Basically there’s only a few kind of movies that can be described with that phrase (and my wife isn’t even remotely interested in several of them). It’s like “This guy finds out he has a kid…” or “These kids find a map…” Even if you can’t say exactly what’s going to happen you know basically what’s going to happen.
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” on IMDB
Sci-Fi, 105 Minutes, 2011
Not to spoil things by fawning overly in the first paragraph: but this is a prime example of how hollywood should proceed through its creative drought. Comparing this to the well-produced but deeply flawed 2001 remake of the “Planet of the Apes” (IMDB) you’ll find some very educational contrasts.
Drama, 80 Minutes, 2009
(Before we begin, a warning: this film may be very hard on the ears of Americans. The accents are thick, deep and steeped in slang. Even if you’re a fan of British media, as I am, you may find things hard to follow.)
Comedy, 90 Minutes, 2011
This strikes me as the independent film equivalent of the summer popcorn blockbuster. Take a movie like, say, “Pirates of the Caribbean.” It can be dismissed creatively as committee-generated pulp while still earning millions upon millions of dollars and a rabid fan-base. Here we have an independent movie that pushes all the right indie buttons – drama, humor and character – but simultaneously takes such a safe, predictable path that you’d swear it was pressed from a well-used mold.
Drama, 101 Minutes, 2011
I feel, in the interest of full disclosure, that I must admit a bias here. I adore Jenna Fischer. Really, what’s not to like? She’s smart, talented, hot and infectiously joyful (although this is a drama and she’s not really ever happy in it).
Thriller, 88 Minutes, 2011
This is Kevin Smith’s first attempt at a straight-up, no-nonsense drama. As a drama it succeeds in spades; there’s no joy of any kind in this story. The film will leave you feeling unclean and unsettled – which seems to be the intent – but unfortunately doesn’t have much staying power.
Drama, 101 Minutes, 2011
I’m torn about this one. On one hand there’s a rare and interesting portrayal of an atheist (always like to see that). On the other hand there’s a really stereotypical portrayal of an evangelical christian (which, to be honest, is also something I always like to see). But the interaction between them and the ultimate crisis presented just doesn’t ring true. The fact that pretty much everybody is a tool doesn’t really help.
