Two political documentaries about empty-suit Republicans. Why make a documentary about Donald Rumsfeld? Why make a movie about Mitt Romney? Why two of the least interesting men in America? The reality is that these two might be so insanely white-bread that they’re bizarrely fascinating…BUT that’s not what happens. In both cases, you get the sense…
Category: Mindless Mondays
Netflix Round-Up: “Grand Piano,” “Sabotage,” “Stretch,” “Happy Christmas,” “Fading Gigolo”
Every now and then a mid-range movie slips through the cracks, and why not use Thanksgiving to catch up on some of them with quick reviews? Enjoy the Holiday, and check back throughout the weekend for more reviews… “Fading Gigolo” …One of the rare recent “Woody” movies to star Woody Allen but not be directed or written…
Movie Review: Interstellar
The exact opposite of “Rosewater” in that it’s a sprawling film on a vast canvas that no one will accuse of being too light or insufficiently big enough to see at the theater. IMAX screenings are rarely worth the extra ticket price, but this is the best film since “Gravity” to watch that way. Even…
Movie Review: Rosewater
Jon Stewart’s directorial debut isn’t really worth rushing out to watch in theaters–but few people are anyway–and I think it’ll find a proper home on Netflix or HBO, where more people will likely see it and that’s probably the right move. At least half the movie is intimate two-person scenes set in a tight interrogation…
The Films from “The Chair” Face Off: “Not Cool” Vs. “Holidaysburg”
Two films enter, only one shall leave…[If the title of this post makes absolutely no sense to you please read the review of “The Chair” filmmaking television series right below this.] I’ll skip to the chase: neither film is very good, but Anna’s is better by default since Shane has (almost deliberately) made a movie…
TV Review: Inside the Fascinating Starz Series “The Chair”
“The Chair” is a reality competition series—-and I know that sounds awful, but keep reading—-where two different first-time directors are given the same movie script and asked to make their own versions of it. [I told you! Plus, it’s got Project Greenlight’s Chris Moore, who’s clearly channelling Danny McBride as he casually drops hilarious truths…
Movie Review: “Whiplash,” One of the Year’s Very Best
If you haven’t heard of Whiplash yet, do yourself a favor and look it up, OR, even better, go to the nearest theater playing it and buy a ticket. This is a movie that will definitely make my top 10 Best of the year list. What Works: The plot seems deceptively simple as we watch…
Movie Review: Nightcrawler
An excellent film that serves as a cracked-mirror version of last month’s ignored gem “Kill the Messenger.” Whereas that film was all about good journalism (and journalists) getting buried by a lazy, defensive media, this is the polar opposite as we watch a sociopath climb up the ranks of ridiculously voyeuristic “news” more interested in…
Movie Review: John Wick
Maybe it says something about the soft bigotry of low expectations towards Keanu Reeves movies, but this thing has received very positive reviews for what is—essentially—a fairly standard revenge film. Still, there are hundreds of small surprises and upgrades that make it feel a lot more satisfying and worth watching. What Works: “John Wick” starts…
(Cancelled) TV Reviews: Utopia, Manhattan Love Story, A to Z, Bad Judge, Mulaney
The first round of cancelled TV shows is upon us, and—honestly—I can’t think of a more deserving crop. Utopia: It wanted to be a high-minded Big Brother, what with a cast of 15 reality show stock character creating their own society. Sadly, that gimmick never really took off, and it just wound up being a…
Movie Review: Before I Go to Sleep
Sucks. Maybe “sucks” is too strong a word, but unlike “Men, Women, Children” this film does deserve its rotten tomatoes rating and weak box office performance. What Works: It’s about an amnesiac woman (Nicole Kidman) who wakes up everyday with no memory, but her husband (Colin Firth) and psychiatrist (Mark Strong) both want to help…
Movie Review: “Men, Women, Children” Better Than the Reviews
I’m stunned that this film has a horrendous 29% on rotten tomatoes. [But maybe not so stunned it’s a box office flop.] It’s just a reminder that every so often, the majority of critics get it wrong, and actually pander to broad-audience films a lot more than they should (that October’s other Jennifer Garner movie Alexander and…
Movie Review: The Good Lie
This Reese Witherspoon-starrer (that doesn’t really star Reese) has just about left theaters, but I think this is more the kind of movie you watch at home anyway. That way there’s no judgment when you happen to cry during some of the more obvious tear-jerker moments. The first third of this movie is about several Sudanese…