December 18, 2016 “Barry” (*** out of four) was an elegantly told biography of the early days of Barack “Barry” Obama (Devon Terrell) when he was a student at Columbia University in NYC in 1981 and figuring out his career plans in politics and law. An interesting early portrait of someone who would eventually grow in power to become President but also a well-told and affecting story of a man from mixed background and nationalities trying to find his place in the world. Terrell is terrific in the lead role. A stirring film, even for those who don’t like Obama. Continue reading →
December 18, 2016 “The Hollow Point” (** out of four) was a hollow action melodrama about a new sherriff (Patrick Wilson) along a Texas-Mexico border town who tries to unravel a drug cartel deal that went awry, which may trace back to a corrupt car salesman (James Belushi), an over-the-hill former cop (Ian McShane), and a crooked associate (John Leguizamo). Good cast founders in a story that never generates much heat or excitement and feels like something Sam Peckinpah could have churned out in his sleep 30 years ago. Wilson once again stands out in a forceful and strong performance. Continue reading →
December 18, 2016 “Denial” (***1/2 out of four) was a riverting courtroom drama based on the true story of Deborah Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz) who was sued for libel by David Irving (Timothy Spall) an anti-semitic writer whose lawsuit contended that not only were her writings slanted against him but contended that the Holocaust didn’t even exist! Sensational acting by all turns this into an absolute must-see; Weisz is strong as usual and Spall sears the screen as Irving in an Oscar-worthy performance and also Tom Wilkinson and Andrew Scott are terrific as her defense team. One of the few films that was actually allowed to film at the Auschwitz concentration camps which are featured in a few harrowing scenes. A fine return for director Mick Jackson of which this is his first film in 14 years. Continue reading →
December 17, 2016December 17, 2016 “Crossfire” (**1/2 out of four) was a well-intentioned but jumbled melodrama about a National Guard soldier (Roxanne McKee) who returns home from Iraq and is faced with severe PTSD which is augmented when a former soldier tracks her down and becomes obsessed with revenge when he blames her for two deaths that occurred in combat. Attempt at a dedicating human drama about the psychological and mental effects that soldiers have to deal with when returning home combined with a murder mystery never fully connects, despite many affecting moments. McKee is very strong in the lead. For a richer and more compelling look at PTSD and its effects on soldiers, watch “American Sniper” or “The Deer Hunter” instead. Continue reading →
December 17, 2016 “A Kind Of Murder” (** out of four) was a kind of dud set in 1960’s NYC about a wealthy architect (Patrick Wilson) whose aloof and estranged wife (Jessica Biehl) is murdered soon after she learned of him having an affair and this subsequently leads to him being plunged into a whirlpool of rage, jealousy, and guilt as he is suspected of her murder. Voluptuous and vibrant cinematography and striking art direction capturing the allure of 1960’s NY can’t stop this from ringing hollow, simply because we don’t care about any of the characters or story. Good attempt at a throwback to film-noir could have used more mystery and plot twists. Continue reading →
December 17, 2016 “City Of Dead Men” (** out of four) was a flashy but empty, unpleasant horror drama about an American tourist (Diego Boneta) who travels to South America and ends up living with a group of violent misfit troublemakers at an abandoned hospital with a troubling past that soon affects all of them. Visually striking with lots of stylish cinematography and sets but both the story and characters are difficult to care about and thus- film has little impact. The kind of film that one can enjoy looking at without actually watching. Continue reading →
December 15, 2016 “Criticsized” (** out of four) was a by-the-numbers horror melodrama about a tough cop (Callum Blue) who begins being targeted by a serial killer who teases him into an ugly game of cat-and-mouse that threatens the lives of his family and those he works with on the police force but it turns out the killer also has other exterior motives. Hybrid of police procedural thriller and a “Saw”-like torture melodrama is skillfully made and given a boost by Blue’s intense performance but is too routine and unpleasant to stand out. “The Silence Of The Lambs” and “Seven” covered this ground in the 90’s already with more passion and grandeur. Possibly the one and only movie though in film history in which the serial killer turns out to be a filmmaker and is targeting film critics who didn’t like his work as a result! Continue reading →
December 15, 2016 “The Thinning” (**1/2 out of four) was a reasonably engrossing thriller set in the future in which population control is dictated by a high-school aptitude test; two students (Login Paul and Peyton List) subsequently find out that the test hides a larger governmental conspiracy at play and they set out to expose the truths about society while at the same time running for their lives. Overly derivative of “The Maze Runner”, “Divergent”, and other numerous post-apocalyptic stories about society and government conspiracies but it’s impressively directed with style and skill and never stops moving. Promising directing debut for writer and director Michael Gallagher. Continue reading →
December 14, 2016 “Incarnate” (**1/2 out of four) was a better-than-average horror thriller about a scientist (Aaron Eckhart) who has the ability to enter the subconscious minds of the possessed and must save a young child who is possessed by (what else) the devil and at the same time must face and try to resolve the horrors of his own past which resulted in him nearly dying. Yet another derivative horror movie about a possessed child and religious entanglements but it’s efficiently made with enough scares, style, and thrills to make it much better than most horror incarnations. Eckhart’s usual solid performance gives this a strong boost. Continue reading →
December 13, 2016 “Contract To Kill” (** out of four) was a fairly watchable but by-the-numbers timekiller starring Steven Seagal going through the motions as a CIA/DEA enforcer who uncovers a brutal terrorist plot in Istanbul against America and must race around the clock to prevent its hatching and worldwide destruction. Seagal can play this role in his sleep by now and often looks like he is. It’s pretty amusing to see him mumbling and moving in his thick black suits yet still somehow able to stop terrorists who are about a third of his age. Smoothly directed and features a few good fight scenes but you’ve seen it all before and done better. Continue reading →
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