June 19, 2016 “Eye In The Sky” (*** out of four) was an involving melodrama centered around a military officer (Helen Mirren) in command of an international terrorist operation in Kenya but sees the moral, emotional, and legal implications mount when a young girl enters a kill zone and leads to all of them questioning their next move. A rock-solid look at military obligations and responsibility is enriched by a strong cast of first-rate actors (including Alan Rickman in one of his final roles). Mirren is great as always in an unusual role for her. Only some slow spots keep this from scoring a direct hit. Continue reading →
June 10, 2016 “Cell” (** out of four) was a watchable, if not exhilarating, adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about a mysterious virus that erupts through people’s cell phones and results in the walking dead worldwide and an artist (John Cusack) and a few survivors (Samuel L. Jackson and Isabelle Fuhrman) who struggle to stay alive on the New England coast and make sense of what is going on. Potentially frightening story has the possibility for being a satiric commentary on society’s dependency on technology but settles instead for being a standard zombie thriller in the mold of a George Romero movie or “The Walking Dead”. Never really gets going but strong performances from Cusack and Jackson and Michael Simmonds’ moody noir-like cinematography keep you watching. Continue reading →
June 10, 2016 “Approaching The Unknown” (*1/2 out of four) was a lifeless drama that deserves to be left in the unknown about a determined astronaut (Mark Strong) on a mission to Mars that goes awry and leaves him stranded in space and forced to improvise to try and stay alive. Virtually identical to last year’s “The Martian” with Matt Damon but has no energy, pacing, or original storytelling. Strong is a solid character actor but he’s not charismatic or exciting to hold the screen for nearly two hours on his own. After this and “Interstellar”, maybe we can do without outer-space pictures for a while. Continue reading →
June 10, 2016 “The Bronx Bull” (*1/2 out of four) was an unnecessary retelling of “Raging Bull” about legendary boxer Jake La Motta (William Forsythe) and his numerous dealings with the mob and various underworld figures in NYC after he retired from the ring. Forsythe tries but he’s no Robert De Niro and director Martin Guigui is no Martin Scorsese. Film has authentic NYC locations, a sweeping music score by Ched Tolliver, and a dynamite supporting cast (including Tom Sizemore, Joe Mantegna, and Paul Sorvino) but they’re all drowned out by the unpleasantness of the story and its central character. Originally titled “Raging Bull 2” but was changed for legal reasons. Regardless of its title, it’s a raging disappointment. Continue reading →
June 10, 2016 “Casual Encounters” (**1/2 out of four) was a clever dark comedy about a guy (Taran Killam) who finds out that his girlfriend has dumped him on a morning radio program and he then becomes involved in the bizarre world of online dating. Sebastian Michael and Erik Steinmetz’ script takes the form of a satire of a romantic comedy and online dating and is sharper and funnier than you might expect but is weakened at times by some crude and dumb moments that are unnecessary. Killam’s winning performance and refreshingly compact running time of only 1 hour and 22 minutes makes this worth sticking through. Continue reading →
June 10, 2016 “Warcraft” (** out of four) was a visually dazzling but dull, derivative adaptation of the popular video-game series set in the peaceful world of Azeroth which becomes under siege from a race of invaders. When a portal opens connecting the two separate worlds of the civilization, one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction. Proof that you can have all the special effects and production work that money can buy but it’s all empty unless there’s a story and characters you care about. Visual effects are impressive but you’ll be satisfied after about a half hour. Hardcore video-game junkies may find more substance here. Continue reading →
June 10, 2016 “Toy” (*** out of four) was a strikingly told melodrama about a young artist (Bre Blair) and an aging prostitute (Briana Evigan) who form an unlikely relationship and cling to each as two lost souls amid the degradation, drugs, and glamour of Los Angeles. Director Patrick Chapman shows strong mood and atmosphere and tells an interesting story of two women who fall in love despite their differences in age and professions. Both Blair and Evigan give very strong performances. Unfortunately, the story grows excessively weird and obscure as Blair’s character motivations become difficult to understand. Still though, it’s an original and compelling film worth watching. Continue reading →
June 10, 2016 “Andron” (*1/2 out of four) was a muddled rip-off of “The Hunger Games” and also “Divergent” and “The Maze Runner” about a group of young strangers who are plunged into a labyrinth while an evil megalomaniac (Alec Baldwin) broadcasts it to the rest of the world while they struggle to exit. It’s much easier to exit the movie instead. Well-made, with sleek cinematography from the great Gherardo Gossi and a strong music score by Riccardo Eberspacherm, but utterly empty and derivative. Continue reading →
June 10, 2016 “Wild Bill Hickok: Swift Justice” (* out of four) was an inept biographical Western about the famous gunslinger legend Wild Bill Hickok (Bill O’Reilly) and how he has to protect his town when it comes under attack by a group of gamblers and thugs. Lackluster writing and direction and cheap production sink this all the way. I wasn’t a big fan of Walter Hill’s 1995 action biography “Wild Bill” but it looks like Sam Peckinpah compared to this junior-high school production. O’Reilly’s meek presence and plain demeanor don’t exactly showcase Bill’s rough-and-tumble side and he should have been swiftly re-cast. Continue reading →
June 5, 2016 “Urge” (*1/2 out of four) was a slapdash thriller about a group of friends on a weekend getaway in a tropical island who are induced by a rich and charismatic nightclub owner (Pierce Brosnan) to try a new drug called Urge which is fun at first but quickly leads them to losing their minds and killing one another. By the end of this violent mess, you may wish they all just attended an N.A. meeting instead. Viewers should resist the urge to see this and should watch “Requiem For A Dream”, “Senseless”, or “Formula 51” instead. Brosnan’s usual suave charisma gives this a boost but he’s in this very briefly and would have probably fared better attending a 007 reunion instead. Continue reading →
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