Bridge of Spies had the look and feel of several movies but turned out to be none of them.  When we first meet Jim Donovan (Tom Hanks), an insurance lawyer who's tasked with defending an accused Soviet Spy (Mark Rylance), it feels like we're getting the inspiring courtroom drama in which the protagonist must stand … Continue reading Bridge of Spies (2015)

I'm trying to think about how Lincoln treats its central character.  There may be nothing spectacular to the depiction of Abraham Lincoln, but this story isn't really about him so much as the issue of slavery that he fought so hard to abolish.  Well, it's not even so much about slavery as it is the divide … Continue reading Lincoln (2012)

War Horse is a very cheesy family film about a horse.  It hits all the predictable notes designed to make you emotionally involved in the film, like the film within a film in some sort of comedy about who movies are made.  At the end of the movie, though, I found myself hoping for the reunion … Continue reading War Horse (2011)

To start off, part of me wanted to hate Rogue One.  I don't know why other than I tend to want to hate something when everyone sings its praises (except for La La Land which I love).  I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan, but I enjoyed The Force Awakens, so I don't exactly know what it is that … Continue reading Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

"Fame is life, fame is death." "I never wanted fame, I just became a Kennedy." - Jackie Directed by Pablo Larrain, Jackie is a very intimate look at the wife of President John F. Kennedy in the time immediately after his assassination.  The story is troubling to watch, and it challenges our notions of who Mrs. Kennedy … Continue reading Jackie (2016)

The Adventures of Tintin is essentially Indiana Jones 5.  The story follows a young boy, Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) who goes on a wild mission to track down a miniature replica of a 17th century ship called The Unicorn.  This replica, one of three, contains clues to the location of Sir Francis Haddock's sunken treasure. … Continue reading The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

I don't what to say about the most recent Indiana Jones film, but that's not because it's bad.  It's just... kind of like the others.  It seems like filmmakers (or artists in general) often make a concerted effort to do something different, and when they do something that feels the same it's because they didn't try hard … Continue reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

  Munich feels like a James Bond film, and I think that's only partially due to Daniel Craig's role in the film.  The story is full of assassinations, bombs, guns, some sex (even a femme fatale!), sneaking around, lies and a bunch of other spy-genre things, but this film uses that excess to say something about … Continue reading Munich (2005)

I think War of the Worlds kicks off the latest stage of Spielberg's career.  Some people may say it started with his previous film, The Terminal or that it hasn't even begun yet.  And while I haven't seen all of his most recent films yet (I haven't seen any of his five most recent), this latest phase … Continue reading War of the Worlds (2005)

The Terminal is probably not a great film, but I love it.  I'm not exactly sure why, but it's an uplifting story about people getting together, like in a melting pot.  The airport is not the real world, just an introduction to the kinds of people who might be in the real world, so the … Continue reading The Terminal (2004)