Directed by Stephen Frears High Fidelity has a similar energy to another John Cusack classic, 1989's Say Anything... except that this time Cusack plays an absolute jerk, self-loathing, self-centered and, for some reason, self-assured. Rob Gordon (Cusack) owns his own record shop somewhere in a hip area of Chicago, and while to me that smells like … Continue reading High Fidelity (2000)
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Papillon (2017)
Directed by Michael Noer Who doesn't like a good 'ol fashioned prison break movie? Papillon has a little trouble getting in gear, but before you know it the movie, about a French safecracker (Charlie Hunnam) framed for murder, takes flight and never looks back. Maybe it's just that I'm right there in the sweet spot … Continue reading Papillon (2017)
Hotel Artemis (2018)
Directed by Drew Pearce A gaggle of criminals converge on the infamous Hotel Artemis one night during a 2028 Los Angeles riot. They are all connected, of course, in ways that will necessitate a series of crimes and punishments, delivering the promised blood bath from which no one is safe. At least, that's the premise. … Continue reading Hotel Artemis (2018)
Mars Attacks! (1996)
Directed by Tim Burton Martians visit earth in Mars Attacks! but it's not until a peace-loving, free love-giving, long-haired, songwriting beatnik releases a white dove that they begin their aforementioned attack, slaughtering comical amounts of people in cartoonish yet violent ways. The image of these strange creatures (who speak only in "acks") burning their way through … Continue reading Mars Attacks! (1996)
The Predator (2018)
Directed by Shane Black Something feels wrong about The Predator. It's a rough reboot of the 1987 film, complete with a new round of machismo heroes (though they all suffer from some form of PTSD), but the movie's possible charm dissipates quickly when they do the whole Jurassic World thing of introducing a second, bigger/badder Predator as … Continue reading The Predator (2018)
Blindspotting (2018)
Directed by Carlos López Estrada Blindspotting is intrinsically tied to its setting (Oakland), like a true story thriller is to its own genre. Such a film, like let's say Zodiac, works in accordance with the expectations of its genre, whether to respect or subvert them. With Blindspotting we never forget where we are and when we are. … Continue reading Blindspotting (2018)
The Right Stuff (1983)
Directed by Philip Kaufman The Right Stuff is an epic about the Mercury Seven. These were the first astronauts selected to risk life and limb as the U.S. competed with the Soviet Union in the space race. Their efforts are certainly noble, but the film takes a wide enough look at the powers that sent them … Continue reading The Right Stuff (1983)
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Directed by Jonathan Marstow Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines is an entertaining enough action movie, but it falls flat when inevitably compared to the previous two Terminator movies. The first was a simple, streamlined horror movie of sorts, and the second remixed the first, turning Schwarzenegger into the hero and for the first time positioning … Continue reading Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
The Favourite (2018)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos Olivia Colman deserves to win an Academy Award for her performance as Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite. She is the eye of the storm, around which chaos and politicking runs rampant. While two politically opposed party leaders vie for her attention she deals most immediately with two people who scheme … Continue reading The Favourite (2018)
Roma (2018)
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron Roma is breathtaking and incredibly moving, not just from an emotional standpoint but because of the grace with which it is constructed. It's a deeply intimate story shot in the manner of an epic, something Cuaron is well adept at doing following movies like Children of Men (2007) and Gravity (2013). The smallest … Continue reading Roma (2018)
