-
Starlet 2012
Director: Sean Baker Writer: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch Starring: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson, Boonee What sets a good indie apart from cheap B movie shlock is an edgy succinct script, committed and talented actors, and filmmakers making the most of every resource available, creating a consistent stream of moving, memorable shots. Starlet has everything…
-
The Bling Ring 2013
Director: Sofia Coppola Writer: Sofia Coppola, Nancy Jo Sales Starring: Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Emma Watson Ever see a film that was made well but still irritated you? Maybe it is impossible to reserve judgement of characters in a film based on actual events. Maybe therapy could reveal some deep seated reasons why I’d…
-
The East 2013
Director: Zal Batmanglij Writer: Zal Batmanglij, Brit Marling Starring: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page Wow! I did not expect to like this movie. Coming off of death by True Blood (the show, not the beverage), Alexander Skarsgård brings what George Jefferson called “it”! Brit Marling gives a wonderfully rich and layered performance as…
-
Identity Thief 2013
Director: Seth Gordon Writer: Craig Mazin, Jerry Eeten Starring: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, John Cho Does the absence of laughter make a film suck? Only if its put forth as a comedy. Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy are wonderful, talented, funny people, but this script does not make the most of their abundant skills…
-
World War Z 2013
Director: Marc Forster Writer: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, Damon Lindelof, J. Michael Straczynski Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz Brad Pitt is working his butt off to save his family, himself and the world, in that order. We know he will do it, but how? World War Z could have been a…
-
Jack Reacher 2012
Director: Christopher McQuarrie Writer: Christopher McQuarrie Starring: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, David Oyelowo, Werner Herzog Its a Tom Cruise special. Hooray! All the elements are here: gratuitous violence, pretty vulnerable females, a touch of Americana, and a clear cut definition of the greater good. All these bits and pieces are seamlessly woven…
-
Star Trek Into Darkness 2013
Director: J.J. Abrams Writer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch From the start, I thought I was watching a Wuxia film. The opening is more than reminiscent of the style of many Chinese and Korean period movies. In terms of the performances, the actors feel…
-
Peeples 2013
Director: Tina Gordon Chism Writer: Tina Gordon Chism Starring: Craig Robinson, Kerry Washington, David Alan Grier I hate to be mean, but I thought this movie was going to suck donkey balls. Thankfully, I was wrong. Once I realized that this film is an ethnically gratuitous rom-com, I decided to grade it accordingly, using…
-
Mud 2012
Director: Jeff Nichols Writer: Jeff Nichols Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland MUD started out as a predictable coming of age flick…or so I thought. At about 8 minutes in, I made several predictions as to what events would transpire by the end of the film. I surprised myself by being wrong by…