|
A
|
92%
|
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) |
"
Certain movies are sprinkled with pixie dust, an indescribable concoction that infuses scenes with irresistible magic; Silver Linings Playbook is practically hand-rolled and deep-fried in the stuff. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Nov 21, 2012
|
|
5/5
|
92%
|
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) |
"
This marvelously eccentric romantic comedy demonstrates that smart, high-quality, mainstream entertainment for grown-ups has not yet, and hopefully never will, perish entirely from the earth."
—
Orlando Weekly
Posted Nov 20, 2012
|
|
A
|
100%
|
Thunder Soul (2011) |
"
...the unstoppable power of the music is an undeniable, stone groove"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Oct 16, 2011
|
|
A
|
81%
|
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) |
"
Precisely drawn hipster farce whose rich characters all have inner lives, motivations and tortuous backstories "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Aug 26, 2010
|
|
A
|
93%
|
My Life to Live (It's My Life) (Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux) (1962) |
"
Godard's ode to a hooker remains a bleak, sexy and heartbreaking work of art"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Aug 12, 2010
|
|
A
|
74%
|
Greenberg (2010) |
"
Ben Stiller bites reality back"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Mar 25, 2010
|
|
A-
|
88%
|
Starlet (2012) |
"
...consistently surprising in the way it mingles tender emotions with inherent tawdriness, casually incorporating graphic sex scenes with touching moments of innocent human interaction."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Dec 3, 2012
|
|
A-
|
93%
|
Marvel's The Avengers (2012) |
"
In some ways, it feels like the kick-off to the afterparty for a post-Iraq War nation, with a sense of "mission accomplished" back-slapping buried beneath all the pyrotechnics."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted May 4, 2012
|
|
A-
|
99%
|
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2012) |
"
The family drama gives Jiro its spine, but it's the kitchen demonstrations that give it soul. This is food porn of the highest caliber."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Mar 30, 2012
|
|
A-
|
89%
|
The Trip (2011) |
"
...the feature is almost entirely improvised, yet displays some of the sharpest, funniest dialogue in recent memory."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jul 1, 2011
|
|
A-
|
80%
|
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011) |
"
Is there another talk show host who can earn belly laughs with off-the-cuff references to Bess Truman and painter David Hockney? Maybe, but few of them could do it with the speed and mental acuity on display here."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jun 24, 2011
|
|
A-
|
86%
|
Meek's Cutoff (2011) |
"
returns to the craft of the deconstructionist western, ...stripped bare of the mythmaking, shiny spurs and hero worship, leaving a reality so stark it makes the Coen brothers' harsh take on True Grit seem like an episode of Gunsmoke."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted May 20, 2011
|
|
A-
|
88%
|
Blue Valentine (2010) |
"
Derek Cianfrance zooms the camera way in, almost inside the souls of his doomed lovers, and seldom comes up for air."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jan 11, 2011
|
|
A-
|
79%
|
Fair Game (2010) |
"
Fair Game bristles with the outrage of that still-raw nerve, and at times feels a bit like an act of revenge, but also a confessional of a marriage pushed to the brink."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Nov 19, 2010
|
|
A-
|
78%
|
Behind The Burly Q (2010) |
"
Revealing doc tells all about the sassy gals of the vaudeville stage"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Oct 22, 2010
|
|
A-
|
93%
|
The Kids Are All Right (2010) |
"
A nontraditional couple lives the hurts, regrets and joys of any loving family"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jul 21, 2010
|
|
A-
|
82%
|
Solitary Man (2010) |
"
How to root for Michael Douglas' lost soul"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jun 30, 2010
|
|
A-
|
76%
|
Kick-Ass (2010) |
"
Aaron Johnson's the first real millennial superhero, a twerp with the ego of a titan"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Apr 26, 2010
|
|
4.5/5
|
80%
|
American Gangster (2007) |
"
a pulpy mash-up of Serpico and Black Caesar -- and there ainâ(TM)t nothing wrong with that."
—
Orlando Weekly
Posted Nov 15, 2007
|
|
B+
|
95%
|
Chasing Ice (2012) |
"
Pictures, of course, say more than a thousand flowcharts or Al Gore's PowerPoint presentations. The images here are as glorious as those in any nature documentary ever made. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Dec 3, 2012
|
|
B+
|
85%
|
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) |
"
Whether or not the problems of these upper-middle-class, arty, would-be hipsters reflect your own teen experience, there is a kind of unmistakable genius in the way it taps the universal heightened reality of adolescence."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Oct 4, 2012
|
|
B+
|
79%
|
Ruby Sparks (2012) |
"
This is the kind of high-concept whimsy trafficked in by Woody Allen, though thankfully free of Dixieland jazz, monochrome title cards or kvetching about Russian literature."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Aug 6, 2012
|
|
B+
|
73%
|
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) |
"
Caring about the people involved helps immensely in the third act, when the movie is overtaken by dazzling effects work and epic fights with the somewhat generic, dinosaur-like baddie."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jun 28, 2012
|
|
B+
|
59%
|
Wanderlust (2012) |
"
...engaging, amusing, and often achingly, gut-wrenchingly funny. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Feb 24, 2012
|
|
B+
|
95%
|
Pariah (2011) |
"
It is a striking debut: visually rich, emotionally complex and graced by strong performances from top to bottom. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jan 18, 2012
|
|
B+
|
77%
|
War Horse (2011) |
"
War Horse is manipulative, sentimental and schmaltzy, but dammed effective. And to the eternal discomfort of some detractors, it's a spiritual movie, in which the holy and beautiful creation of nature overcomes the destructive folly of man..."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Dec 20, 2011
|
|
B+
|
83%
|
Warrior (2011) |
"
As compelling and savage as the fight scenes are, it's the brutal personal dynamics that keep us interested."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Sep 22, 2011
|
|
B+
|
79%
|
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) |
"
After a decade of Dark Knights and doom and gloom predominating the spandex set, it's a relief to see a noble, essentially uncomplicated funny book character, even if the good captain is square as a brick. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Aug 2, 2011
|
|
B+
|
73%
|
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011) |
"
...where else are you going to see Donald Trump, Noam Chomsky and Brett Ratner interviewed in the same film? "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted May 20, 2011
|
|
B+
|
70%
|
Limitless (2011) |
"
...all flash and sizzle, but still delivers; it's equal parts superhero wish fulfillment and cautionary yuppie satire, and it's also a hell of a fun ride."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Mar 18, 2011
|
|
B+
|
83%
|
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) |
"
...the fun is watching McConaughey slip the traps and outmaneuver the judge, the prosecution and his own client."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Mar 18, 2011
|
|
B+
|
72%
|
I Love You Phillip Morris (2010) |
"
Jim Carrey gives one of the nerviest, boldest performances of his sporadically brilliant career."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jan 5, 2011
|
|
B+
|
67%
|
Jack Goes Boating (2010) |
"
A fine cast salvages an indie-drama boilerplate"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Oct 22, 2010
|
|
B+
|
——
|
P-Star Rising (2010) |
"
Pre-teen rapper with a knee-bending adult world on her shoulders"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jul 21, 2010
|
|
B+
|
96%
|
Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009) |
"
One man's journey to help end a war and topple Nixon"
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Apr 8, 2010
|
|
4/5
|
86%
|
The Heart of the Game (2005) |
"
An astounding drama that spans seven years, wrestling with issues of race, gender and class while capturing the struggles of competition with intelligence and intimacy."
—
Orlando Weekly
Posted Aug 17, 2006
|
|
3/4
|
90%
|
Neil Young: Heart of Gold (2006) |
"
...The arrival of Neil Young: Heart of Gold should be an inspiration to music buffs and cinephiles alike."
—
Orlando Weekly
Posted May 20, 2006
|
|
B
|
77%
|
42 (2013) |
"
42 is a solid, workmanlike biopic that trudges along without an excess of nuance, but with a commitment to the notion that ennobling sentiment and entertainment can co-exist. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Apr 12, 2013
|
|
B
|
65%
|
The Campaign (2012) |
"
...might just be the movie we deserve in this dire election cycle: It's cynical, vulgar, mean-spirited, weirdly familiar and yet often hysterical. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Aug 11, 2012
|
|
B
|
70%
|
Men in Black III (2012) |
"
Director Barry Sonnenfeld is as over-caffeinated as ever. His frenetic tone changes between comedy, action and pathos are quick enough to induce whiplash. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted May 25, 2012
|
|
B
|
86%
|
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012) |
"
...as sprightly and bright as the studio's cherished favorites, such as Chicken Run, though the sheer volume of gags hurled here leads to a slightly lower hitting percentage. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted May 2, 2012
|
|
B
|
86%
|
The Forgiveness of Blood (2012) |
"
Director Joshua Marston's sophomore effort shows an intelligence and affinity for an alien landscape, and for decent people pushed into extraordinary circumstances by poverty and traditions beyond their understanding. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Mar 21, 2012
|
|
B
|
74%
|
Rampart (2012) |
"
Harrelson is utterly captivating, as the sort of bitter, corrupt L.A. cop you would imagine holding down Rodney King with a smile."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Mar 7, 2012
|
|
B
|
80%
|
Haywire (2012) |
"
Haywire may simply be a genre exercise for Soderbergh, but few directors are able to flex their cinematic muscles as effectively."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jan 21, 2012
|
|
B
|
96%
|
The Muppets (2011) |
"
The cameos are a blast, but the human leads really shine, especially Adams, who is so effortlessly sunny she qualifies as special effect."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Nov 23, 2011
|
|
B
|
91%
|
Arthur Christmas (2011) |
"
There is distinctly British sensibility at play, not just from the voice actors, but from the humor, which slips in sly wordplay amid the slapstick set pieces."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Nov 22, 2011
|
|
B
|
84%
|
My Week with Marilyn (2011) |
"
Michelle Williams steps so deeply into the famous shadow that she almost vanishes, though we are left to wonder what was there to begin with."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Nov 22, 2011
|
|
B
|
50%
|
The Rum Diary (2011) |
"
...a sporadically brilliant mess, caked with dust from sitting on the shelf for three years - fitting since the half-finished source novel moldered in a desk drawer for decades."
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Oct 27, 2011
|
|
B
|
78%
|
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) |
"
Here, for the most part, are fully realized people, with understandably complicated emotions, even though they are occasionally crammed into bumper cars of farcical complications and told to have at it. "
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Aug 2, 2011
|
|
B
|
82%
|
American: The Bill Hicks Story (2011) |
"
American plays less like a primer than a devotional, a dangerous thing for a satirist committed to "evolving ideas.""
—
Metro Times (Detroit, MI)
Posted Jul 1, 2011
|
76%
44%
100%
85%
45%
40%
