Joe Williams Movie Reviews & Previews

Critics » Joe Williams

Joe Williams

Agrees with the Tomatometer 76% of the time.

Biography:: I am the film critic for the daily St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Favorites:: It's a Wonderful Life, Quadrophenia, Lost in America, The Graduate, Days of Heaven, The Heartbreak Kid, Apocalypse Now, Gangs of New York, Love with the Proper Stranger, The Party, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, Memento, Waking Life, Amelie
Publications:: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Total Reviews:: 727
Total QuickRatings:: 24

Location:: St. Louis, MO

Listing Of All Reviews & Articles

Showing 51 - 100 of 727

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Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date
3.5/4	89%	A Royal Affair (2012)	" Although the brazen lovers, bellicose ministers and backstabbing handmaidens are familiar elements, the film is so handsomely mounted that we happily endure the ride until the turning of the screws in the tragic last act." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jan 17, 2013
1.5/4	59%	The Last Stand (2013)	" "The Last Stand" is such a false start, it could terminate Schwarzenegger's comeback before it begins." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jan 17, 2013
2.5/4	51%	Promised Land (2013)	" The 50/50 split between profiteers and tree-huggers might reflect the nation as a whole, but it makes for diluted drama." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jan 4, 2013
4/4	81%	The Impossible (2012)	" In the hundred-year history of cinema, few thrillers have been as emotionally compelling as "The Impossible."" — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jan 3, 2013
2/4	69%	Les Misérables (2012)	" Fans of the franchise will greet "Les Misérables" as a feast for the senses, but the rest of us are left with crumbs." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 25, 2012
4/4	88%	Django Unchained (2012)	" With a fearless director and his mighty pen freeing a talented cast to attack a vital theme, "Django Unchained" is damnation unleashed." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 25, 2012
3/4	47%	Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012)	" "Cirque du Soleil: World's Away" is a rare entertainment, being for the benefit of everyone." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 20, 2012
	77%	Any Day Now (2012)	" The growing community of gay parents deserves a better reflection of their struggles than a kitschy "Kramer vs. Kramer."" — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 20, 2012
3/4	52%	This is 40 (2012)	" After copping out in "Funny People," Apatow still hasn't set the table for a meaty drama, but making us laugh is a piece of cake." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 20, 2012
	94%	The Central Park Five (2012)	" "The Central Park Five" is a sobering indictment of racism and vigilante justice, yet it is constrained by a PBS-style deference to the very system it critiques." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 13, 2012
	38%	Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)	" There's an alliance of interesting stories fighting for dominance here, but instead of a clear victory, "Hyde Park on Hudson" is the site of a muddled truce." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 13, 2012
3/4	65%	The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)	" At nearly three hours long, "An Unexpected Journey" has moments when the caravan seems both overstuffed and out of balance, but it's such a scenic trip that only a stubborn homebody could complain." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 13, 2012
3/4	84%	Smashed (2012)	" There will never be another Marilyn Monroe or Elizabeth Taylor, but Hollywood may have found a new Lee Remick in Mary Elizabeth Winstead." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 7, 2012
2.5/4	84%	The Flat (2012)	" Arnon's filmmaking is flaccid, with TV-style interviews and rote reaction shots in place of cinematic imagery and deftly edited surprises." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Dec 7, 2012
2/4	90%	Holy Motors (2012)	" Audiences who care about character and plot are liable to take the exit to a movie that makes sense." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 29, 2012
2.5/4	63%	Hitchcock (2012)	" "Hitchcock" is an amusing lark, but the clumsy way it dissects the director is for the birds." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 29, 2012
2.5/4	75%	Killing Them Softly (2012)	" Like the politicians it tries to pull into the big picture, "Killing Them Softly" promises more than it delivers." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 29, 2012
2.5/4	68%	This Must Be The Place (2012)	" Penn has created a colorful tour guide, but in "This Must Be the Place," there's no there there." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 21, 2012
3/4	64%	Anna Karenina (2012)	" Even more than most versions of "Anna Karenina," this chamber piece is heated by two combustible characters, not by the winds of war and peace." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 21, 2012
4/4	92%	Silver Linings Playbook (2012)	" Going deep without resorting to trick plays, the sure-handed "Silver Linings Playbook" scores on every possession." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 20, 2012
1.5/4	13%	Red Dawn (2012)	" This world is divided between the makers and the takers, and after just a few minutes of "Red Dawn," you'll realize there's not much more you can take." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 20, 2012
2/4	89%	Lincoln (2012)	" Spielberg is legendary for his visual feasts, yet he serves us this turkey with no relish. There's scarcely a memorable image in the entire film." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 15, 2012
2.5/4	48%	The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)	" It's not a good film, but viewed from a cockeyed angle, it's a great guilty pleasure, and director Bill Condon is in on the joke." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 15, 2012
2/4	33%	Little Red Wagon (2012)	" There's weighty material waiting to be processed here, but in "Little Red Wagon" it doesn't have a home." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 8, 2012
3.5/4	92%	Skyfall (2012)	" With spectacular action sequences, a rock-solid star and a ration of cheese that's good English cheddar, "Skyfall" is a gift from above." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 8, 2012
2.5/4	76%	The Bay (2012)	" "The Bay" is better than a shallow exercise, but crabby horror fans may have preferred that Levinson took a real plunge." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 1, 2012
3/4	94%	The Sessions (2012)	" With its assertive hero and inclusive humor, "The Sessions" is an inspirational drama you can feel good about in the morning." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 1, 2012
	78%	Flight (2012)	" We can quibble about the punitive punchline of John Gatins' script, but keeping complexity aloft for so long makes "Flight" a miraculous feat." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 1, 2012
	87%	Somewhere Between (2012)	" In this poignant movie we meet four Chinese-born teenagers who are living with American parents from Berkeley to Boston." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Nov 1, 2012
2/4	26%	War of the Buttons (2012)	" Although it's updated to World War II and alludes to the Holocaust, this golden-hued remembrance is about as horrific as "Hogan's Heroes."" — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 31, 2012
3/4	79%	The Other Son (2012)	" "The Other Son" is such a disarming feat that cynics will get left at the checkpoint." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 25, 2012
2/4	53%	Simon and the Oaks (2012)	" With its fool's-gold cinematography, over-emphatic musical score and self-important protagonist, "Simon and the Oaks" is a puny acorn that dreams it's a towering achievement." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 25, 2012
2.5/4	33%	Chasing Mavericks (2012)	" Granted, both directors have been adrift for the past decade, but even someone with water in his ears should have sensed that this script needed a rescue." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 25, 2012
3.5/4	67%	Cloud Atlas (2012)	" "Cloud Atlas" is superior filmmaking. Yes, it runs almost three hours - but you've probably seen 90-minute films that felt a lot longer." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 25, 2012
2.5/4	26%	Fun Size (2012)	" Befitting the title, there's little nutritional value, but there's a bit of sweetness inside the throwaway wrapper." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 25, 2012
3/4	88%	The Other Dream Team (2012)	" If you root for documentaries with heart, "The Other Dream Team" is a slam dunk." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 18, 2012
3.5/4	75%	Chicken with Plums (2012)	" Resurrects the spirit of Middle Eastern fables, albeit with a French twist." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 18, 2012
1/4	12%	Alex Cross (2012)	" Formulaic serial-killer crapola ..." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 18, 2012
2.5/4	82%	Seven Psychopaths (2012)	" "Seven Psychopaths" is a vivid illusion of fun, but sane consumers can find similar sensations in the discount video bin eight days a week." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 11, 2012
1.5/4	39%	Here Comes the Boom (2012)	" Loud, incoherent and unfunny, "Here Comes the Boom" is the sound of American culture imploding." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 11, 2012
3.5/4	96%	Argo (2012)	" Before he was a Middle Eastern studies major, Ben Affleck dreamed of directing a movie that mattered. "Argo" is his dream come true." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 11, 2012
3/4	87%	Frankenweenie (2012)	" Some audiences might feel that "Frankenweenie" is creaky, but those on the same wavelength as Burton will gratefully declare it's alive." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 4, 2012
2.5/4	85%	The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)	" Sensitive teens and their older kin who pine for the '90s may want to take it for a spin on the dance floor." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 4, 2012
2/4	32%	The Oranges (2012)	" "The Oranges" is a watered-down dramedy with little sense of place - or human behavior." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Oct 4, 2012
2/4	32%	Won't Back Down (2012)	" While the cast is filled with award winners, writer-director Daniel Barnz is a dunce who can't construct an argument without employing flimsy logic and cardboard characters." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 28, 2012
3/4	81%	Pitch Perfect (2012)	" Belatedly riffing on the TV series "Glee" might have produced some sour notes, but "Pitch Perfect" finds just the right tone." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 28, 2012
3/4	93%	Looper (2012)	" While "Looper" lacks the heft of a classic, this wayback machine is worth taking for a spin." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 28, 2012
3/4	69%	Liberal Arts (2012)	" "Liberal Arts" sticks to the syllabus of a decidedly minor movie, but its humanities faculty is first-rate." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 28, 2012
3/4	93%	Wild Horse, Wild Ride (2012)	" A cynic could wield a lash against "Wild Horse, Wild Ride," but the golden vistas, galloping horses and gracious humans tame us." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 20, 2012
4/4	86%	The Master (2012)	" For film fans who have lost faith in the transportive power of cinema, "The Master" will make you a believer." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 20, 2012
2/4	51%	Trouble with the Curve (2012)	" Everything about "Trouble With the Curve" is as streamlined and hollow as a Wiffle Ball bat." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 20, 2012
3/4	85%	Sleepwalk With Me (2012)	" Notwithstanding its storytelling stumbles, "Sleepwalk With Me" points in a positive direction for this likable comedian's career." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 13, 2012
4/4	96%	Searching for Sugar Man (2012)	" It starts as a bittersweet parable about the cruelty of commerce, but the wonder of "Searching for Sugar Man" will not soon slip away." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 13, 2012
3/4	87%	Arbitrage (2012)	" Paced like a slick '80s thriller but themed for millennial relevance, "Arbitrage" splits the difference with a confidently cruising Gere." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 13, 2012
2.5/4	64%	Cosmopolis (2012)	" The rapid dialogue is dry and mannered, like a David Mamet play, there's virtually no story and Cronenberg's visual scheme is cold and claustrophobic." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 6, 2012
4/4	77%	Samsara (2012)	" A world of wonders without a guide or an agenda, "Samsara" rewards a leap of faith." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 6, 2012
2/4	22%	The Words (2012)	" The fatal flaw of this screenwriting term paper is that Cooper's character is a boring jerk we're supposed to regard as a nice guy who made an honest mistake." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Sep 6, 2012
3/4	70%	Celeste and Jesse Forever (2012)	" To its credit, "Celeste and Jesse Forever" wants to be more than a formulaic farce. It succeeds to the extent that the neighbors keep up with Jones." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 30, 2012
2.5/4	67%	Lawless (2012)	" The fire that stokes the story is violence. Yet despite some gruesome images and the psychotic fervor of Rakes, it's a frustratingly slow boil." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 28, 2012
2.5/4	77%	Killer Joe (2012)	" Watching "Killer Joe" to the bitter end is like playing the Pick 6 lottery and getting three of the numbers right. You don't win anything, but you still think you're smarter than all those other idiots." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 24, 2012
2.5/4	87%	Easy Money (2012)	" Although this Swedish vehicle is thoughtfully engineered and has some vivid streaks of color, it could use a jump start to escape the vanilla ice." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 23, 2012
2/4	76%	Premium Rush (2012)	" It continually spins its wheels or even goes in reverse, backtracking to previous points to load new information." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 23, 2012
2.5/4	48%	Hit & Run (2012)	" "Hit and Run" isn't a catastrophe, but it leaves loose ends and a more adventurous map by the side of the winding road." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 21, 2012
3.5/4	87%	ParaNorman (2012)	" "ParaNorman" has plenty of rambunctious thrills to give the kiddies goosebumps, while older connoisseurs of stop-motion animation will appreciate the Laika studio's inventive visuals." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 16, 2012
3.5/4	95%	The Queen of Versailles (2012)	" Although it's a guilty pleasure, "The Queen of Versailles" is artful enough that both the prosecution and the defense could invoke it when the peasants cry "Off with their heads!"" — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 16, 2012
1.5/4	34%	The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)	" Kids are too smart to fall for it, and any grown-up who thinks that "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" is funny or heartwarming has a head made out of cabbage." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 14, 2012
2/4	93%	Elena (2012)	" In different hands, "Elena" might have been a noir thriller, but this serving of cinematic borscht is as cold as a Russian winter." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 10, 2012
3.5/4	92%	Farewell, My Queen (2012)	" "Farewell, My Queen" is a layer cake of royal pleasures, rote protocols and revolutionary politics. For skeptics who thought this story had grown stale, let them eat their words." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 10, 2012
3/4	56%	The Bourne Legacy (2012)	" It bodes well for the future of the franchise that Renner and Wesiz share not only a gripping predicament but something more important: chemistry." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 9, 2012
2/4	74%	Hope Springs (2012)	" Only an audience as constipated as these characters could mistake this lukewarm stream of pablum for a hard nugget of truth." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 7, 2012
2.5/4	73%	Dark Horse (2012)	" With champion bloodlines from Walken and Farrow, "Dark Horse" could have been a contender, but it gets so skittish about trodding a familiar path that it pulls up lame." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 2, 2012
3.5/4	31%	Total Recall (2012)	" The richly constructed first hour is so superior to any feat of sci-fi speculation since "Minority Report" that the bland aftertaste of the chase finale is quickly forgotten." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Aug 2, 2012
2.5/4	88%	Neil Young Journeys (2012)	" On its own terms, "Neil Young Journeys" is an enjoyable concert film of a solo show in Toronto, interspersed with memories of his Canadian boyhood." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 27, 2012
2/4	16%	The Watch (2012)	" If this movie wanders into your neighborhood, the only watch that will hold your attention is the timepiece on your wrist." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 26, 2012
2.5/4	88%	Pink Ribbons, Inc. (2012)	" "Pink Ribbons, Inc." is a colorful indictment of corporate infestation, but it's missing a prescription." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 19, 2012
1.5/4	5%	30 Beats (2012)	" Where the original play "La Ronde" was a social satire about the transmission of venereal disease, "30 Beats" is a sickly stepchild." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 19, 2012
4/4	87%	The Dark Knight Rises (2012)	" Spoiler alert: "The Dark Knight Rises" will earn a billion dollars, be the subject of more master's theses than "Citizen Kane" and win the Academy Award for best picture." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 19, 2012
2/4	71%	Natural Selection (2012)	" In the evolutionary spectrum of cinema, "Natural Selection" is like the duck-billed platypus, pretending to be warm-blooded but more than a little fowl." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 13, 2012
1.5/4	37%	Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)	" In a world where family flicks are split between the inspired and the insipid, it's time to let Manny and his mates drift out to sea." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 12, 2012
2/4	43%	To Rome with Love (2012)	" In the end, Woody Allen and Rome go together like corned beef and gelato." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 5, 2012
3.5/4	51%	Savages (2012)	" After decades of digging beneath the surface, Stone understands the synthesis of good and evil in a way that weekend savages cannot." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 3, 2012
4/4	73%	The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)	" From the first image of sensory awakening to the final acceptance of adult responsibility, it pulses with the warm blood of a very human hero." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jul 2, 2012
2/4	56%	People Like Us (2012)	" Pine and the always-watchable Banks make the best of a bad screenplay, but "People Like Us" gives us nothing that we can relate to." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 29, 2012
3/4	81%	A Cat in Paris (2012)	" Like a cat nap, it gives us a brief, refreshing dream with little to remember." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 29, 2012
3/4	80%	Magic Mike (2012)	" It's guilty of some sleight-of-hand hokum, but in pulling the rug from under the norm, "Magic Mike" turns a trick." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 28, 2012
3/4	78%	Brave (2012)	" "Brave" is easy to like but hard to love, a feel-good fable with the latest bells and whistles." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 22, 2012
2.5/4	55%	Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)	" The problem with this nice-try comedy is the nice-guy protagonist." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 22, 2012
3/4	94%	I Wish (2012)	" Like a train, "I Wish" is slow to build momentum, then it carries us away in a wondrous rush." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 22, 2012
3/4	52%	Where Do We Go Now? (2012)	" With elements of a musical, a melodrama and a multicultural romance, "Where Do We Go Now?" is as hard to define as the crossroads region where it's set." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 22, 2012
2.5/4	91%	Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)	" "Safety Not Guaranteed" is eccentric enough to get mistaken for an uplifting fantasy, but it's Plaza who belongs in the penthouse." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 21, 2012
3.5/4	35%	Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)	" "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" is a blast, the best action movie of the summer." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 21, 2012
3/4	92%	Gerhard Richter Painting (2012)	" Through the documentary lens, Richter's enigmatic paintings speak to us." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 15, 2012
3/4	88%	Polisse (2012)	" "Polisse" draws us uncomfortably close to a taboo subject then rewards us with real nourishment." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 15, 2012
1.5/4	21%	That's My Boy (2012)	" Forced laughter is the only kind you'll hear during "That's My Boy," between the long stretches of slack-jawed silence." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 14, 2012
2/4	41%	Rock of Ages (2012)	" To his credit, campy director Adam Shankman knows that his source material is a joke - but it's a joke at the expense of musical history." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 14, 2012
2.5/4	75%	Surviving Progress (2012)	" These are critically important issues, but it needs a sharper point to get through thick skulls, and even evolved humans who are tired of the treadmill of progress might ask: What else is new?" — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 8, 2012
2/4	58%	Hysteria (2012)	" As a sex-education comedy, "Hysteria" is flaccid, forced and unfunny." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 8, 2012
4/4	94%	Moonrise Kingdom (2012)	" Phonies may complain that Anderson's island of misfit toys is a retreat from the real world, but for pure-hearted adventurers who share the secret map, "Moonrise Kingdom" is a joy that cannot be eclipsed." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 8, 2012
3/4	74%	Prometheus (2012)	" Aping Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," Scott and his screenwriters have designed this towering puzzle to provoke debate, with liberal allusions to gender, race and religion." — St. Louis Post-Dispatch Posted Jun 7, 2012

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