|
3/5
|
76%
|
No Place On Earth (2013) |
"
The film is not without its flaws, but the story it tells is both terrifying and inspiring."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted May 2, 2013
|
|
3.5/5
|
86%
|
Harvest of Empire (2012) |
"
As an analysis of the causes of migration, it is one-dimensional and unconvincing. But as a social history of Latinos in America, it is provocative and fascinating."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Feb 28, 2013
|
|
4/5
|
45%
|
Beautiful Creatures (2013) |
"
Empowerment and powerlessness become entangled in a coming-of-age myth that could prove appealing to young women for many sequels to come."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Feb 13, 2013
|
|
2.5/5
|
61%
|
Jack Reacher (2012) |
"
It's intended to expand a popular fiction franchise into film, but the workmanlike direction of Christopher McQuarrie, although sporadically entertaining, may doom this flick to one-off status."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Dec 20, 2012
|
|
2/5
|
——
|
Broadway's Finest () |
"
"Fake it till you make it" would make a good tagline for "Broadway's Finest.""
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Oct 11, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
67%
|
Hellbound? (2012) |
"
An engaging, accessible documentary that explores the (truly) eternal questions, "Does hell exist? If so, who ends up there, and why?""
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Oct 4, 2012
|
|
3/5
|
87%
|
Frankenweenie (2012) |
"
It's all perfectly entertaining, but never really reaches the heights of hilarity, perhaps because everything about the plot is underdeveloped."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Oct 3, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
42%
|
Little White Lies (2012) |
"
There's a fly-on-the-wall quality to it that adds a voyeuristic zing to the proceedings and gives this French take on "The Big Chill" its particular warmth."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Sep 6, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
85%
|
Sleepwalk With Me (2012) |
"
"Sleepwalk With Me" is the perfect movie for fans of "The Daily Show" who actually stick around for the second-half interview."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Aug 30, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
54%
|
Brother (Hermano) (2012) |
"
The over-the-top opening, which evokes baby Moses in the bulrushes, indicates grand ambitions, but unfortunately the gritty realism of Rasquin's cinematic style is just camouflage for another cliched sports flick."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Aug 23, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
63%
|
Union Square (2012) |
"
It is intended for an audience that is willing to take a journey without knowing the destination."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
4.5/5
|
97%
|
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012) |
"
Using archival footage dating back to Ai's adventures in the New York art world in his 20s, Klayman traces his evolution as a creator and as an activist."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Aug 9, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
44%
|
The Last Ride (2012) |
"
James does a fine job of portraying a naïve youth whose eyes slowly open to glimpse both the pleasures and the pain of living."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 26, 2012
|
|
3/5
|
——
|
The Runway (2012) |
"
The eccentric characters and wacky story line are merely camouflage for a movie with a heart that's pure Hollywood."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 19, 2012
|
|
2/5
|
29%
|
The Magic of Belle Isle (2012) |
"
It's earnest, predictable and disposable."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 12, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
43%
|
To Rome with Love (2012) |
"
A film that sometimes comes off as an intersection of tangents, but it also gives rise to moments of joyous whimsy."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 5, 2012
|
|
2/5
|
21%
|
Madea's Witness Protection (2012) |
"
Tyler Perry doesn't have to make sense, or a have a point. He's laughing all the way to the bank."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 1, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
82%
|
Bill W. (2012) |
"
A fascinating character study, whether you have any connection (as so many do) to the so-called recovery movement."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jun 7, 2012
|
|
2/5
|
18%
|
For Greater Glory (2012) |
"
Director Dean Wright and screenwriter Michael Love fail to develop compelling characters or to construct a coherent plot."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted May 31, 2012
|
|
2/5
|
0%
|
Reuniting The Rubins (2012) |
"
"Reuniting the Rubins" may walk like a comedy and quack like a comedy, but despite the absurd extremes to which it takes the squabbling-family formula, it inspires nary a chuckle."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Apr 5, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
——
|
Baseball, Dennis & The French (2012) |
"
In the end, Croshaw contents himself with preaching to the choir. At least he does it with flair."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Mar 15, 2012
|
|
4/5
|
94%
|
Coriolanus (2011) |
"
As a portrait of modern warfare, politics and propaganda, "Coriolanus" is intriguing, even if the gritty action sequences don't quite measure up to the realism of "The Hurt Locker.""
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Mar 8, 2012
|
|
3/5
|
72%
|
Carnage (2011) |
"
A film that makes its audience feel as trapped as its characters."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Dec 29, 2011
|
|
3/5
|
12%
|
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) |
"
In between the cutesy musical covers (from the Go-Go's to Lady Gaga), the young rodents engage in harmless slapstick and even learn a bit about themselves."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Dec 15, 2011
|
|
2/5
|
7%
|
New Year's Eve (2011) |
"
It is the cinematic equivalent of a greeting card: Both the sentiment and the laughs are plentiful, cheap and forgettable."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Dec 7, 2011
|
|
2/5
|
36%
|
In Time (2011) |
"
Timberlake, who had a scene-stealing turn as Napster mogul Sean Parker in "The Social Network," is a snooze in this role, not quite as wooden as Keanu Reeves but hardly making a case for himself as an actor."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Oct 27, 2011
|
|
3/5
|
82%
|
The Way (2011) |
"
"The Way" is overly earnest and clumsily directed by Emilio Estevez (the non-prodigal son of Sheen). Yet it is nonetheless effective in evoking empathy and introspection."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Oct 13, 2011
|
|
3/5
|
52%
|
The Devil's Double (2011) |
"
The hero of "The Devil's Double" may get upstaged by the villain, but that's not exactly bad news for star Dominic Cooper, since he plays both parts."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Aug 11, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
64%
|
Another Earth (2011) |
"
Instead of a fleet of Evil Kirks descending on us in souped-up space shuttles, we get a quietly moving parable of redemption."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Aug 4, 2011
|
|
3/5
|
73%
|
Sarah's Key (2011) |
"
While the flashbacks come to life through small acts of courage and kindness amid epic-scale evil, the frame story is a recurring letdown that feels trivial and contrived."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 28, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
87%
|
Submarine (2011) |
"
It's a familiar story, yes - but we all have to chart our own way through it."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jun 9, 2011
|
|
3.5/5
|
88%
|
X-Men: First Class (2011) |
"
"X-Men: First Class" isn't anywhere close to being a genre classic like "Spider-Man 2" or "The Dark Knight," but it is good enough to rejuvenate a franchise stuck on idle."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jun 1, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
93%
|
Midnight in Paris (2011) |
"
A delicious trifle for anyone who has ever dreamt of bantering about the cinema with Luis Buñuel or lounging at the piano to hear Cole Porter sing "Let's Do It.""
—
Arizona Republic
Posted May 26, 2011
|
|
4/5
|
81%
|
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) |
"
A precisely calibrated crowd-pleasing machine, balancing action, comedy and just the bare minimum of pathos."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted May 24, 2011
|
|
3.5/5
|
59%
|
Forks Over Knives (2011) |
"
It isn't possible to examine the scientific arguments in a movie review, but as advocacy documentaries go, this is a pretty good one."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted May 12, 2011
|
|
2/5
|
15%
|
Something Borrowed (2011) |
"
How many times must we be subjected to another gorgeous, glamorous starlet impersonating a clumsy wallflower? Will anyone really believe in this GQ-perfect big man on campus who lacks the courage to ask her out on a date?"
—
Arizona Republic
Posted May 5, 2011
|
|
3.5/5
|
84%
|
Jane Eyre (2011) |
"
Beauty, along with a sense of mystery, is what audiences expect in a Gothic romance, and Fukunaga delivers with carefully composed shots of austere landscapes and shadowy Victorian opulence."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Mar 18, 2011
|
|
3/5
|
38%
|
The Over the Hill Band (2011) |
"
The acting is restrained, the story stays under the top, and hand-held cameras shake almost imperceptibly, giving a whiff of verite with no danger of going full Greengrass."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Mar 9, 2011
|
|
3/5
|
57%
|
8 Murders a Day (2011) |
"
Bowden's devastatingly casual assessments give the film much of its punch, but, ultimately, the barrage of simple assertions fails to cohere into an argument."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Mar 2, 2011
|
|
3/4
|
38%
|
The Eagle (2011) |
"
To its credit, the film does attempt to grapple with the ambivalence that Europe and America feel toward the Roman Empire. We admire its cultural achievements while condemning its brutality, and in that tension we see our own ideals and failures reflected."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Feb 9, 2011
|
|
3.5/5
|
72%
|
I Love You Phillip Morris (2010) |
"
Carrey is truly great in one of those rare risky roles that prove he can do more than pull faces, although the frank portrayal of an alpha male who is also "gay, gay, gay, gay, gay" is sure to make some percentage of his fan base squirm."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Dec 10, 2010
|
|
3/5
|
49%
|
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) |
"
The best thing about the film is neither the top-notch CGI nor the shallow moral lessons but the performance of Will Poulter as Lucy and Edmund's insufferable cousin Eustace Scrubb."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Dec 8, 2010
|
|
4.5/5
|
90%
|
Tangled (2010) |
"
With "Tangled," a delightfully fresh spin on "Rapunzel," the entertainment powerhouse delivers its first classic-caliber computer animation outside the Pixar family."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Nov 22, 2010
|
|
3/5
|
28%
|
Life as We Know It (2010) |
"
The supporting cast serves up enough small moments of surprise to keep this formula flick from falling flat."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Oct 7, 2010
|
|
2.5/5
|
12%
|
Love Ranch (2010) |
"
Once Hackford has committed to the characters and to their compelling (if dark) world, he has nowhere to go but to some predecided facts that might not be the most interesting end to the characters' journey."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 29, 2010
|
|
3/5
|
66%
|
Wild Grass (Les Herbes Folles) (2010) |
"
What can you say: The French sure know how to make pretty pictures."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 29, 2010
|
|
2.5/5
|
28%
|
Charlie St. Cloud (2010) |
"
The characters and their supernatural love triangle are developed with a businesslike efficiency that makes it almost impossible to invest in them emotionally."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 28, 2010
|
|
4/5
|
50%
|
South of the Border (2010) |
"
South of the Border offers valuable historical, social and political context, particularly if you aren't an international-news junkie."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 23, 2010
|
|
3/5
|
69%
|
The Girl Who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden) (2010) |
"
The already fragile bond between the two leads gains an added layer of intrigue here because it plays out at a distance."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 9, 2010
|
|
4/5
|
81%
|
I Am Love (2010) |
"
In an American film, you live the story. In a European one, you're an outsider looking in. Ah, but what a beautiful view."
—
Arizona Republic
Posted Jul 1, 2010
|
78%
——
100%
85%
45%
40%
