|
B
|
47%
|
Parkland (2013) |
"
Playing spot-a-star with its sprawling cast is a little distracting, and the movie doesn't offer any notable revelations, but it still provides a valuable link to the national state of shock that existed on Nov. 22, 1963."
—
Oregonian
Posted Oct 2, 2013
|
|
A
|
97%
|
Gravity (2013) |
"
It has taken until now, with Alfonso Cuarón's "Gravity," for a film to approach the immediacy, beauty, and realism of "2001.""
—
Oregonian
Posted Oct 1, 2013
|
|
C+
|
88%
|
Informant (2013) |
"
More of a frustrating experience than an enlightening one."
—
Oregonian
Posted Oct 1, 2013
|
|
B+
|
71%
|
C.O.G. (2013) |
"
A coming-of age story with specific touches but a universal appeal."
—
Oregonian
Posted Oct 1, 2013
|
|
B
|
68%
|
Bad Milo! (2013) |
"
If your tolerance for envelope-pushing crudeness and deadpan delirium allows it, this crass comedy might be just what the gastroenterologist ordered."
—
Oregonian
Posted Oct 1, 2013
|
|
B
|
88%
|
Rush (2013) |
"
A solid film, but one that remains more interesting than intense."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 27, 2013
|
|
B+
|
95%
|
Enough Said (2013) |
"
An already bittersweet story becomes as much a testament to Gandolfini's untapped talent as a memorial to his absence."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 25, 2013
|
|
C+
|
61%
|
Byzantium (2013) |
"
There might be some sort of muddled feminist moral to all this, but by the time the overlong Gothic happenings conclude (with a nicely bloody finale), it's hard to recall what it might have been."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 24, 2013
|
|
A-
|
91%
|
Inequality For All (2013) |
"
Reich, who served during President Clinton's first term, has been beating the drum on this issue for years, and makes an avuncular spokesperson."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 23, 2013
|
|
B
|
52%
|
Thérèse (2013) |
"
[Miller's] best-known works, including "The Little Thief" and "Alias Betty," centered on complex female protagonists, and "Thérèse" is a fitting final addition to his filmography."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 19, 2013
|
|
B
|
60%
|
Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013) |
"
The action choreography eschews the slow-motion, wire-assisted grace of Yuen Woo Ping's in "The Grandmaster," but does a solid job of crisply and clearly showcasing a few epic brawls."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 19, 2013
|
|
B+
|
90%
|
Storm Surfers 3D (2013) |
"
Shot after shot provides the most convincing simulation of spending shack time in the barrel that most landlubbers will ever want or need."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 18, 2013
|
|
C
|
50%
|
Thanks For Sharing (2013) |
"
A movie that wants us to make us laugh and cry, but fails to do either."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 17, 2013
|
|
C+
|
23%
|
A Teacher (2013) |
"
Neither character is given any depth or history. And since we're never privy to how their relationship began, there's no sense of what, if anything, is at stake for them."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 13, 2013
|
|
A
|
97%
|
The Act Of Killing (2013) |
"
Director Joshua Oppenheimer shines a light on one of the 20th century's most under-reported atrocities, but his film, years in the making, is so much more than a straightforward history lesson."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 13, 2013
|
|
B-
|
68%
|
The Artist and the Model (2013) |
"
Folch, without a stitch on most of the time, holds her own against these screen titans, and the luminous black-and-white cinematography helps conjure a fable-like air."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 13, 2013
|
|
B+
|
59%
|
Afternoon Delight (2013) |
"
Writer-director Jill Soloway's uneven but ultimately fascinating drama."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 11, 2013
|
|
B+
|
34%
|
Touchy Feely (2013) |
"
Shelton tells a typically modest story, here, where the only things really at stake are the emotional states of its characters. But that turns out to be more than enough ..."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 6, 2013
|
|
B
|
54%
|
Spark: A Burning Man Story (2013) |
"
Parts of "Spark" can seem like an ad for Burning Man, but the film digs deep enough into the pressures and challenges facing its organizers and attendees to be a worthy exploration of a unique phenomenon ..."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 6, 2013
|
|
C+
|
71%
|
The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear (2013) |
"
The individual moments in the film can be bleak but compelling, although the overall impact is blunted by a dearth of context or authorial voice."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 6, 2013
|
|
C+
|
34%
|
Adore (2013) |
"
While there's nothing wrong with telling stories about unlikeable people, they should be more interesting than this."
—
Oregonian
Posted Sep 5, 2013
|
|
B-
|
80%
|
Drinking Buddies (2013) |
"
The clean visuals make "Drinking Buddies" seem more crafted and less observed, adding a thin barrier to empathy. But if you're looking for a movie to drink beer to that won't kill too many additional brain cells, it serves just fine."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 30, 2013
|
|
A-
|
74%
|
The Grandmaster (2013) |
"
"The Grandmaster" doesn't stint on the action, but also highlights the inherent serenity at the heart of all worthwhile martial arts."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 30, 2013
|
|
B-
|
81%
|
Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013) |
"
"Ain't Them Bodies Saints" is impeccably crafted, hewn from the dark, dusty corners of America's poetic underbelly."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 29, 2013
|
|
C-
|
46%
|
Closed Circuit (2013) |
"
"Closed Circuit" ultimately feels like a cynical attempt to capitalize on security-state anxieties while examining them in only the shallowest ways."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 28, 2013
|
|
B
|
91%
|
In a World... (2013) |
"
It's clear that Bell has found her voice, and with any luck, she'll be sounding off for years to come."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 22, 2013
|
|
B
|
89%
|
The World's End (2013) |
"
"The World's End" mines humor from the prospect of hapless, decidedly unsober fellows confronted with the potential end of life as we know it. When the movie is funny, it's very funny ..."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 22, 2013
|
|
C-
|
22%
|
The Canyons (2013) |
"
[A] dispiriting, narcissistic slog."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 22, 2013
|
|
B+
|
91%
|
The Spectacular Now (2013) |
"
Characters we care about are still the best special effect out there."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 22, 2013
|
|
|
55%
|
Now, Forager (2012) |
"
Despite its punning title, this is an earnest, absorbing drama set at the intersection of countercultural idealism and gastronomical sophistication."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 20, 2013
|
|
B+
|
97%
|
Drug War (2013) |
"
Like a cross between "The Wire" and "The French Connection," even if To's blood-drenched fatalism goes a little overboard by the end. Despite the familiarity, it's an impressive piece of work."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 18, 2013
|
|
C+
|
73%
|
Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) |
"
By trying to inflate one remarkable life story into the chronicle of a generation, Daniels fills what could have been an inspirational, personal saga with a lot of hot air."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 16, 2013
|
|
B+
|
84%
|
Prince Avalanche (2013) |
"
The minimalism is refreshing, and frequently very funny, with both main actors in fine, relaxed form."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 9, 2013
|
|
A-
|
98%
|
Blackfish (2013) |
"
You don't have to be anything close to a PETA loyalist or an anthropomorphist to appreciate the genuine sorrow and eventual psychosis on display in footage of these whales."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 8, 2013
|
|
A-
|
91%
|
Blue Jasmine (2013) |
"
By the time "Blue Jasmine" arrives at one of Allen's most haunting finales, it has become a portrait of a delicate, troubled soul worthy of mention alongside Tennessee Williams."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 8, 2013
|
|
C
|
54%
|
Lovelace (2013) |
"
It feels like a movie that wants to have it both ways: giggle and thrill at the campy depictions of naughty hedonism, then wag the finger at all the cruelty underpinning it."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 8, 2013
|
|
C-
|
72%
|
Grabbers (2013) |
"
Recommended only for those peering through the thickest of beer goggles."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 2, 2013
|
|
C
|
15%
|
The Time Being (2013) |
"
Langella is solid as always, but his haunted, bitter character is pretty two-dimensional, and having to share all his scenes with Bentley doesn't allow for much interplay."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 1, 2013
|
|
|
64%
|
2 Guns (2013) |
"
It's disappointing that these frequently charismatic and compelling actors (including Paula Patton as Washington's girlfriend) can't find anything better to do with their talents."
—
Oregonian
Posted Aug 1, 2013
|
|
C
|
56%
|
The Look of Love (2013) |
"
Coogan never comes close to disappearing into the character, leaving the whole movie teetering uneasily between campy naughtiness and empathetic character study."
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 25, 2013
|
|
B-
|
95%
|
The Hunt (2013) |
"
"The Hunt" is a fantastic showcase for Mikkelsen, who shows he can play a cannibalistic serial killer on TV and a persecuted kindergarten teacher in the movies, and be just as believable as both."
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 25, 2013
|
|
C
|
47%
|
I'm So Excited! (2013) |
"
It has a whiff of the sort of desperation that can make an exclamation point in a title seem like a good idea."
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 25, 2013
|
|
B+
|
69%
|
The Wolverine (2013) |
"
The straightforward story and relatively modest stakes of "The Wolverine" are a breath of fresh air ... and Hugh Jackman inhabits the leading role with the ease that comes from multiple stabs at the character."
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 25, 2013
|
|
B+
|
81%
|
Crystal Fairy (2013) |
"
It's largely improvised, and feels that way, but the casual verisimilitude makes up for occasionally excessive meandering."
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 24, 2013
|
|
B+
|
62%
|
Broken (2013) |
"
If not for Laurence's bemused, slowly comprehending take on all the drama around her, "Broken" would seem to wallow in misery."
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 19, 2013
|
|
C
|
20%
|
Girl Most Likely (2013) |
"
Wiig is tailor-made for this sort of insecurity-based comedy, but both the dull script and the bland direction let her down."
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 18, 2013
|
|
B
|
100%
|
More Than Honey (2013) |
"
A little more attention to fact checking would have given the other scientific assertions in "More Than Honey" added weight, but even so this remains a fascinating, sometimes visually stunning, call to action. "
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 11, 2013
|
|
A-
|
92%
|
Museum Hours (2013) |
"
The result is poetic and maybe even wise. Bruegel, I think, would be proud. "
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 11, 2013
|
|
B
|
72%
|
Pacific Rim (2013) |
"
"Pacific Rim" is a little too long, a little too silly, and a little too underwritten, but for all that, it serves up a healthy portion of good old-fashioned guilt-free punching."
—
Oregonian
Posted Jul 11, 2013
|
