|
2.0/5
|
81%
|
The Impossible (2012) |
"
One might leave the theater wondering how much can one be entertaining by suffering?"
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 18, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
65%
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) |
"
Seeing The Hobbit is like going to a timeshare presentation. First you have to sit through the boring stuff before you can take advantage of the spectacular benefits."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 13, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
70%
|
Les Misérables (2012) |
"
Les Misérables is as sodden as a tear-filled hankie. Director Hooper gets bogged down by the bulk of his movie."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 11, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
——
|
The Long Green Line (2008) |
"
This documentary, written and directed by Matthew Arnold, captures the vulnerability, naivete, and pretension of youth. He focuses on the student athletes and their irrepressible coach."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 10, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
92%
|
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) |
"
When you make a movie set in Philly, you'd better get it right. Knowledgeable Eagles' fans may find Russell's sense of history maddening."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 26, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
87%
|
Life of Pi (2012) |
"
Life of Pi is not a shaggy-tiger story. It is a tale of tantalizing imagination."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 23, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012) |
"
The best aspect of Lincoln is the stellar performance by Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln. Day-Lewis always is devoted to finding the authenticity."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 18, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
94%
|
The Sessions (2012) |
"
Popular sex therapist Dr. Ruth once said that sexual surrogates are "illegal." The Sessions makes them mainstream."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 13, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
63%
|
Hitchcock (2012) |
"
Hitchcock takes us through the struggle, travail, and rejections that faced Hitch as he tried to make a new kind of movie. We perhaps forget how revolutionary Psycho was in 1960. No one had ever done what Hitchcock was attempting."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 8, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
78%
|
Flight (2012) |
"
Robert Zemeckis directs unevenly from an erratic screenplay by John Gatins. Flight basically is a shaky character study, but its strength is a terrific action sequence, as the pilot struggles trying to control his plummeting plane."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 4, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012) |
"
Where have you gone, 007? Skyfall has transformed you from the human, vulnerable, skillful spy into a Superhero Bond. In Skyfall, Bond is part Aquaman and part Road Runner, with some familial angst pilfered from Bruce Wayne. He's become an action toy."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 26, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
96%
|
Shifty (2008) |
"
Shifty is low-key, low budget, but high grade. It's a film about sitting and talking. And drug dealing. It builds slowly - some may want more action, but it has a surprisingly satisfying conclusion."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 18, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
96%
|
Argo (2012) |
"
Argo is a skillful, dramatic entertainment. It's slick. But in its rush to be "feel-good," Argo sacrifices a lot - such as depth and credibility. It has thrills and laughs; it just doesn't have much substance."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 13, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
85%
|
End of Watch (2012) |
"
End of Watch avoids many of the conventions of other cop movies and goes its own way. But then it veers back to the easy, most conventional of modes. End of Watch is a moral tale that unfortunately misplaces its truth."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 29, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
85%
|
The Master (2012) |
"
Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master baits the audience. One may admire The Master for its scope, style, and maybe some of the acting, but its vision is myopic."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 26, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
93%
|
Looper (2012) |
"
Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the loopy looper, has to time travel into another time to kill himself (Bruce Willis) so that he doesn't make bad movies. No, that's not it. So he can avoid Demi Moore. No. Oh, forget it."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 25, 2012
|
|
1.5/5
|
51%
|
Trouble with the Curve (2012) |
"
Trouble with the Curve should be titled Trouble with the Cliche. It was not written by a hitter; it was written by a hacker. It's depressing to think that Clint Eastwood's final screen appearance may be in this junkball movie."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 25, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
87%
|
Arbitrage (2012) |
"
Arbitrage is the latest in a long line of movies with touches of Alfred Hitchcock's DNA. The film reverberates with themes such as deception, ethical ambiguity, and the impact of fate."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 16, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
86%
|
Robot & Frank (2012) |
"
Robot & Frank is an airy, engaging flight of fancy. It's also part caper film, part character study, and part allegory about aging. Robot & Frank shouldn't work, but it does."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 8, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
64%
|
Cosmopolis (2012) |
"
David Cronenberg takes a wayward shot at making a film out of Don DeLillo's artful novel Cosmopolis. Cronenberg's version drones and flounders."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 2, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
67%
|
Lawless (2012) |
"
In Lawless, character wins out amidst the brutal assaults and onslaughts. The Bondurant brothers are outlaws, but they have a strong sense of frontier justice. Just like a good western does."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 28, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
94%
|
Side by Side (2012) |
"
In Side by Side, editor Walter Murch states, "In a way, film was the church of the 20th century." But the church of film is shutting its doors. Stained glass is being replaced by digital imagery. A new religion is on its relentless way."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 26, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
79%
|
Ruby Sparks (2012) |
"
Ruby Sparks goes beyond quirky fluff and deals with relationships. Zoe Kazan rides her screenplay on a high-altitude flight of imagination. Although there's an occasional bump on the way, the landing is smooth."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 16, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
56%
|
The Bourne Legacy (2012) |
"
The Bourne Legacy moves on, and takes us on a spirited journey. Stow your baggage, and it's a trip well worth taking."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 12, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
88%
|
Neil Young Journeys (2012) |
"
Neil Young Journeys does for some of us what a rare film can do - it revives and renews our spirit. Neil Young and Jonathan Demme. Heart and soul. Wisdom and age. Fire and ashes. Lightning and thunder."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 9, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
78%
|
The Deep Blue Sea (2012) |
"
The Deep Blue Sea is an eloquent love song. It's both hauntingly pitiful and very human. It's love in all its labor."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jul 30, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
73%
|
The Monitor (Babycall) (2012) |
"
Norwegian director/writer Pal Sletaune appears to have been influenced by Roman Polanski, but The Monitor is more oppressive than haunting. There is little or no sense of dread. The climax is predictable."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jul 28, 2012
|
|
4.0/5
|
88%
|
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) |
"
The best quality of this film is that it shows that "blockbusters" do not have to surrender to a bombardment of special effects. They can keep intelligence and humanity. Because of that monumental lesson, this film could become an important classic."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jul 18, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
60%
|
Stella Days (2012) |
"
Martin Sheen gives a lilting performance as dogged Father Barry. Sheen continues his professional and personal journey. The ending may not be as firm as one might want, but Stella Days is a further step in Martin Sheen's spiritual journey."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jul 17, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
86%
|
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) |
"
The contemporary world is smitten with "Reality Shows." Beasts of the Southern Wild should fit right in. It could be called "Louisiana Shore." It has a crowd of noisy people, who swill beer and nonsense."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jul 11, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
73%
|
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) |
"
The Amazing Spider-Man has surprising agility. Its agility isn't so much in its special effects, which certainly are more than serviceable. Its agility comes in its acting, writing, and direction."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jul 6, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
97%
|
Monsieur Lazhar (2012) |
"
In Monsieur Lazhar, education can prevail over its literal restrictions. Teachers may make mistakes, but the good ones emphasize independence and intelligence. And interpretation. They serve inquisitiveness, not inquisition."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jul 5, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
68%
|
Ted (2012) |
"
I'm taking over for Macklin -- he can't handle the truth about bears. But I can. I'm a bear named Teddy. So this review of Ted is a peer review. Ted isn't a teddy bear's picnic. It's a raunchy blast."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jul 2, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
41%
|
Rock of Ages (2012) |
"
The subtitle of Rock of Ages should be, "We Built This Sinkhole on Rock and Roll." Despite the relentless vapidity of Rock of Ages, there is one reason to see this movie -- Tom Cruise. Is a single performance enough to recommend a movie? If so, go."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jun 26, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
91%
|
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) |
"
Safety Not Guaranteed is an indie flight of fancy. It's fresh and imaginative. Its best moments are when it is grounded in the absurdity and whimsy of the human condition."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jun 26, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
43%
|
To Rome with Love (2012) |
"
In To Rome with Love, Woody is back on screen. His flippant patter is still amusing, but his persona doesn't sharpen the movie at all. His patented anxiousness is distracting. Fortunately, it doesn't distract from anything interesting."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jun 20, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
92%
|
Headhunters (2012) |
"
Headhunters (Hodejegerne) is a roiling Norwegian mix of Hitchcock and Wile E. Coyote, with a generous dose of feces and blood. Headhunters is a mind game. And a blood sport."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jun 14, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
74%
|
Prometheus (2012) |
"
Prometheus is no odyssey. It's more a slog through space glop. The characters are sketchy, and the plot is scrawny. It goes where a lot of filmmakers have gone before."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jun 9, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
47%
|
Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) |
"
At its best, Snow White and the Huntsman is a bold, vivid, imaginative retelling of a beloved fairy tale. It is both stark and gorgeous, bleak and beautiful. In this version, the powerful conflict is between age and youth."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jun 7, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
70%
|
Men in Black III (2012) |
"
The actor and character that most humanizes the movie is Michael Stuhlbarg as Griffin, the alien with the gift of seeing potential futures. Griffin is both knowing and insecure. Stuhlbarg gives an affecting performance of warmth and fearful anxiety."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jun 2, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
78%
|
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) |
"
What makes this film work is not the predictable plot and characters. It's the acting. The movie has a special cast. Even though they often are given pat sequences, the actors are crown-jewel professionals, and their talent glimmers through."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted May 29, 2012
|
|
1.5/5
|
34%
|
Battleship (2012) |
"
Battleship is a loud lobotomy."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted May 21, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
86%
|
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012) |
"
The Pirates! Band of Misfits deserves two doubloons up. It shivered me funny bone."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted May 16, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
100%
|
Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story (2012) |
"
Clarity is a forte for a documentary. Director Raymond De Felitta has captured a time and place, both past and present, but one wishes he had pushed a bit more for truth."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted May 12, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
92%
|
Marvel's The Avengers (2012) |
"
Although it takes a while to hit its stride, once it does Marvel's The Avengers is a razzle-dazzle, rip-roaring entertainment. Count on The Hulk. Once he erupts, The Avengers soars across the screen with ferocity and style."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted May 5, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
47%
|
Cellmates (2012) |
"
Cellmates is an indie film that shouldn't work. And at times it doesn't, but at other times it has an offbeat integrity that engages."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted May 4, 2012
|
|
4.0/5
|
95%
|
Marley (2012) |
"
Marley is a terrific documentary. It goes beyond one figure, and captures the essence of life itself. The film is as infectious and spiritual as one of his songs."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Apr 28, 2012
|
|
1.5/5
|
64%
|
Unraveled (2012) |
"
Unraveled is a con job. It has the clammy hands of its crooked main figure all over it. Unraveled is a prime example of why one sometimes should be skeptical of a documentary."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Apr 24, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
96%
|
Sleepless Night (2012) |
"
Sleepless Night (Nuit blanche) is one frenetic French dream. It's slam-bang mayhem -- with an active intelligence."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Apr 20, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
62%
|
We Have a Pope (2012) |
"
Although We Have a Pope is a heady concoction, it may not have mass appeal. It is blessed with a memorable performance by Michel Piccoli as the bewildered, overwhelmed cleric. But Nanni Moretti's direction at times seems as random as Melville's journey."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Apr 16, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
82%
|
Goon (2012) |
"
Goon captures the humanity of the brutal - and uplifting - game of hockey that is identified so strongly with Canada. It's no coincidence that actually, Jay Baruchel has a tattoo of a maple leaf over his heart."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Apr 8, 2012
|
|
1.5/5
|
56%
|
Detachment (2012) |
"
Tony Kaye's Detachment is the latest installment of angst and chalk figures. Detachment basically is inauthentic and pretentious. Like most education, it blows its opportunity."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Apr 1, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
84%
|
The Hunger Games (2012) |
"
The Hunger Games is much more than a game. It is a memorable human experience. Thank the gods for the wonder of literature and the vision of movies. Some of us still hunger for eloquence on the screen."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Mar 26, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
85%
|
21 Jump Street (2012) |
"
21 Jump Street is a cockamamie movie. It's as rowdy as a dick joke. After the 21st dick joke, I wanted to jump off. And after the dick jokes there's a load of excrement jokes."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Mar 20, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
71%
|
Thin Ice (2012) |
"
Thin Ice is choppy, its tone jumps, it has an unnecessary voice-over, and one wonders about the easy, sappy ending. One also wonders what the original movie was like before it fell through the thin ice of manipulation."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Mar 15, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
86%
|
The Forgiveness of Blood (2012) |
"
In The Forgiveness of Blood, director Joshua Marston makes a brave but risky choice by keeping almost all the violence off screen. But violence -- even unseen -- ripples far beyond the original participants."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Mar 7, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
56%
|
In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011) |
"
In the Land of Blood and Honey is a relentless, disturbing chronicle of cruelty. It is bleak and brutal. Angelina Jolie is showing this could be -- and still is -- happening in other parts of the world."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Mar 3, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
72%
|
Roadie (2012) |
"
It's rare that an acting performance can carry a movie, but Ron Eldard gets a lot more out of his role than was on the page. Eldard invests his character with palpable vulnerability."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Feb 24, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
53%
|
Safe House (2012) |
"
Why would you cast Denzel Washington, and then cut his performance to ribbons? Orson Welles once said that a film is made in the editing room. It also can be wrecked."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Feb 18, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
99%
|
A Separation (2011) |
"
A Separation shows the human struggle for respect and a better life. It's a struggle rife with human frailty. Asghar Farhadi is a sly writer and director, and leaves us with questions that are provocative and elusive."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Feb 13, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
93%
|
Coriolanus (2011) |
"
Ralph Fiennes has created a slashing, sprawling version of Shakespere's Coriolanus. It's muscular Shakespeare. It's trimmed down - but has themes and a sensibility that fit into today's society and world."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Feb 5, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
80%
|
Haywire (2012) |
"
Haywire is as entertaining as a skillful cartoon. Gia Carano is Road Runner, and her adversaries are a bunch of Wile E. Coyotes."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Feb 5, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
96%
|
Undefeated (2012) |
"
At its best, Undefeated is a Hail Mary TD pass. Other times, it's a routine punt. Undefeated is an anthem of decency and empathy. It's also about living on the edge - of society and life."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Feb 4, 2012
|
|
2.5/5
|
55%
|
Albert Nobbs (2012) |
"
2011 was the year of the actress. Both Glenn Close and Janet McTeer give tour de force performances in Albert Nobbs."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jan 25, 2012
|
|
1.5/5
|
78%
|
A Dangerous Method (2011) |
"
Director David Cronenberg is almost always compelling. Many of his movies have potent, startling shock. But A Dangerous Method doesn't shock; it nags."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jan 21, 2012
|
|
2.0/5
|
60%
|
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) |
"
Dear Guy Ritchie: My name is Robin Hood. I need to be brought into today's world of short attention spans, nonreading, and lovable, cantankerous heroes. If you can turn Sherlock into a glib, pompous ass, imagine what you can do for me."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jan 14, 2012
|
|
3.0/5
|
77%
|
War Horse (2011) |
"
War Horse -- novel and play -- is now a Spielberg symphony. War Horse is part reality and part fantasy, and Spielberg has to do a risky balancing act. It is a gallant film."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jan 8, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
76%
|
We Need to Talk About Kevin (2012) |
"
I'm a sucker for Hitchcock, and last year Jeff Nichols showed he knew his Hitch in Take Shelter (2011). But perhaps Lynne Ramsay knows her Hitchcock even better."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jan 5, 2012
|
|
1.5/5
|
51%
|
The Iron Lady (2012) |
"
The Iron Lady is an example of an actress being so much better than the film she's in. Meryl Streep, as Margaret Thatcher, presides with grand humanity, over a film that is pretty much a shambles."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Jan 3, 2012
|
|
3.5/5
|
96%
|
The Muppets (2011) |
"
The Muppets is a joyful mix of the nostalgic past and a vibrant present. It tops the list of family movies for the holidays. The movie asks the question, "Do you have what it takes to be one of the Muppets?" Of course, we do."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 26, 2011
|
|
1.5/5
|
47%
|
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2012) |
"
Hollywood loves tragedy, especially if they can exploit it, by leaving out the humanity and substituting star power and shtik."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 22, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
93%
|
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol (2011) |
"
Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol was was made for IMAX. It blows up the Mission Impossible Force's stature. It also blows up part of of the Kremlin. As well as reason and logic. But who cares? It's Mission Impossible."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 18, 2011
|
|
4.0/5
|
86%
|
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) |
"
David Fincher's American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a powerhouse of a picture. And, in an incredible feat, Rooney Mara wrests the role away from the unforgettable Noomi Rapace in the Swedish version -- Mara and Fincher make it her own."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 14, 2011
|
|
2.0/5
|
83%
|
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) |
"
The contemporary version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy doesn't seem to give a tinker's damn. It's le Carre for Dummies."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 13, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
84%
|
My Week with Marilyn (2011) |
"
In her ravishing performance in My Week with Marilyn, Michelle Williams shows that Marilyn lives. And she still haunts."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 8, 2011
|
|
1.5/5
|
79%
|
Shame (2011) |
"
Shame is a noxious porridge of porn and pointlessness. It's a penis in search of a plot. Its protagonist is a masturbating cipher."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 5, 2011
|
|
3.5/5
|
98%
|
The Artist (2011) |
"
The Artist is vibrant. It is clever and dramatic, and has a rich treasure trove of cinema lore and vitality. The Artist captures the eternal wonder of movies -- new and old."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Dec 2, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
94%
|
Hugo (2011) |
"
Hugo is a love affair -- palpable and personal -- between director Marty Scorsese and cinema. It sputters, floats, and soars."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 27, 2011
|
|
2.0/5
|
89%
|
The Descendants (2011) |
"
Callng Chevy Chase. George Clooney has taken your role. The Descendants calls out for Clark Griswold and his brood -- The Griswolds in Hawaii. This time around George Clooney plays the clueless dad."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 27, 2011
|
|
4.0/5
|
77%
|
Melancholia (2011) |
"
Melancholia is a challenge for a critic. It may stymie reviewers. Some viewers will find it tedious and a total waste of time. Others will find it engrossing and rich in symbolism -- a veritable work of art."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 16, 2011
|
|
2.0/5
|
43%
|
J. Edgar (2011) |
"
Power doesn't necessarily make intriguing character. Is Clint next considering a movie about Henry Kissinger or Karl Rove?"
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Nov 8, 2011
|
|
3.5/5
|
92%
|
Take Shelter (2011) |
"
On rare occasions, a movie comes along that does genuine honor to Alfred Hitchcock. Take Shelter is such a movie. It could be subtitled "Take Shelter with Hitch.""
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 28, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
88%
|
Margin Call (2011) |
"
Margin Call puts human faces behind the masks of Big Business. It is a bit static, but its dialogue and performances are electric. Margin Call is a plaintive cry in the night of the soul."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 24, 2011
|
|
2.0/5
|
46%
|
The Mighty Macs (2011) |
"
The Mighty Macs has its pleasant moments, but it does not have the authentic taste and aroma of Philly Cheese Steaks. Instead, it's as generic as McDonald's Big Macs."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 23, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
82%
|
The Way (2011) |
"
The Way is real personal cinema. It's an Estevez family project. But it's not a vanity project -- it's a spiritual legacy."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 18, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
64%
|
Love Crime (2011) |
"
Love Crime is a slick French cinema croissant filled with sweet and sour revenge. It may not leave much of an aftertaste, but while you're experiencing it, it's savory."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 9, 2011
|
|
2.0/5
|
85%
|
The Ides of March (2011) |
"
The Ides of March isn't stale, but it isn't fresh either. There's nothing memorable. There's nothing daring. The theme of The Ides of March is that idealism is squelched by pragmatism. Oh, what an insight."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 5, 2011
|
|
2.5/5
|
93%
|
50/50 (2011) |
"
As Adam in 50/50, Gordon-Levitt is low-key, but very human. His expressive face shines and darkens. Director Jonathan Levine brings him back to simple, expressive humanity."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Oct 1, 2011
|
|
2.5/5
|
94%
|
Moneyball (2011) |
"
Moneyball is an impelling triple. It's smart, agile, and effective. But it's anti-climactic. Director Bennett Miller and writers Sorkin and Zaillian could swing for a home run, but instead they settle for a base on balls."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 26, 2011
|
|
2.0/5
|
41%
|
Straw Dogs (2011) |
"
If Sam Peckinpah were alive today and read that director Ron Lurie had remade his Straw Dogs, he would have scowled his famous scowl. I knew Sam, and of course no one was like him. He was one of a kind. Lurie is of the masses. He's no Sam; he's Spam."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 21, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
84%
|
Contagion (2011) |
"
Contagion is a clear-eyed vision of a potential, modern horror that shows science in battle. The direction by Steven Soderbergh is deft and sharp. The screenplay by Scott Z. Burns is intelligent and not exploitative."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 15, 2011
|
|
2.5/5
|
82%
|
Life, Above All (2011) |
"
Life, Above All is 100 minutes of grief and courage. The film shows how South Africans failed to accept and deal with the reality of AIDS. It's a provocative and depressing plot."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 9, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
95%
|
The Guard (2011) |
"
The Guard is a vulgar, Irish treat. While many movies recently have ended with contrivance and disappointment, McDonagh's ending is satisfying. And his choice of the last song is ideal. But the dialogue of The Guard still is a puzzlement to me. WTF?"
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 5, 2011
|
|
2.5/5
|
73%
|
Sarah's Key (2011) |
"
Sarah's Key is elevated by luminous performances by two actresses -- veteran Kristin Scott Thomas and 10-year old Melusine Mayance. Fortunately their talent often is able to transcend the contrivances that mar the plot."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Sep 2, 2011
|
|
2.0/5
|
77%
|
The Debt (2011) |
"
The three new writers for The Debt muddle the original Israeli movie Ha-Hov (2007) in an awkward attempt to make it their own. In trying to put their own stamp on it, they botch it."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 21, 2011
|
|
3.5/5
|
93%
|
Of Gods and Men (2011) |
"
In a world in which faith and ignorance are often yoked together, Of Gods and Men lifts faith from just the throbbing heart to the thinking mind as well."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 16, 2011
|
|
2.5/5
|
76%
|
The Help (2011) |
"
The Help is Mississippi-lite. This doesn't mean it's not an entertaining movie: it is quite enjoyable. It just means it avoids authenticity."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 11, 2011
|
|
3.0/5
|
82%
|
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) |
"
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is like many summer movies -- once you get on their wave length, they're a hoot. But you have to accept the bumpy amusement ride."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 7, 2011
|
|
2.5/5
|
95%
|
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011) |
"
Cave of Forgotten Dreams is a 30,000-year leap of faith. Werner Herzog, after tiptoeing through the transforming cave, says, "Nothing is real. Nothing is certain." As an artist, he seems to like it that way."
—
tonymacklin.net
Posted Aug 5, 2011
|
