|
97%
|
Call Me Kuchu (2013)
|
"Eye-opening and powerful. A must-see for GLBT Americans and all those concerned about international human rights."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
56%
|
I'm So Excited! (2013)
|
"Pedro Almodovar's slight but delightful return to early, campy form. It may well turn out to be the most deliriously funny movie for adults, and definitely the gayest, to come out this summer."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979)
|
"A middling and unnecessary sequel. Not even Slim Pickens is safe from (director Irwin) Allen's waterlogged machinations."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
14%
|
The Swarm (1978)
|
"Paranoid killer bee epic actually holds up better today than its reputation would lead one to believe, especially in the original 156-minute cut available on some DVDs (and despite its laughable hallucinations of giant bees suffered by those stung)."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
38%
|
Cleopatra (1963)
|
"How does the final, 4-hour play today in its 50th anniversary edition? Its first two hours are spectacular and highly enjoyable...(but) things take a turn following Caesar's assassination and the audience's intermission."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
The Hot Flashes (2013)
|
"Could emerge as the sleeper hit of the summer. It is hilarious, heartfelt and, most significantly during a special-effects dominated season, human."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
20%
|
Identity Thief (2013)
|
"A pleasant surprise after the director's horrible "Horrible Bosses." (The film) is no classic but Melissa McCarthy's vivid performance may well become one. She is hilarious but brings a welcome, surprising poignancy to her role."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
Mutual Friends ()
|
"There are a number of very good, naturalistic performances rendered by the movie's largely theatre-trained players. (The film) is pleasurable enough in the watching but left me wanting more, especially more of (actor Cheyenne) Jackson."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
84%
|
Much Ado About Nothing (2013)
|
"A joyous, utterly contemporary treatment of the Bard's 400-year old play. While the production's bare-bones budget shows at time, (the film) is clearly a labor of love on the part of all involved."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
87%
|
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
|
"Very well-made and exciting. Kirk's/Pine's bromance with Spock/out actor Zachary Quinto is further and nicely developed here, and the film's 3D effects are truly special."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
50%
|
The Great Gatsby (2013)
|
"Livelier than any previous screen version. Luhrmann doesn't direct the film so much as he meticulously choreographs it. Leonardo DiCaprio has never been better."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
78%
|
Iron Man 3 (2013)
|
"I have found each of the "Iron Man" films a marked improvement over its immediate predecessor...primarily due to the trajectory of Stark's relationship with Pepper Potts and the series' more fearsome recent villains."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
93%
|
Lore (2013)
|
"Unflinching but thoroughly engrossing, the film provides a rarely depicted look at the Holocaust's other innocent victims. Beautiful cinematography by Adam Arkapaw."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
99%
|
Mud (2013)
|
"Adolescent boys and their fathers will find much to appreciate and bond over but the movie's slow-as-molasses, 130-minute running time and occasional bursts of Scorsese-esque violence prevent it from being a true family film."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
88%
|
In the House (2013)
|
"Less focused than most of (writer-director Francois) Ozon's previous films. It is difficult to decide with which character we as viewers/pseudo-participants are supposed to empathize. More off-putting than fully satisfying in the end."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
90%
|
Beyond The Hills (2013)
|
"(Writer-director Christian) Mungiu balances his film's more disturbing content with peaceful shots of the idyllic, surrounding countryside and of intimacy between the two women while slowly building to an inevitable conclusion. "
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
94%
|
Room 237 (2013)
|
"Some of the interpretations seem more of a stretch than others but all are entertainingly presented by director Rodney Ascher. (The movie) serves as a testament to Stanley Kubrick's cinematic mastery."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
Strange Frame: Love & Sax (2013)
|
"An undeniably stylish and ambitious animated sci-fi film. The character animation is colorful but stiff and video game-like, which can be irritating, while the environments and backgrounds are often stunning."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
Satan's Angel: Queen Of The Fire Tassels (2013)
|
"Walker's brassy personality takes a bit of getting used to and I wish the film featured more serious discussion of Walker's relationship with her devoted wife, Vic. Still, it provides an insightful glimpse into a little-known life and industry."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
69%
|
Les Misérables (2012)
|
"Fortunately, the film's weaknesses fail to diminish the power of Victor Hugo's 150-year old saga...and the score's best songs--generally well-performed in much-ballyhooed live recordings--highlight this all the more."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
90%
|
My Brother The Devil (2013)
|
"Highly recommended. (Writer-director) El Hosaini handles the various volatile relationships within the film with intelligence and sensitivity."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
Interior. Leather Bar. ()
|
"A fascinating rumination on the current state of GLBT acceptance in society via a graphic re-creation of missing footage from 1980's controversial "Cruising.""
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
59%
|
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
|
"(James) Franco's performance is one of the better, more genuine things about Disney's given-to-excess adaptation/prequel. Still, the movie is on the whole engaging and entertaining."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
71%
|
My Amityville Horror (2013)
|
"Spooky stuff, effectively directed by Eric Walter, even as it rehashes much of what is well known from the books and movies."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
67%
|
Stoker (2013)
|
"The violent yet artful stylings of Korean director Park Chan-Wook are applied to a Southern Gothic plot with artistically queasy results."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
65%
|
Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey (2013)
|
"As inspiring as much of (Arnel) Pineda's story is, Filipina director Ramona S. Diaz may be a little too enamored with her subject and, subsequently, comes across at times as less than objective."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
67%
|
The We and the I (2013)
|
"A return to successful form for (director Michel) Gondry after 2011's wretched "The Green Hornet"...captures the modern teen spirit, lingo and reliance on technology exceptionally well. "
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
89%
|
Hava Nagila: The Movie (2013)
|
"Fun and illuminating...The movie as well as the song serve as fitting, entertaining testaments to the resilience of the Jewish people."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
89%
|
Koch (2013)
|
"First-time filmmaker Neil Barsky does a generally remarkable job shuttling back and forth between clips from archival footage...and an intimate 2010 interview he conducted of Koch."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
14%
|
Spiders (2013)
|
"Evoked for me pleasant childhood memories of watching such "giant monsters on the loose" B-movies as "Them!," "Tarantula" and "The Giant Spider Invasion." Excellent special effects."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
80%
|
Warm Bodies (2013)
|
"Adds welcome doses of romance (yes, really) and humor to the zombie genre. Nicholas Hoult gives his most endearing performance to date."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
95%
|
West of Memphis (2012)
|
"(Director Amy) Berg's doc is gripping, often infuriating, but in the end hopeful about the ability of truth and innocence to prevail thanks to the efforts of those who strive against all obstacles to uphold them."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
86%
|
Tabu (2012)
|
"For a decades-spanning, country-hopping romance on a low budget, "Tabu" looks great...it intentionally evokes in aesthetics, settings and/or plot elements such cinematic classics as "Casablanca," "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946) and more."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
29%
|
Let My People Go! (2013)
|
"May well be the world's first French-Jewish-Finnish-Gay movie. Enjoyably campy."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
77%
|
Any Day Now (2012)
|
"Sweet but ultimately heart-wrenching. (Includes interview with star Garret Dillahunt.)"
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
94%
|
The Sessions (2012)
|
"Deeply moving. The Oscar-worthy (John) Hawkes invests his character with a sense of grace and humor that nullifies any potential pity. This is a great movie for adults and even for older adolescents."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
48%
|
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)
|
"If only the other films in the series featured such surprises (as in this film's climactic battle) instead of being so by-the-numbers in adaptation and crafting, the saga might have proven more significant."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
89%
|
Lincoln (2012)
|
"A talky, 150-minute affair but not without interesting modern-day ironies and parallels. One needs to take the one-sided history depicted with a grain of salt."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
88%
|
Life of Pi (2012)
|
"A thought-provoking religious parable. Profound, haunting and beautifully made."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
96%
|
Chasing Ice (2012)
|
"So long as filmmaker Jeff Orlowski keeps his focus on the findings from (James) Balog's Extreme Ice Survey (EIS)..."Chasing Ice" is gripping."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
82%
|
De rouille et d'os (Rust and Bone) (2012)
|
"Unsparing. It isn't a love story for everyone, but many will find it and its two lead performances undeniably powerful. "
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
96%
|
In the Family (2012)
|
"(Writer-director Patrick) Wang's deliberate, naturalistic style proves to be both a strength and a weakness. In the final analysis, the overall timeliness of Wang's storyline as well as the film's lack of sentimentality is of considerable value. "
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
All The Light In The Sky ()
|
"Lovely. The beautifully-shot film is observant, gently adult and wryly funny."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
78%
|
Flight (2012)
|
"A very effective and positive exploration of the time-honored Twelve Steps in overcoming addiction. Denzel Washington is award-worthy as the denial-plagued pilot, and it is great to have Robert Zemeckis directing flesh & blood characters once again."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
81%
|
The Impossible (2012)
|
"Undeniably compelling and frequently harrowing. Unfortunately, director J. A. Bayona unnecessarily piles on foreboding touches...and a new 3D sound system so loud and strong that it literally made my teeth vibrate."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
67%
|
Cloud Atlas (2012)
|
"A stunning romantic-philosophical spectacle with a spectacular cast. Sadly, an undeserving box office flop in the U.S."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012)
|
"Indeed one of the very best in the series' 50-year history. Director Sam Mendes gathered a superb cast and technical team for this 007 outing and their collective proficiency shows."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
Becoming Blond (2012)
|
"Alas, there are no pleasures to be found. Simply awful."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
——
|
Supernatural Activity (2012)
|
"Not unlike many of the shows and films it is sending up, "Supernatural Activity" is crudely made and goes on for too long. However, there are quite a few funny to very funny visual and character gags to be enjoyed."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
|
98%
|
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
|
"On the new Blu-ray release: Beautifully restored. (The film) is awash in an embarrassment of riches. Only Holden's voiceover strikes me as particularly dated by today's standards."
|
Fr. Chris Carpenter
|
73%
78%
61%
52%
26%
4%
