4/10
|
The Visit
(2015)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Madsen's choice to take the alien's perspective falls flat on its face from frame one, a mistake the film never fully recovers from.
Posted Aug 23, 2019
|
8/10
|
The Raid: Redemption
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Despite the real lack of substance when it comes to story or character development, there are no complaints when it comes to the action.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
7.5/10
|
Rapt
(2009)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Belvaux writes his characters in shades of greys, and his cast is smart enough to play on that moral ambiguity as much as possible.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
5.8/10
|
Marianne
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
The nightmare sequences were somewhat effective, but they lacked any real impact. The inevitable 'big scare' that came at the climax of the movie felt more like a whimper than a bang.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
7.8/10
|
Polisse
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
When Polisse sticks to its realistic fly-on-the-wall approach to the CPU it's some of the best filmmaking from this year, but its poor attempts to make the film more of a character piece hold it back from being truly great.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
8.1/10
|
Las acacias
(2010)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Even with the formally limited style Las Acacias has a big heart at its center and pays off tremendously if you're patient enough.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
6.2/10
|
The Pact
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
There is a lot of potential shown in The Pact, but the clunky writing and bombardment of clichés end up overshadowing the better qualities of the film.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
6.7/10
|
The Road
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
If you can get past the shortcomings, The Road is a fun little horror movie that's best seen late at night with a group of friends.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
8.4/10
|
This Is Not a Film
(2010)
|
C.J. Prince
|
If we go by the title and don't define this as a film then it's one of the most original and important things to come out this year.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
6/10
|
Michael
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Once you get past the effective style, there isn't much else to look at.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
5.7/10
|
The Woman in the Fifth
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
The Woman in the Fifth could have worked better if everything didn't feel so inert.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
7.1/10
|
Natural Selection
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Despite its shortcomings, Natural Selection is an enjoyable film.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
5/10
|
Code Blue
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
With no real substance behind its images it's understandable why some people would see the film as nothing more than a provocation.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
7/10
|
Children ...
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Luckily the strength of the film beforehand keeps things afloat. For the majority of the running time Children is a great crime thriller that doesn't miss a beat.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
6.8/10
|
The Imposter
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
On the surface The Imposter is one hell of a story, but it raises more questions than answers.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
7.9/10
|
Whores' Glory
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Glowagger's display of the range of consequences that come with the sex trade make for one of the best documentaries of the year.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
7.3/10
|
The Queen of Versailles
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
It's this turn of events that transforms The Queen of Versailles into a surprisingly empathetic look at Jackie Siegel as everything around her begins to crumble.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
4.9/10
|
Twixt
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
The incompetent way that Twixt is shot might have been done intentionally by Coppola to match the pulpy B-movie storyline, but the result is laughable.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
5.3/10
|
Lovely Molly
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Eduardo Sanchez may have one horror classic with his name on it, but Lovely Molly shows that Blair Witch didn't establish a new name in horror. It was only lightning in a bottle.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
7.7/10
|
Detention
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
It may look like a giant mess, but missing out on this would mean depriving yourself of one of the year's most entertaining films.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
7.4/10
|
Pink Ribbons, Inc.
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Pink Ribbons, Inc. may look uninteresting with its generic documentary format, but the content easily does all of the work.
Posted Jul 03, 2019
|
5/10
|
Lawless
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
The cast, while impressive, does little with what they have.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
6/10
|
The Tall Man
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
The Tall Man's twists and turns make for a fun time, but its attempts at provocation fail miserably. Laugier's ambitions are commendable, but they just don't succeed.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
7/10
|
The Master
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
I would need a rewatch to really settle in on how I feel about The Master, but my initial reaction is that it's good. It's just not the masterpiece that his last film was.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
7.5/10
|
Tabu
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
A romantic film about lost love and classic cinema, Tabu is definitely worth seeking out.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
7/10
|
Amour
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Amour is definitely a good film, but I'm judging this on the scale of Haneke's previous films where it just doesn't stand up.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
7/10
|
Berberian Sound Studio
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Berberian Sound Studio is definitely unique with some wonderful moments that nail what Strickland is going for, but it's too uneven to be something truly great.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
7.5/10
|
Cloud Atlas
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
While Cloud Atlas has its flaws, there are plenty of moments where I found myself seeing the big picture and fully realizing the weight of every storyline linking to one another throughout time.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
6.5/10
|
Here Comes the Devil
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Here Comes The Devil may be awful a lot of the time, yet I can't deny its power at keeping me invested throughout.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
5/10
|
The Land of Hope
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Unfortunately, The Land of Hope is a total miss despite its heavy subject matter.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
5/10
|
No One Lives
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Unfortunately, this is not a triumphant return for Kitamura, as No One Lives is a pretty stupid movie.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
9/10
|
Leviathan
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Everything around me looked foreign, like I was suddenly dropped into the theatre and trying to figure out where I was. It's the kind of reaction I've never had after watching a film, and it left me feeling euphoric afterwards.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
7.5/10
|
The Hunt
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
The Hunt may have been too see-through for me to truly enjoy it, but Vinterberg has crafted a very good movie here.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
6/10
|
Post Tenebras Lux
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
I still can't deny that parts of the film resonated with me, and down the road I might come to appreciate it more, but right now I feel mostly indifferent to what I saw.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
7/10
|
Penance
(2014)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Penance is definitely a well-made film despite its flaws, but it should probably stay on smaller screens as good TV.
Posted Jul 02, 2019
|
7.4/10
|
You Are Here
(2010)
|
C.J. Prince
|
A thought-provoking experience, and hopefully just the beginning of Daniel Cockburn's career in filmmaking.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
5.3/10
|
Red Lights
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Red Lights remains interesting throughout, but by the end it's appealing in the same way a train wreck is.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
6.9/10
|
Safety Not Guaranteed
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
If you can get past the flaws, Safety Not Guaranteed will make for a short but pleasant time.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
7/10
|
Keep the Lights On
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Keep The Lights On is still well-made with a terrific cast supporting one of the year's best performances.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
8/10
|
How to Survive a Plague
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
How to Survive a Plague will leave people feeling hopeful that it can be done sooner rather than later.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
2.5/10
|
Grave Encounters 2
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Waste any more time with these films and you'd be better off in a madhouse.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
7.1/10
|
The Bay
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Like Jaws did back in the 70s, The Bay will definitely have people feeling a little hesitant to go into the water any time soon.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
7.4/10
|
Silver Linings Playbook
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Fans of Russell's earlier films might lament his new career path as him selling out, but doing so doesn't give him enough credit. His work is still subversive, but now it's getting him better results.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
8.1/10
|
The Color Wheel
(2011)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Alex Ross Perry has defined himself as one of the more exciting new directors with The Color Wheel.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
7.8/10
|
The Comedy
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
After spending 90 minutes with characters like Swanson and his friends, no one will want to resemble them in any way whatsoever. That alone makes The Comedy a success.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
8.2/10
|
Barbara
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
The directorial power of Barbara constantly shines through, helping certify Christian Petzold as one of Germany's best directors working today.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
7/10
|
Django Unchained
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Fans of Tarantino won't come away disappointed, but he can do a lot better than this.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
7.9/10
|
The House I Live In
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
The subject matter alone makes this essential viewing if one has the chance to see it.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
7.3/10
|
I Am a Ghost
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
Mendoza shows a strong and well-realized vision that cleverly works around the limitations of indie and DIY filmmaking.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|
|
Inocente
(2012)
|
C.J. Prince
|
What makes Inocente such an interesting subject is her relentless optimism.
Posted Jun 29, 2019
|