Tag Archives: drama

Review: Room (2015); d. Lenny Abrahamson

Adapted from Emma Donoghue’s book of the same name, Room, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, deserves the term “harrowing.” It is harrowing in its quiet, in its logic, in its patience. It is harrowing in its setting. It is harrowing in … Continue reading

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Review: Spotlight (2015)

Really really good. Newspaper movie about the Boston Globe’s Spotlight investigative team breaking of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal. My review of Spotlight is now up at Rogerebert.com.

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Review: James White (2015); d. Josh Mond

A couple of the films I have loved this year are big blockbusters with special-effects. Mad Max: Fury Road. The Martian. These are fine films, with grounded stories, superb acting, gorgeous and evocative effects and high stakes. Hats off. But … Continue reading

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Review: A Question of Love: 1978 TV Movie starring Gena Rowlands

Alongside her film career, Gena Rowlands worked constantly in television (and this was true from her earliest days in the 1950s.) Her husband John Cassavetes also worked constantly in television and film, with key roles in (famously), The Dirty Dozen … Continue reading

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I interview Reed Morano, director of Meadowland (2015)

Meadowland, directed by Reed Morano, and starring Luke Wilson and Olivia Wilde (with a supporting cast of Giovanni Ribisi, Elizabeth Moss, John Leguizamo, Juno Temple) was one of the standout features that I saw during this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. … Continue reading

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Review: Meadowland (2015), starring Luke Wilson and Olivia Wilde

I saw Meadowland at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, and it’s now slated to open in the States on October 16th. Keep an eye out for it. Here’s my original review of Meadowland at Rogerebert.com. Meadowland is the … Continue reading

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Outrage (1950); Directed by Pioneer Ida Lupino: A Powerful Examination of Rape and Its Aftermath

Ida Lupino was an anomaly, a phenom, a pioneer. She was an actress, of course, a woman whose acting career stretched from the early 1930s to Columbo episodes in the mid-1970s. At first her roles were insignificant, like in Artists … Continue reading

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Review: 99 Homes (2015); d. Ramin Bahrani

Horrible poster. Ugh. Who would see the movie based on the poster? Oh, you marketing people. You are not artists, and it SHOWS. 99 Homes is a doozy, and people should see it. It’s not perfect, but it’s a relentless … Continue reading

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Review: Taxi (2015); d. Jafar Panahi

Talk about persistence in the face of unimaginable obstacles. Dissident Iranian director Jafar Panahi, arrested, imprisoned, placed on house arrest, dealing with a 20-year ban on film-making, not allowed to travel, not allowed to talk to foreigners, his livelihood taken … Continue reading

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Review: Break Point (2015)

An okay family drama, with good performances, but somewhat lackadaisical, and low-risk. My review of Break Point is now up at Rogerebert.com.

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