Gifted is the very definition of a tear jerker – its every line is meant to either enhance the tears that are to come or layer on the tears once they’ve arrived. Take a late in the movie scene where Chris Evans’ heroic and damaged uncle character must save (in order of importance) 1) his […]
What an odd, delightful treat this movie proved to be. Under-promoted to the point of near obscurity despite a name-packed cast, this Michael Showalter dramedy sneaks up on you. There are multiple moments along the way when you might want to declare the film too weird, too improbable, too kitschy to be deserving of attention […]
I started this last year, keeping a list of every movie I see all year (just the new releases) in order to form a definitive set of personal rankings come the following January. My 2014 list started on February 9th when I saw That Awkward Moment starring Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B Jordan […]
It’s unbelievable that The Angriest Man in Brooklyn exists- that it was made when it was made by the people who made it. It’s unbelievable that this was one of the last artistic experiences of Robin Williams’ life, portraying Henry, a man plagued by anger who learns to live again as he prepares to die. […]
A cast of some of TV’s most wonderful people populates About Alex, the debut feature from Parenthood writer Jesse Zwick. A dramedy about college friends reunited by tragic, awkward circumstances, this ensemble dramedy dives into everything- listlessness, love (requited, unrequited, unspoken, overwrought), depression, anxiety, jealousy, pretension, ambition- only rarely losing its honesty and light touch. […]
… that’s an order. I mean it. If you let awards-ready Sundance hit Whiplash go to wide release without already knowing and loving the work of one of the best young actors in Hollywood, I can guarantee you’ll feel like one of those people who hadn’t heard of Melissa McCarthy until Bridesmaids. From 2010’s Rabbit Hole […]
It appears that going back home for a funeral is still the best way to find love and experience a journey of self-discovery. Dating back to classic films like The Big Chill and including newer favourites such as Garden State, the funeral slice of life film has now become an overused and tired cliché. This […]
This is a Cabin in the Woods-type movie. I don’t mean a riveting and inventive take on the horror genre (though it is, in some ways, that too; sort of), I mean that to reveal the full premise of this film is to undermine the experience of it. So I’m going to be coy about […]
The Skeleton Twins is both incredibly witty, heartbreaking, and one of my favorite films of the Year, so far! If you asked me over the years which generation of Saturday Night Live performers would have the best careers, I probably would have said the Will Ferrell/Molly Shannon crowd. Through my personal experience I never found […]
Much like the Cubanos and three-cheese Paninis created throughout the film, Chef warms the soul like a favorite comfort food. The underlying story of the film revolves around reuniting a father and son — a relationship lost to long hours and busy schedules. After a social-media shouting-match, writer/director/character Jon Favreau loses his job and follows […]
I saw 90 movies in 2013… if you’ve read any of the previous 9 entries in this Cinematic 2013 series (which you absolutely should have), you’ve heard this whole spiel already. Read #80-90, #70-79, #60-69, #50-59, #40-49, #30-39, #20-29, #11-19 and The Top Ten. After 90, I figured “that should pretty well cover it” and finalized my rankings. I shouldn’t have. Now, springtime […]
Remember those 80’s and 90’s summer vacation movies with everlasting humor? The ones with parents chilling out by the beach, acting like children, and children entering adulthood; the ones that offer escape from the monotony of everyday life shaped up by demanding careers and addictive electronics; the ones that last forever in our memories and […]
She is clumsy, impulsive, irrational, indecisive, and forgetful. She is a 27, “looks older, but not grown up.” She is open and friendly with men, but she labels herself as: “undateable.” She has the right posture and body, but her lack of coordination makes her appear as a caricature of a dancer. She is educated […]