The title of this sequel/prequel/reboot is a bit of misnomer, suggesting that the film will chronicle something of grave importance. Yet, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ultimately falls short of that promise. The title is also on the verbose side, and its length is one of the problems that the film itself shares. These issues…Read more Film Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Film Review: Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom ends on lyrical note. A swooping aerial shot spins around in a moment of sublime romanticism, capturing the rosy color of the African countryside at sunset. A small figure walks across the hills: it is Idris Elba's Nelson Mandela, who is pumping his fists in the air with a rousing…Read more Film Review: Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Film Review: The Rover (2014)
From Ravenous and Memento, to The Hard Word and The Proposition, Guy Pearce has shown himself again and again to be the posterboy for dirty, grim tales of crime and violence. These titles - where he typically embodies gaunt, unpredictable men - showcase the actor's preternatural ability to evoke both extreme emotion and remarkable restraint. In…Read more Film Review: The Rover (2014)
On A History of Violence and Darwinian Masculinity
“I am a complete Darwinian,” - David Cronenberg For many people, 2005's A History of Violence marked a turning point in David Cronenberg's career. The Oscar-nominated drama seemed a world away from the director's earlier films, offering a (deceptively) straightforward story about crime and hidden identities in bucolic Americana. Yet beneath the surface of the…Read more On A History of Violence and Darwinian Masculinity
Film Review: Ernest and Celestine (2013)
The Oscar nominated French animated film, Ernest and Celestine, gets major points for sweetness. This delicate, uniquely drawn work is endearing, yet its effect quickly dissipates. Functioning as a rather tired paean for tolerance, the story feels thinly sketched and unsubstantial, with critical components of the film’s world possessing an arbitrary quality. Additionally, the English…Read more Film Review: Ernest and Celestine (2013)
Film Review: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Groundhog Day, Groundhog Day, Groundhog Day. These are the only words critics are using to describe the recent Tom Cruise actioner, Edge of Tomorrow, as if that 80's classic invented the concept of a time loop. Instead of cribbing from the Harold Ramis' comedy, Edge of Tomorrow (AKA All You Need is Kill) feels thematically…Read more Film Review: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
On Gwen Stacy and The Amazing Spiderman 2’s Dubious Feminism
Scott Mendelson, a contributor at Forbes and owner of one of the creepiest profile photos of all time, wrote a piece recently on The Amazing Spiderman 2 and the problems inherent to its most iconic scene. As anybody with even a passing interest in Spiderman comics knows, Gwen Stacy is one of the Web Head's…Read more On Gwen Stacy and The Amazing Spiderman 2’s Dubious Feminism
Film Review: Regarding Henry (1991)
After a decade establishing himself as one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Harrison Ford made some serious changes in the early 1990s. He put away his bullwhip and hung up his blaster, and Indiana Jones and Han Solo went into retirement (well, until recently). For Ford, he was no longer content to play "scruffy…Read more Film Review: Regarding Henry (1991)
Review: BFA Thesis Exhibition – Practice/Practice
I preface this review with one central caveat: This will not be an entirely objective critique of Practice/Practice - the University of Minnesota's BFA Thesis Exhibition. As the older brother of one of the exhibition's featured artists (Emily Mohrbacher), there is, of course, a potent bias that I possess towards her respective piece, "Be kinder…Read more Review: BFA Thesis Exhibition – Practice/Practice
Film Review: The White Ribbon (2009)
When one thinks of scathing cultural critiques, Michael Haneke's brutal examinations of violence, social dysfunction and the cinematic art form have to rank pretty highly. The director's 2009 Palme d'Or champion, The White Ribbon, is no different in this regard. The film offers a stark, bone-chilling journey into an otherworldly farming community struggling to survive…Read more Film Review: The White Ribbon (2009)
Adam Mohrbacher 