It’s impossible to know fully why actors choose the roles they do. Whether it be the script, the subject matter or the chance to work with an admired collaborator, there are likely many reasons for an actor to sign onto a specific project. In the case of this year’s listless romantic comedy Home Again, one must…Read more Film Review: Home Again (2017)
2010s Reviews
Film Review: Extraordinary Measures (2010)
Most of the time Big Pharma appears in cinema as not only a malevolent force but a nearly satanic one. From The Constant Gardener and Resident Evil to Rise of the Planet of the Apes and 28 Weeks Later, this is an industry that ravages cinematic worlds with a hateful, sociopathic frenzy. That is why…Read more Film Review: Extraordinary Measures (2010)
Film Review: Walk the Line (2005)
"You can't walk no line," snarls Reese Witherspoon's June Carter about halfway through the 2005 Academy Award-winning film Walk the Line. Directed at Joaquin Phoenix's liquored-up Johnny Cash, this outburst illustrates several things about the film as a whole. Much of what makes this James Mangold-directed biopic work is present in the context of the…Read more Film Review: Walk the Line (2005)
Film Review: Southside with You (2016)
On the surface Richard Tanne's Southside with You has the appearance of a bad joke. Taking place over the course of a 1989 afternoon on Chicago's south side, the film depicts the first date between future first lady Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter) and future president "No Drama" Obama (Parker Sawyers). Before watching it, I worried…Read more Film Review: Southside with You (2016)
Film Review: Dunkirk (2017)
The "Miracle at Dunkirk" has enthralled people since it transpired on the coast of northern France in the early days of World War II. The "miracle" itself occurred after a large number of Allied forces - including British, French, Canadian and Belgian troops - became cut off by the rapid German advance during the Battle…Read more Film Review: Dunkirk (2017)
Film Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Over the course of my life I have probably seen Disney's animated version of Beauty and the Beast at least a dozen times. I love it, even to this day. The stunning animation, voice acting and songs hold up remarkably well. The film was groundbreaking for its time and remains a watershed moment for the…Read more Film Review: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Film Review: Jackie (2016)
Pablo Larrain’s Jackie is many things. It is heartbreaking yet triumphant, claustrophobic yet expansive, classical yet innovative; but most of all, it is a great film. From an acting, directing and editorial standpoint, Jackie is a terrific achievement, impeccably executed yet almost never ostentatious or distracting. These traits are complimented by the film’s unique and…Read more Film Review: Jackie (2016)
Film Review: Dirty Grandpa (2016)
Dylan Thomas's 66-year-old poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," shows up repeatedly in our culture, most recently ad nauseum in the 2014 film Interstellar. It’s not hard to ascertain why. Thomas's words capture a provocative theme, outlining the inevitability of death while celebrating the struggle for survival. This theme is at the…Read more Film Review: Dirty Grandpa (2016)
Film Review: My King (2015)
No story is potentially more predictable than the romantic drama. Well, scratch that, there are stories about dogs. In both cases, you usually know what to expect. Both narratives are almost always marked by pathos, and, more than likely, they both don’t end well. In the French film, My King (now on DVD), starring Emmanuelle…Read more Film Review: My King (2015)
Film Review: The Light Between Oceans (2016)
I'm often referred to as being a cynic, and in many ways that characterization rings true. Other traits however color me as something else: a sentimentalist. I often find love stories - particularly those given life by actors as beautiful as Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender - to be quite touching. I'm also a big sucker for stories…Read more Film Review: The Light Between Oceans (2016)
Adam Mohrbacher 