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)
2010s Reviews
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)
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)
Film Review: The Unknown Known (2014)
Errol Morris's twelfth feature, The Unknown Known, focuses on the former political heavy weight Donald Rumsfeld, while also showcasing a master documentarian at work. Cutting back and forth through time, the film begins by probing the semi-recent tumult of 9/11 before arching backwards to Rumsfeld's early days in the political arena. Morris and Rumsfeld then…Read more Film Review: The Unknown Known (2014)
Film Review: Melancholia (2011)
In Lars Von Trier's Melancholia, two women confront a dreamlike apocalypse - manifested in the form of an oncoming planet and in the murky nature of the human mind. For director Trier, who has often been accused of nihilistic wallowing, Melancholia represents a clear rebuttal. Oh course, there is plenty to be depressed about in…Read more Film Review: Melancholia (2011)
Adam Mohrbacher 