Director Steven Soderbergh's 2013 HBO film, Behind the Candelabra, chronicles the personal life of iconic performer Liberace, and is one which practices a remarkable level of restraint. While this does seem to strip the film of some psychological depth, it also gradually becomes a boon to the story. Moving throughout the only slightly heightened reality…Read more Film Review: Behind the Candelabra (2013)
Film Reviews
Film Review: Kill the Messenger (2014)
Since its inception 40 years ago, the War on Drugs has been controversial, and even today it inspires debate over its efficacy, cost and character. This context partially frames director Michael Cuesta's new film Kill the Messenger, adapted from the 1998 book Dark Alliance by late journalist Gary Webb. In Webb's book – based off…Read more Film Review: Kill the Messenger (2014)
Film Review: Cold Mountain (2003)
After the runaway success of Anthony Minghella's 1996 epic weepie The English Patient, it served as no surprise that the writer/director returned to similar material with 2003's Cold Mountain. The two films share several similarities. Both stories focus on nascent love ruined by war, and in each case the pair of lovers under duress are…Read more Film Review: Cold Mountain (2003)
Film Review: The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
When media titans like Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey are involved with a project there is always the risk of having it colored by their influence. Thankfully, one has to do a little bit of sleuthing to unearth their involvement in The Hundred-Foot Journey. The words "From Academy Award Winning Director Steven Spielberg" are mercifully…Read more Film Review: The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
Film Review: Side Effects (2013)
Side Effects is a delicious piece of cinema, one which gradually reveals hidden layers that play to one's base instincts. Now, that being said, the film is also preposterous. Additionally, its lurid treatment of the culture of psychiatry and big pharmacy can't entirely obfuscate a rather grating, moralizing tone. It's somewhat of a disappointment that…Read more Film Review: Side Effects (2013)
Film Review: Noah (2014)
When one thinks of the biblical tale of Noah's Ark, rock giants don't immediately spring to mind. There are no pitched battles either, where hordes of half-crazed garbage people bum rush the infamous boat, desperately attempting to escape wide-spread ecological devastation. In fact, much of Darren Aronofsky's adaptation of the Noah mythos feels like a…Read more Film Review: Noah (2014)
Film Review: The Edge (1997)
What happens when you plop down a couple of famous faces in the Alaskan wilderness and pair them with a gross misrepresentation of animal behavior? Well, you get 1997's The Edge, which stars Anthony Hopkins (at his most regal) and Alec Baldwin (at his most greasy). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZDxh5Im6E The Edge is a survivalist drama that strives…Read more Film Review: The Edge (1997)
Film Review: Mamma Roma (1962)
Mamma Roma begins by showcasing the emotive bombast of its star Anna Magnani, who is seen hooting, hollering, and cackling with unbridled glee in the center of the film's opening wedding scene. Magnani, one of the most forceful presences behind the neorealism movement, plays the titular Mamma Roma like her life depends on it. Her…Read more Film Review: Mamma Roma (1962)
Film Review: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
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)
Adam Mohrbacher 