Review: “Green Zone”
Released during the same week "The Hurt Locker" swept up major Academy Awards for its harsh depiction of life on the Iraq War frontlines,...
Review: “Alice in Wonderland”
As witnessed throughout much of his filmography, Tim Burton has the uncanny ability to reach astonishingly dark moods while still maintaining a jovial atmosphere...
Review: “The Ghost Writer”
It has been some time since Roman Polanski made something as cagey and good-naturedly twisted as "The Ghost Writer." He's been off vacationing inside...
Review: “A Prophet”
The painless comparison to make for the French release "A Prophet" is to position the picture in the shadow of "The Godfather." In terms...
Review: “The Crazies”
"The Crazies" is a sporadically splendid thriller saddled with seriously banal horror embellishment. It should come as little surprise to learn the film is...
Review: “Shutter Island”
"Shutter Island" is director Martin Scorsese's ode to madness. Immaculately crafted and imposingly scored, the picture is a feast for the senses. However, that...
Review: “The Wolfman”
Saddled with one of the most troubled production histories in recent memory, the new incarnation of "The Wolfman" manages to salvage enough material to...
Review: “Valentine’s Day”
Valentine's Day is a time of romance, endearment, and devotion. "Valentine's Day" is a Garry Marshall film that's unpleasant, occasionally mean-spirited, and ripples with...
Review: “Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief”
This latest effort to ignite a new generation of "Harry Potter" literary franchise hysteria for theaters has played its cards smartly by bringing in...
Review: “From Paris with Love”
With "District B13" and last year's runaway train of parental purpose, "Taken," Pierre Morel positioned himself as a superior action director, and one of...
Review: “Edge of Darkness”
The hair's a little thinner, the facial lines a little deeper, but otherwise Mel Gibson hasn't changed much in his nearly eight year break...
Review: “When in Rome”
The comic relief is provided by Dax Shepard, Jon Heder, and Will Arnett; there's a punchline where a needle is literally scratched off a...
Review: “Extraordinary Measures”
The inaugural picture for CBS Films, an apt studio home considering this plays much like a broad television production, with a soft trickling of...
Review: “Legion”
Coming just a week after the holy roll of "The Book of Eli" is "Legion," a film decidedly more literal about its heavenly intentions,...
Review: “Tooth Fairy”
I've attempted to be kind to Dwayne Johnson in the past, trying to find some mythical sense of upside to dreck like "The Rundown,"...
Review: “The Book of Eli”
What exactly can be written about "The Book of Eli" without giving away critical parts of the story is a source of personal frustration....
Review: “The Spy Next Door”
There was a time around a decade ago when it seemed Jackie Chan would've done anything for a blockbuster career in America. The paychecks...
Review: “44 Inch Chest”
The writers behind the volcanic crime film "Sexy Beast" have returned, dukes up, with "44 Inch Chest," a blistering script sponsored primarily by the...
Review: “Youth in Revolt”
"Youth in Revolt" is a very random movie that enjoys wallowing in a state of confusion. The film is smug and largely unfunny, but...
Review: “Bitch Slap”
Those expecting a seamy, Vaseline-uncorked ride through exploitation cinema heaven with "Bitch Slap" might be well advised to skip this picture entirely. More of...
Review: “Wonderful World”
Cynicism is a major component of "Wonderful World," detailing how it can hold a life back from the smaller pleasures of the universe, offering...
Review: “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond”
Playwright Tennessee Williams could never be accused of subtlety, building a historic, adored career on the wings of southern-kissed hysteria, often pitched to the...
Review: “Crazy Heart”
"Crazy Heart" was called up from the studio minor leagues this Oscar season when Fox Searchlight couldn't find much in their year to push...
Review: “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel”
It's strange to recall that 2007's "Alvin and the Chipmunks" wasn't just a standard, "it's winter, get me out of the house" hit, but...
Review: “Nine”
If there's a single sin to zero in on while watching "Nine," it has to be the way it makes Federico Fellini feel absolutely...
Review: “Did You Hear About the Morgans”
The mild delights of 2007's "Music & Lyrics" notwithstanding, it's always cause for alarm when writer/director Marc Lawrence and actor Hugh Grant find the...
Review: “A Single Man”
A highly impressive filmmaking debut by former Gucci designer Tom Ford, the adaptation of Christopher Isherwood's novel is a lusciously realised, occasionally kitschy but...
Review: “Invictus”
"Invictus" doesn't pursue any overwhelming dramatic demands or blinding shots of glory as a sporting tale of rugby or as a political film of...
Review: “Old Dogs”
Lest I come across like a curmudgeon who despises all things slapstick, I'll state that "Old Dogs" is poor slapstick. A spastic, noxious comedy,...
Review: “The Blind Side”
To the average cynic, "The Blind Side" might appear to be infested with cooties. Following an impressive string of feel-good racial divide entertainment offerings,...