Monthly Archives: December 2012

The graceful-brutal Native American sport of lacrosse earns a generic but winning sports drama treatment in “Crooked Arrows,” a film about a tribal team that rediscovers “The Creator’s Game” while battling New York prep schools on the field. Set in … Continue reading →

Mark Wahlberg delivers the goods in “Contraband,” a B-movie about smuggling in and out of boozy, corrupt New Orleans. It may telegraph its punches and follow that “one last job” heist picture formula. But the cascading collapse of first one … Continue reading →

“The Cold Light of Day” is a product-placement travelogue in search of a coherent thriller. A poor imitation of the best “Bourne” films, it’s confusing, illogical, with plot lapses and continuity blunders. It’s yet another fiasco that could devalue Warner … Continue reading →

A work of stunning images, staggering ambition and epic length, “Cloud Atlas” is an attempt to create nothing less than a “unified field” theory of science fiction. If you’re the Wachowskis, who once set the movie world afire with “The … Continue reading →

There are still people out there who are sending their savings to Nigeria. So for every jaw-dropping “How could they BE so gullible?” moment of the thriller “Compliance,” there’s justification. We are that gullible. And that “inspired by true events” … Continue reading →

Teenagers acquire super powers and, being teenagers, videotape themselves as they learn what they can do in “Chronicle,” an entertaining comic book movie without the comic book — or heroes wearing capes.

“It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness” was a favorite Chinese proverb of the late “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles Schultz. Photographer James Balog must have taken that to heart as he noticed changes to the … Continue reading →

My woman, Señor Lopez, must love the land as much as I do!” Armando declares in “Casa de mi Padre.” Since Armando is played by Will Ferrell, the over-the-top line is played as over-the-top as you would expect – brow … Continue reading →

We’re used to politicians talking out of both sides of their mouths. “The Campaign” is a political comedy that attempts that feat. It’s a rude and crude farce that takes broad swipes at the political system and the people who … Continue reading →

  “Bully” is a moving but somewhat myopic take on America’s newly anointed favorite childhood problem — schoolyard bullying. With emotional testimonials and candidly damning school and schoolbus video evidence, it’s a movie pitched as more than a mere movie … Continue reading →