Monthly Archives: December 2012

“Alex Cross” is an interesting exercise in back-engineering, a prequel that takes us back to the days before the psychologist/police profiler was the sage, solemn and inscrutable sleuth whom Morgan Freeman ably brought to the screen in two films over … Continue reading →

Anna Nicole Smith was “famous for being famous,” or more to the point, “infamous for being famous.” A volutuous Playboy Playmate and Houston stripper who married an old man for his millions, showcased her vapidity on reality TV and never … Continue reading →

“Act of Valor” is an amped-up, action-packed adventure about the exploits of the Navy’s “Sea, Air and Land” commando teams — the SEALs. It’s a furiously macho saga scripted by the screenwriter of “300” and starring those always-get-their-man men of … Continue reading →

Hollywood has a long, rich tradition of historical abominations, but never has there been a history done more abominably than “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.”

Tales peopled with vast collections of interlocking stories, even the best ones — “Crash,” for instance — often seem more like writing exercises than stories that move us. We barely get involved with one character’s problems when the movie traipses … Continue reading →

Julie Delpy completes her metamorphisis into the French Diane Keaton with “Two Days in New York,” a broad farce that is a funnier and markedly sillier sequel to her “Two Days in Paris.” Delpy, who gained American fame for her … Continue reading →

Here it is, “Occupy Movement: The Musical,” the French musical “Les Miserables” preaching economic revolution, the downtrodden rising up against the wealthy few and a police force hellbent on defending the status quo. Well, that and the virtues of mercy … Continue reading →

Jack Kerouac’s stream of consciousness novel “On the Road” comes to the screen more or less intact as a not altogether satisfying road trip into the Beat Era. The “Motorcycle Diaries” team of director Walter Salles and screenwriter Jose Rivera … Continue reading →

Ben Affleck is closing in on the perfect thriller. “Argo” shows us how near the mark he has gotten in just three films. Since stepping behind the camera to direct, Affleck has yet to make a movie that doesn’t pull … Continue reading →

Watching “Skyfall” again with my wife, I appreciated the clockwork cleverness of the piece, the relish Javier Bardem brings to the eye-rolling/bitchy and sometimes homoerotic touches as the villain. My favorite moments remain that opening gambit — the chase where … Continue reading →