Monthly Archives: January 2013

A battle-scarred lawyer starts to wonder what he was fighting for when he faces a military court bent on revenge and a nation willing to forget the Constitution to have that revenge in “The Conspirator,” Robert Redford’s courtroom drama about … Continue reading →

“Hop” is a chip off the old munk — as in chipmunks, “Alvin and the Chipmunks.” Like the Alvin movies, it has critters interacting with real people. The critter in question — a bunny — is all about music, just … Continue reading →

A few friends in the business have seen cuts of this and expressed appreciation. “John Dies at the End” has drugs that allow people to travel through time and other dimensions. They return — not quite human. Can a couple … Continue reading →

“Zero Dark Thirty” goes into wide release this weekend (my review here) and looks to be the big weekend winner, pulling in some $25 million at the box office. Other Oscar nominated pictures, including “Lincoln” and “Life of Pi,” saw … Continue reading →

Like an old friend whose mere memory brings tears, “56 Up,” the latest film in the greatest cinematic experiment in sociology and psychology ever attempted, returns to theaters. Every seven years, a new installment in “Seven Up!”, an updated feature … Continue reading →

“It’s a win-win situation,” we hear people say, often to assure us that something they’re doing that’s counter to your interests is actually just as much to your advantage as theirs. That’s what Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti) tells himself when … Continue reading →

Chanda doesn’t have an easy life. At 12, she has siblings to take care of. Her alcoholic dad has a habit of stealing the family cash and spending it on booze and hookers. Her best friend, Esther, is something of … Continue reading →

The unlikely combination of funnyman Will Ferrell and the boozy “dirty realism” of the great short story writer Raymond Carver pays offs in “Everything Must Go,” a sardonic look at hitting bottom before you can start the climb back up. … Continue reading →

The doctor comes to the remote clinic and tosses the chanting African children the gift of a soccer ball. Then he sets to work. Anton (Mikael Persbrandt)  is a surgeon, a member of Doctors Without Borders bringing medicine and healing … Continue reading →

“Jumping the Broom” is like a Tyler Perry movie with polish. An ensemble comedy about a wedding that joins a wealthy, Martha’s Vineyard family of African American professionals with the groom’s more down to Earth working-class Brooklynites, it is well-cast, … Continue reading →