Filed under: In Theaters, Reviews | Tags: 2010, edge of darkness, martin campbell
Director: Martin Campbell
It’s not surprising to learn that “Edge of Darkness” was adapted from a six-hour miniseries also helmed by “Casino Royale” director Martin Campbell. Things are convoluted and vague throughout despite each tiresome pause the film takes to explain it’s intricacies. Perhaps Campbell was too married to the material – the screen’s so crowded that we don’t have time to care about any of the main players, and things fare even worse for the laughably superfluous additions to the cast. Well-crafted though it might be, “Edge of Darkness” barely succeeds as a temporary thrill-ride, earning the dreaded January release date it was saddled with.
Filed under: In Theaters, Reviews | Tags: 2010, albert hughes, allen hughes, the book of eli, the hughes brothers
Director: Albert & Allen Hughes
Denzel Washington is the latest lone warrior, traveling devastated landscapes in search of that ever-evasive coast.
“The Book of Eli” has the unfortunate burden of being the umpteenth post-apocalyptic film released in the past year, but this new effort by The Hughes Brothers (“From Hell”, “Dead Presidents”) is redeemed by some beautiful visuals and a very-assured, well-executed style. They know both the benefits of silence (the first fifteen minutes or so is without dialogue) and when to amp up the volume with the expected loud, mind-numbing sequences of appalling violence.
Filed under: 5 to See, Columns | Tags: 2010, 5 to See, academy awards, february, in theaters, movies, new releases, oscars, theatrical releases
It doesn’t feel like it, but it’s a pretty noteworthy month. Alongside the typical beginning of the year sludge – “Dear John”, “From Paris With Love”, “Valentine’s Day”, etc. – we have new films by Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, and Kevin Smith. The box office suggests that most movie-goers will be seeing “Avatar” for the billionth time, but here are five new releases worth looking into this month.
Filed under: Columns, One to Rent, One to DVR | Tags: blu-ray, dvd, dvd releases, dvr, new to blu ray, new to dvd, rent, tcm
Horror fans will get a kick out of this week’s releases – “Zombieland” and “House of the Devil” (which, in a collector’s edition, is packaged with a VHS) – but there’s not much for the less devoted gore enthusiasts. Thankfully, TCM’s 31 Days of Oscar marathon should keep you busy. What should you go out of your way to see this week? Here’s One to Rent, One to DVR for the week of 02/02/10 – exclusively at ForReel.net.
Director: Yôjirô Takita
Most Americans hadn’t heard of “Departures” when it upset “The Class” and “Waltz With Bashir” by winning the foreign language Oscar at last year’s Academy Awards. Ironically enough, those who have now seen it have likely forgotten it completely. Although a commendable effort with good performances and a few touching sequences, it doesn’t have an ounce of the audacity that it’s competitors had.
Director: Roy Andersson
Few modern films have sequences as delightful as almost a dozen featured in “You, the Living”, an absurdist montage of vignettes directed by Sweden’s Roy Andersson. The film’s a puzzle about the meaning and meaningless of life, a blunt spectacle that communicates that we don’t know how to communicate. With elaborate, often hilarious set-pieces shot mostly in single, static takes, the film is a worthy successor to such comic greats as Keaton and Tati.
Director: James Mottern
“Trucker” is a movie with a very good performance and nothing to do with it. It’s pleasant enough company while it lasts – as just about any road movie is – but on-the-nose writing, over-sentimentality, and a story arc stubbornly hampered by pure formula stalls the film from keeping up with the momentum of it’s impeccably talented lead, Michelle Monaghan.
Director: Robert Siegel
Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt) lives a double life: one, a 35-year-old schlub who lives with his mother and works as a parking garage attendant, and two, a respected wordsmith in the world of sports talk radio. It’s easy to label him as a loser, but his love for football is almost commendable: a diehard Giants fan, Paul lives for tailgating games and telling off his trolling nemesis on air, Eagles fan Philadelphia Phil (Michael Rappaport).
Director: Jon Amiel
Charles Darwin’s lengthy studies, culminating with an innovative theory that literally changed the face of the world in 1859, is dramatized in “Creation”. How does a man cope with the idea of disproving God, a theory that suggests both order and the unforgiving, careless chaos of life’s supposed circle? “Creation” attempts to capture this angst, but in doing so it humanizes Darwin to the level of boredom. It’s unfathomable that this schlub could’ve been the host of such radical, advanced thinking.
Filed under: Columns, One to Rent, One to DVR | Tags: blu-ray, dvd, dvd releases, dvr, new to blu ray, new to dvd, rent
*** Apologies for the lack of updates. I will be working through this massive review backlog in the next few days. I intend to return to daily updates as soon as things settle down once again around here.
It’s a great week of new releases for cinephiles – Criterion’s much-anticipated and universally-praised “Rossellini’s War Trilogy” makes it’s way to store shelves, as do “Paris, Texas”, “Moscow Belgium”, and “Import/Export”. It’s a heavy week for documentaries, too, featuring new releases of “This Is It”, “Act of God”, and “Soul Power”. Which of these releases do I personally recommend? Here’s One to Rent, One to DVR for the week of 01/26/10 – exclusively at ForReel.net.
