Just when you thought that the critically celebrated Jessica Chastain had finally done her first “paycheck movie,” the actress once again proves that she will only participate in cream-of-the-crop projects. “Mama,” while certainly not in the same league of cinematic excellence as Chastain’s other film of the moment, the masterwork “Zero Dark Thirty,” is nonetheless […]
That “Broken City”’s portrayal of its conservative political candidate as a corrupt snake and its liberal candidate as a JFK-emulating idealist does not even come close to being its tiredest cliche should tell you something about the filmmakers’ capacity for original thought. It’s astounding that this predictable “thriller” about a crooked New York City mayor
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“The Last Stand” isn’t an action movie, a comedy, a crime thriller, or a Western. It’s an Arnold, the smallest genre in cinema. Arnold Schwarzenegger is arguably the only post-silent era actor whose participation mandates that a film be thought of as something other than what it ostensibly is. He’s singular, having such an effect
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Hello and welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I predict the upcoming weekend’s box office results. And it’s not just any weekend at the movies, but a four-day one, seeing as Monday is Martin Luther King Day. Between this and posting my Top 10 Films of 2012 last weekend, it finally feels
Box Office Beat: Weekend of January 18 Read More »
Honorable Mentions: “Argo” – Ben Affleck continues his career resurgence in front of and behind the camera with the year’s best crowd-pleaser. Centering on the true story of how the C.I.A. extracted several Americans from Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis posing as a film crew, “Argo” manages to be an affectionate satire of Hollywood
James Frazier’s Top 10 Films of 2012 Read More »
Despite a lackluster crop of summer blockbusters—“The Dark Knight Rises,” in particular, was a colossal disappointment—2012 turned out to be a very good year at the movies. Two weeks ago, with several key films left to see, I began actively wishing that I would be disappointed by my remaining viewings because I didn’t want to
Danny Baldwin’s Top 10 Films of 2012 Read More »
The killing of Usama bin Laden is widely regarded as the United States’ biggest foreign policy triumph since the Cold War, so when the inevitable film about how the C.I.A. accomplished the heroic task was announced, it was reasonable to dread that the result would be blindingly patriotic and full of phony climaxes. I pictured
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Hello and welcome back to Box Office Beat, the column in which I predict the upcoming weekend’s box office results. After coming within $100,000 of the estimate on “Texas Chainsaw 3D” last weekend, which surprised many by breaking $20m, I’m nearly feeling the impulse to quit while I’m ahead and not even bother with this
Box Office Beat: Weekend of January 11 Read More »
Billy Crystal’s Oscar schtick ceased being funny years ago, but if the actor’s lack of a regular paycheck from the Academy was what compelled him to spearhead “Parental Guidance”—his first starring role in a decade—then I suggest that we anoint him the ceremony’s permanent host. Enduring Crystal’s hum-drum video-package and monologue is nothing compared to
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If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching numerous Chinese historical dramas on Blu-Ray this past year, it’s that Chinese moviegoers must know a lot more about their country’s history than Americans do ours. With little exposition, these films plunge the viewer into complicated situations where prior knowledge is essential to finding one’s bearings. As
Blu-Ray Review: “The Assassins” Read More »
