Posted on September 19, 2015 by admin
Old movies have always been a part of my life. Ever since I was a little kid, I have been watching them. My parents let me see Rear Window and North by Northwest before I was five. I watched them over and over and over. And I still watch White Christmas any time of the year. The acting,…
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Posted on July 29, 2015 by admin
It's 1947 and Holmes has long ago retired to his bees in Devon, with little to entertain his inquisitive mind. When the world's greatest mind comes to realize he is losing his memory, he becomes desperate for a cure.
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Posted on January 13, 2014 by admin
I’m sure I’m not the only one who jumped down her staircase, umbrella in hand, in an attempt to be Mary Poppins. At age four, when I found this did not give me the lift required, I intended to jump from the roof. Luckily my mother was very suspicious of my need for the…
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Posted on April 1, 2013 by admin
This movie makes me fear even more for the future of the Star Wars franchise. What has happened to Disney? Instead of inspiring wonder and amusement, they too seem to have gone the way of bland mediocrity, an opiate for the cinematic masses. If it weren’t for Pixar, there would be no creative output from…
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Posted on January 11, 2013 by admin
I was on the fence about whether I was going to see this one until I learned it was directed by Tom Hooper, whose The King’s Speech was stunning. I thought he would be good choice to bring out the subtly of the characters. I also knew he could evoke era and it would be…
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Posted on December 2, 2012 by admin
Just about any film will have its strengths and weaknesses, but some of these I never expected from veteran Spielberg. Its main strength lies in the acting. Daniel Day-Lewis is, unsurprisingly, fantastic as Abraham Lincoln. He humanizes the president that we are all too familiar with as a piece of money or a stone face…
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Posted on July 3, 2012 by admin
Director Cary Fukunaga has given a new generation a gorgeous version of this classic tale. Since its publishing in 1847, under the pseudonym Currer Bell, Jane Eyre has fascinated both readers and storytellers. This adaptation is beautifully shot, very well-acted, and enhanced by a stunning score from Dario Marianelli (Atonement, I Capture the Castle). The set…
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Posted on June 27, 2012 by admin
So, the title tells you just about all you need to know. Knowing the basics, I expected a silly action flick. And it is. The film (and presumably the book, although I haven’t read it) weaves in biographical details about Lincoln into a completely ridiculous tale about vampires. As a boy, Lincoln’s mother is killed…
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Posted on June 21, 2012 by admin
A somewhat forgotten film, The Queen of Spades seems to be making a quiet return. Made on a small budget, the film was nominated for a BAFTA (British equivalent of the Oscars) and was screened at Cannes, before dropping off into obscurity. Based on a novella by Alexander Pushkin, the film follows one man’s obsession…
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Posted on June 16, 2012 by admin
This is the best movie of the year (at least, so far). It’s charming but not saccharine, sweeping but not grandiose. As it is based upon a book, story is paramount. It is from Lasse Halstrom, the director of Chocolat, after all. Emily Blunt plays Harriet Chetwode-Talbot, a smart, sleek and organized asset manager. Her portfolio…
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Posted on February 6, 2012 by admin
A crumbling manor, a mysterious curse, a sea mist and creepy deaths. How could I (of all people) resist? I am completely unfamiliar with the book (of the same name) by Susan Hill, which is rather unlike me. And I was unable to see the staged version while in London this summer. So I came…
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Posted on July 20, 2011 by admin
I am not a Potter nerd. I’ve read the books, and I saw most of the movies. They’re fine. Fun for the most part. But I’d never stand in line for one, or join a uberfan club in order to get my own Quidditch stick. So I hope fans and non-fans alike will take this…
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Posted on June 24, 2011 by admin
Glorious indeed. This is a wholly original, impeccable new film from writer/director Stephen Poliakoff. A stunning cast illuminates a finite moment in English history — the summer of 1939, on the eve of the unthinkable. The story centers on the Keyes family, and is told from the point of view of the eldest daughter,…
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Posted on January 24, 2011 by admin
I have rarely been so entranced by what is primarily an action movie. So far-reaching is the protagonist’s mayhem that it took two full-length films to show just pieces of his exploits. There could easily have been a third. Part 1 – Killer Instinct Part 2 – Public Enemy No. 1 The saga begins in…
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Posted on December 19, 2010 by admin
There is plenty to be frightened of this Christmas. At least in Finland. In the world’s farthest reaches of desolation, it gets dark by mid afternoon — and Krampas can come out to play. A father and son manage a meager existence as reindeer ranchers. This year, however, something has affected their normal migration pattern.…
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