Archive for the Tag 'war'

TRIAGE – Reviewed by David

Triage is a solid if unspectacular war-photographer drama á la Under Fire or Salvador that, while not nearly as energetic as those films, contains some solid performances from a cast including Colin Farrell, Paz Vega and 86-year-old Christopher Lee.
Based on a book by war correspondent Scott Anderson, it’s set in 1988 and shows [...]

DEAR JOHN – Reviewed by David

As a guy, I’m pretty much the wrong gender to be reviewing any movie based on a book by Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook), but here we are with Dear John, a particularly nasty piece of dude repellent starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried about a pair of pretty young people and [...]

THE MESSENGER – Reviewed by Joyce

The Messenger has a lot going for it. The plot line is unique and ripe with potential. Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster play soldiers assigned to the Casualty Notification Office – they are the ones who ring the doorbell of the survivors to tell them that their loved one has died. [...]

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS – Reviewed by Noah

The Men Who Stare at Goats is the first feature directed by Grant Heslov. Heslov is perhaps best know as a producer and writing partner of George Clooney. To me he will always be the guy who loved coffee in Dante’s Peak.

BROTHERS – Reviewed by Camilla

Brothers is a 2009 American drama-war film starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman. Directed by Jim Sheridan, the film is based on Susanne Bier’s 2004 Danish film Brothers (Brødre) which takes place in Afghanistan and Denmark.

SÉRAPHINE – Reviewed by Boswell McNamara

Francis Bacon not so much with a brush but with scalpel strokes lay back the skin of a dark existence. Gauguin sought, found and painted his garden of Eden. Basquiat, careerist that he was, perhaps didn’t completely translate but at least jotted down semaphore signals from the streets. In films trying [...]

THE HURT LOCKER – Reviewed by Will

Lately I’ve been a bit vexed by the phrase “action movie.” Of all the genres into which films are categorized, it might be the most nebulous and perhaps most likely to disappoint those who seek it. What exactly defines an action flick? A cynic might say that an action picture is one that uses violence [...]

ADAM RESURRECTED – Reviewed by Bruce

When I saw Adam Resurrected at the Telluride Film Festival in 2008, I thought Jeff Goldblum would finally receive some accolades for his acting – at least a Best Actor nomination. Instead, nothing. This strange, riveting and powerful film received almost no theatrical release, and no critical acclaim to speak of. Let’s give it its [...]

KATYN – Reviewed by Jeremy

The latest film from Polish director Andrzej Wajda, Katyn, recalls the horrific event of the Soviet-led massacre in the Katyn forest (Circa 1940). This is a dark movie and justifiably so, for in my opinion, there is no other place in this world with a history as violent and gritty as Eastern Europe’s. Katyn is [...]

THE EDGE OF LOVE – Reviewed by David

I don’t know a whole lot about poetry, aside from the fact that some of it rhymes. But I do know that The Edge of Love, essentially a small slice of the life of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas molded into a cigarette smoke-choked wartime soap opera starring Keira Knightley and Sienna Miller, is one gorgeous-looking [...]

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