Please enable javascript to view this site.

Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image

Movie Reviews

Namreta Kumar

By

2009/10/13 at 12:00am

New York, I Love You

10.13.2009 | By |

Rated: R for language and sexual content.
Release Date: 2009-10-16
Starring: Emmanuel Benbihy, Tristan Carné
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.newyorkiloveyouthemovie.com/#/home

Go to our film page

New York, I Love You

With a film that has so many names attached to it there are so many places where it can succeed and just as many places where it can fail. New York, I Love You startles on this double-edged sword for so many reasons.

So the basics are that it is a composition of short stories that intertwine together to tell one larger narrative. And as the title suggests the shorts are about New York and about love. Each story focuses on two things: (1) it is inherently a New York moment, and (2) it is about love.

The beauty of this production is that it is designed as a taskmaster and it works that way, if you love New York you get to see the many ways it loves. The worst part of the production is that although the craftsmanship is great, the movie does not connect, which sadly was the principle idea. Independent of the lofty ideas and its predecessor, Paris Je T’Aime, this film just seems discontinuous, which may work for New York but not for the film. On the other hand all the powerful performances of the film should make you think twice before you pass it up. From veteran actor Andy Garcia’s impressive minutes on screen to Natalie Portman’s first steps as an intelligent director, the art of film lives in many degrees with its curators.

The concept and the gusto of the project are endearing, but they never quite hit the mark. The irony is that it truly embodies New York in many ways; when you jump into the film you jump into the rhythm of New York. The intent of the film was to carry forward with the principle ideas of movies like Crash, where everything is connected without straight lines, but what comes across are lines that cross over one another without a big picture.

Essentially this film is one that is worth a watch, but how and when you decide to watch it depends on which side of the sword you fall on. This is a film that tells you to decide for yourself, but because of its approach I think most people will enjoy it more at home with a group of their own loved ones and where they can critically evaluate where this film is leading.

Jack Rico

By

2009/10/13 at 12:00am

Drag Me to Hell

10.13.2009 | By |

Rating: 3.0

Rated: PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images and language.
Release Date: 2009-05-29
Starring: Ivan Raimi, Sam Raimi
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.dragmetohell.net/

 Go to our film page

Sam Raimi’s ‘Drag Me to Hell’ is a deliberately funny, horror film, which is neither too funny nor too scary. It’s definitely not a classic, but a refreshing return to a format that has seen many successes in the decade of the 80’s. This film is not meant to be taken seriously at all; you’re supposed to laugh at the funny parts, and as a nice surprise, you’ll occasionally be on the edge of your seat with suspense. What you should expect is to be grossed out by a myriad of scenes. Raimi is obviously looking to make you feel uncomfortable.

The plot is simple and straightforward – a loan officer is cursed by a gypsy for not helping her keep her home and now she needs to try and stop evil spirits from dragging her to hell.

I must admit, I was caught off guard with the intentional hilarity of the film. I’m so conditioned to laugh at today’s horror films because of how bad they are that this one almost tricked me. Cinematically, this movie is not good. The acting is bad, the dialogue is comical and the pacing is off. Fortunately for me, I understood what the Raimi was trying to do here and it made me enjoy the rest of the film. Sam Raimi, known for his three Spider-Man films, is no neophyte to the horror/comedy genre, actually he’s known in many circles as the guy who created it with his series of 80’s cult movies – Evil Dead.

It’s funny to me though, how much the Spanish language and Hispanics (Mexican’s really) have integrated themselves within Hollywood storylines. The opening 5-8 minutes of the movie are spoken completely in Spanish with a Mexican couple trying to save their son from the clutches of the devil. The Oscar nominated Mexican actress Adriana Barraza (Babel) plays an enchantress who wants revenge on the devil. She goes on this Spanish spell monologue without subtitles which makes it difficult for non Spanish speakers to understand, but advantageous for us bilinguals to appreciate.

Overall, ‘Drag Me to Hell’ serves as a senseless night out with friends looking to laugh and be grossed out. I particularly wouldn’t pay New York City prices for it ($12.50 a ticket), but a good $5-7 ticket buy wouldn’t be out of the question for a fun time at the flicks.

Jack Rico

By

2009/10/09 at 12:00am

From Mexico with Love

10.9.2009 | By |

Rated: Not available.
Release Date: 2009-10-09
Starring: Glen Hartford, Nicholas Siapkaris
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: Mexico
Official Website: www.frommexicowithlove.com

Go to our film page

From Mexico with Love
Jack Rico

By

2009/10/08 at 12:00am

Couples Retreat

10.8.2009 | By |

Rated: PG-13 on appeal for sexual content and language. (originally Rated R for some sexual material.)
Release Date: 2009-10-09
Starring: Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn & Dana Fox
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: www.couplesretreatmovie.com

Go to our film page

Couples Retreat
Mack Chico

By

2009/10/07 at 12:00am

Imagine That

10.7.2009 | By |

Rating: 1.5

Rated: PG for some mild language and brief questionable behavior.
Release Date: 2009-06-12
Starring: Ed Solomon, Chris Matheson
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: No disponible.

 Go to our film page

Watching Imagine That, I was beset by a feeling of intense depression. Is this what Eddie Murphy has become? Once moviedom’s most high-octane comedian, a combustible mixture of raunchy, non-holds-barred verbal repartee and kinetic physical mayhem, Murphy has now become a sad parody of his former self. If the failure of the comedy isn’t reason enough to avoid the movie, its dramatic missteps are even more unforgiveable. 

 

Evan Danielson (Murphy) is a financial analyst at a Denver investment firm that is about to undergo a major restructuring. Longtime CEO Tom Stevens (Ronny Cox) is selling the company to a Donald Trump figure, Dante D’Enzo (Martin Sheen), who intends to fold the new acquisition into his empire. He initiates an Apprentice challenge to Evan and his biggest in-house competitor, Johnny Whitefeather (Thomas Haden Church). Whoever impresses him the most will get a top position in the conglomeration. Evan’s situation is complicated by the presence of his seven-year old daughter, Olivia (Yara Shahidi), who is staying with him for the week while her mother (Nicole Ari Parker) is otherwise engaged. Desperate for her father’s attention, Olivia dips into her make-believe world and consults a group of princesses about how certain stocks and corporations will fare. At first, Evan ignores her advice but, when the predictions start coming true, he re-evaluates the validity of her imaginary friends. Although he can’t see them, he starts to play along, and soon becomes obsessed with spending time with his daughter not because of who she is but because of what she can do for his career.

 

While Murphy’s recent resume (excepting Dreamgirls) might lead to low expectations for his cinematic endeavors, the involvement of director Kary Kirkpatrick could have been a cause for limited optimism. Kirkpatrick’s resume is solid. His only previous directorial outing was Over the Hedge, an amusing animated effort, but he has written a number of noteworthy screenplays, including those for The Spiderwick Chronicles and Chicken Run. Perhaps the problem with Imagine That is that he wasn’t involved in the writing. Whatever the case, this is as disappointing a live-action debut as one can envision.

 

Still, it’s hard to consider Imagine That an unmitigated failure. It will probably entertain the most undiscriminating and uncritical portion of its target audience: young children, most of whom will sit through anything featuring live-action figures imitating cartoon characters. They’ll love Eddie Murphy’s trampoline encounter and his pancake meal. For parents absorbing the blow necessary to entertain their offspring, it will take more than an active imagination to make believe that Imagine That is anything more than two hours of torture.

Jack Rico

By

2009/10/06 at 12:00am

Year One

10.6.2009 | By |

Rating: 1.5

Rated: R for some sexual content and language.
Release Date: 2009-06-19
Starring: Harold Ramis, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.yearone-movie.com/

 Go to our film page

‘Year One’ was a big yawner, actually, I’m being too nice, it’s competing with ‘Land of the Lost’ for worse movie of the year. The idea of Michael Cera playing a caveman is not funny, just bad, and once again I see myself writing a consistent review on Jack Black, “he has got to be one of the most annoying comedians in Hollywood”. The film has several funny moments at the beginning, but dies out halfway through. It has no real grasp of where its story is going; it feels lost and all over the place.

The premise of ‘Year One’ looked bad from the start – two cavemen buddies (Jack Black and Michael Cera) in ‘year one’ of Earth set their sites to explore the world and end up living the Genesis and subsequent chapters of the Holy Bible – well because of them, holy no longer.

Harold Ramis, one of the original Ghostbuster actors, has teamed up with Judd Apatow (who is producing) to direct this fragmented film which has to do more about the Bible and religious jokes than the primitive man. Indie director Kevin Smith, once experimented with the comical side of religion with a film called, ‘Dogma’ starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and it went nowhere fast at the box office. I wonder what will happen with this one? (exuding sarcasm).

I’ll be honest with you guys, religion isn’t everyone’s cup of joe and making someone laugh already is hard enough; combining the two can mean a recipe for disaster. Only Mel Brooks, Monty Python and some of the other greats have managed to do it well, but I’m not sure if anyone today can pull it off with success. Ramis sure didn’t and neither did Bill Maher with his ‘Religulous’. They were forgettable.

But to be fair, the acting wasn’t bad at all (except for vexing Jack Black), and the dialogue was funny at times. The problem, which is too troublesome to overcome, is the   direction and pacing of the story along with the verisimilitude or implausibility of the adventures our protagonists go through. It distracts us from enjoying the funny moments.

When we interviewed Ramis for this review, he seemed like a hell of a nice guy. He possesses tremendous acumen about the history of film comedy and has an awareness of his place in it. That said, I don’t think he an Apatow seemed to be on the same page. Way too many flaws in the film for two very smart icons to get it wrong.

Nevertheless, ‘Year One’ isn’t what you’d expect from a Cera, Black comedy. They look out of place and the subject matter is tough to digest if you’re unfamiliar with the biblical texts. This film needs a rewrite and a recast really bad.

Ted Faraone

By

2009/10/02 at 12:00am

A Serious Man

10.2.2009 | By |

Rated: R for language, some sexuality/nudity and brief violence.
Release Date: 2009-10-02
Starring: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: NULL

Go to our film page

A Serious Man

The brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, a filmmaker duo who have brought to the screen an amazing variety of pics, from the over-the-top “chainsaw massacre-style” “Blood Simple” of 1984 through the extraordinarily annoying “Fargo” to the superbly funny “Burn After Reading,” have at last decided to make a serous pic.  That it opened the inaugural Friars Club Comedy Film Festival in New York does not make it a comedy.  The Friars chose it for the marquee value of the Coens, which was a good move.  “A Serious Man,” for which the duo share director, writer, and producer credit (Ethan is also production designer and editor, credited as Roderick James), is a drama in disguise, a drama performed by comedic actors. That doesn’t make it a bad picture.  It just makes it difficult to review.  That every other notice your critic has read seems to follow the press notes is testimony to that.
 
The Coens have been making feature films for 25 years.  Working for them is almost a right of passage for top-tier Hollywood thesps.  “A Serious Man” is an anomaly in that there are only two publicly recognizable names in the cast:  Fyvush Finkel (who appears only in the opening reel) and (Richard Kind, who ably carries about a fourth of the film).  Remainder of cast turn in excellent, if annoying performances and it is a credit to the Coens that they were able to find such excellent, inexpensive talent – Pic has a reported budget of $7 million.
 
Performances are annoying because of pic’s nature.  It’s about annoying people.  Set, except for opening reel which may or may not be connected to pic’s central action (a device used by Jean-Luc Goddard in the 1985 “Hail Mary” [Je Vous Salue, Marie”]), in a suburban Midwestern Conservative Jewish community in 1967, pic centers on college professor Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), pic’s schlemiel (the fellow on whom the soup is spilled).  Gopnick is surrounded by schlimazels (folks who spill the soup).  They include his wife (Sari Lennick), who leaves him for passive-aggressive neighbor Sy Abelman (Fred Melamed), his kids, Danny, a Bar-Mitzvah boy, and Sarah (Aaron Wolf and Jessica McManus), and brother Arthur (Richard Kind), a mathematical genius with tendencies to moral turpitude.  Gopnick’s quest, if one could call it that, is to find out why his luck stinks.  A real answer to such a question could function on interminable levels and still leave the questioner dizzy.  At least give Gopnik credit for making the best of things between moments of despair. Instead, “A Serious Man” takes the route well travelled by Woody Allen (“Crimes and Misdemeanors”) and author Isaac Bashevis Singer.  The twist is that it is loaded with comedic moments.  It is almost as if the filmmakers were winking at the audience.
 
Gopnick is stymied at every turn.  Not even the elderly senior rabbi at his synagogue will advise him.  Everyone else in pic either talks over him or at him intending either to manipulate (Sy Abelman) or cover their ignorance (his lawyer, ably played by Adam Arkin, and the two younger rabbis).  His kids have their own agenda, and brother (Richard Kind) is a millstone.  Nobody communicates, with the possible exception of neighbor Mrs. Samsky (the smoking hot Amy Landecker) and near the end, the elderly Rabbi Marshak (Alan Mandell).
 
A subplot involving the pothead Bar Mitzvah boy who owes his connection $20, the Hebrew school teacher, and the elderly rabbi, is pic’s Rosetta Stone.  The boy tucks $20 into his transistor radio case in Hebrew school and tries to pass it on to the connection, seated a row ahead of him.  Teacher catches him and confiscates radio.  Boy lives in fear of connection for rest of pic until his Bar Mitzvah, in which his performance and the lensing make one of the funniest stoned-out-of-one’s-mind Bar Mitzvah scenes in filmdom, owing a bit to the wedding in “The Graduate” for the guest reaction shots.  After ceremony, boy is invited to meet privately with Rabbi Marshak.  The old man quotes a Jefferson Airplane tune asking the boy what he’s going to do when everything goes wrong and there’s no hope.  There’s no answer.  He then hands him his transistor radio with the $20 bill still tucked in the leather case.  It’s pic’s most honest moment – a bit like the moment in “Husbands and Wives” where Allen’s documentarian encounters the existential thought of Prof. Louis Levy (Martin S. Bergmann).
 
“A Serious Man” excels in performance, cinematography, set design (they nailed a period piece) and dialogue, if one can call it that.  Editing and direction are economical, except for the opening reel, which begs the question, “Is this family cursed or has the opening reel nothing to do with anything else?”  It’s one of pic’s many loose ends.  Said loose ends both serve a point and annoy.  One learns from “A Serious Man” the idea that life happens and one has to roll with it. One also learns that schlimazels are not immune to bad luck.  One would wish that Hollywood vets the Coens could have tied it up in a tighter package.  One may also wish that the Coens had a slightly lighter touch – the feather duster instead of the hammer – but perfection is a lot to ask.
 
One last note:  There has been criticism of pic’s seemingly negative focus on a Jewish community.  It is unwarranted.  The Jewish community is simply context.  Moreover, it is context the Coens know.  Pic’s message, if there is one, is better told through the intellectually Jewish prism through which both Singer and Allen have worked so well.  It could equally have been told through the French existentialist prism, but that might not go down so well with American auds.  At least viewers reared on sitcoms can understand it.  At 105 minutes this Focus Features release is not rated, but due to nudity, language, and adult situations, it is probably unsuitable for children.

Alex Florez

By

2009/10/02 at 12:00am

Zombieland

10.2.2009 | By |

Rated: R for horror violence/gore and language.
Release Date: 2009-10-02
Starring: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.zombieland.com/

Go to our film page

Zombieland

With a jaunty title like Zombieland, you know you’re in for a senseless horror comedy. Now that’s just fine, but the surprise here is that it’s more of a buddy road movie with a teen romance sandwiched in between. Come to think of it, this film attempts to do the nearly impossible – get loyal zombie fans and mainstream folk to share the same theater.

 

For those seeking an alternative to Michael Moore’s latest leftist documentary this weekend, Zombieland is as bipartisan as it gets.  It has a little something in it for everyone.

Here’s the premise: two men have somehow found a way to survive a world overrun by walking corpses. Not surprisingly, Jesse Eisenberg (The Jheri-curled version of Michael Cera) plays the cowardly, anti-social one with a smart mouth. The other guy, the AK-toting, zombie-slaying bad ass is gladly played by Woody Harrelson

 

Along the way, these two join forces with a pair of sharp-witted, self-serving sisters (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) that can certainly hold their own. These four are then forced to determine which is worse: relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies.

As a horror film, Zombieland won’t scare you. It’s much too glossy and stylized for that.  As a comedy, it packs enough one-liners to keep you from yawning. And as a teen romance, the movie sniffs around the cheese. Lucky for viewers however, the chemistry between the actors is radiant.  The fun they had while making this film is evident and their energy is contagious. Notwithstanding, first time director Ruben Fleischer knows how cliched these movies can be and makes sure to surprise you along the way to make it as memorable as possible. 

Jack Rico

By

2009/10/01 at 12:00am

Capitalism: A Love Story

10.1.2009 | By |

Rated: R for some language.
Release Date: 2009-10-02
Starring: Michael Moore
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.capitalismalovestory.com/

Go to our film page

Capitalism: A Love Story

‘Capitalism: A Love Story’ is like a Sylvester Stallone ‘Rocky’ film – it leaves you wanting to kick some ass, in this case, Corporate America’s ass. Documentarian and funny man Michael Moore is up to his old tricks as he combats the evil forces in the USA in an entertaining and factual manner, including revelations that might twitch your spine. Capitalism isn’t as good as ‘Sicko’, but it manages to deliver a punch right in the patriotic gut.

The premise has Mr. Moore exploring the price that America pays for its love of capitalism, but the principal appeal of the film is Moore’s quest to uncover the why’s and who’s of the economic collapse, and even though he does this with human affection and charm, he doesn’t necessarily tell us what to do with the information. Consequently, we’re left asking questions with no right or wrong answers. I almost wish he would’ve tread a little further and had someone arrested – caught on film! No such luck, but I can’t say he didn’t try. To most proletariats, Moore is their champion and so with each documentary, the expectations for him to do something about his findings become more demanding.

At the end, Moore is in the business of informing and entertaining us with his topical stories on our governments fallacies, but he wants us to do something about. He feels he started it, we should finish it. Will we? Stay tuned.

Alex Florez

By

2009/10/01 at 12:00am

More Than A Game

10.1.2009 | By |

Rated: Not available.
Release Date: 2009-10-02
Starring: Kristopher Belman, Brad Hogan
Director(s):
Distributor:
Film Genre:
Country: USA
Official Website: http://www.morethanagamemovie.com/

Go to our film page

More Than A Game

For ‘Sportcenter’ junkies like myself, More Than a Game will feel like one of those pre-game packages leading up to the final game of a championship series.  The ones that sum up the obstacles the players have overcome to reach the summit of their sport. The ones that delve into their personal lives, recounted by their family, friends, coaches and the journalists that have tracked them.  Tragedy.  Redemption.  All so that when we next see these athletes on the field or on the floor they are human to us once again.  All done to make the ‘game’ that much more compelling.  After all, what would sports be without a narrative?

Avid basketball fans out there will certainly be quite familiar with this documentary having lived through, just a few years ago, LeBron James’ meteoric rise to NBA superstardom.  Of course, the story they got was written by the media: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and virtually every newspaper across the country.

For those that don’t follow sports at all, the story goes that five talented young high school basketball players from Akron, Ohio including future NBA star LeBron James are coached by a charismatic but inexperienced player’s father and together embark on an improbable nine-year journey from a decrepit inner-city gym to the doorstep of a national high school championship. 

Along the way, the close-knit team is repeatedly tested — both on and off the court — as James’ exploding worldwide celebrity threatens to destroy everything they’ve set out to achieve together.

What director Kristopher Belman does, is turn this documentary into a compelling coming of age film that expands on the boys’ friendship and their loyalty in the face of great adversity.  Easily, this movie could have been fictionalized and either turned into ‘Hoosiers’ (Gene Hackman) or ‘Coach Carter’ (Samuel L. Jackson) to ham up the ‘underdog’ story.  Thankfully, the risk wasn’t taken and the story is told through the players’ own words.  Nevertheless, the movie never feels quite as honest as it should be and I couldn’t help but think that more than anything, it’s a gift to LeBron’s former teammates as they finally get the recognition they deserve.

Come to think of it, my feelings on the film are a lot like the relationship I have with the athletes I follow.  I Don’t quite buy into the image they create for themselves but somehow still find myself rooting for them.  

 

Select a Page