The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
Keanu Reeves stars in this remake of the lauded cautionary tale original, putting a relevant green spin on things; the effect is a solid sci-fi thriller that operates with reserve instead of going way over the top.Helen Benson (Jenifer Connelly) is a scientist that deals with studying bacteria and elements on outer space bodies like […]
Four Christmases
Seth Gordon’s feature debut is unfortunately a lackluster affair, though is saved from being a complete atrocity from the work of Vince Vaughn (though, he has been far, far better at times).Brad and Kate have been a happily unmarried couple for three years now, they are successful, live together, and have no interest in spending […]
Man On Wire
James Marsh’s latest documentary is the story of one man’s dream to tight rope walk between the two towers of the world trade center and the lengths the man, and the people around him, went through to make his dream a reality.Philippe Petit is the man who had this dream and he himself is a […]
Transsiberian
Brad Anderson’s train thriller is an effective piece of cinema that keeps tension high while taking a series of twists and turns along the way.The film opens with the police investigation of a drug dealer that was robbed and killed, with the investigation headed up by Grinko (Ben Kingsley) who after discovering that someone is […]
Twilight
The hotly anticipated adaptation of the hit teen vampire romance series is a fairly successful adaptation to the big screen.Bella (Kristen Stewart) lives happily in Phoenix but is forced to relocate back to her home town of Forks, Washington, the wettest and most cloud covered city in the country. Moving in the middle of second […]
Fear(s) of the Dark
This animated collection of short films is a visual treat and some great story telling and while it isn’t necessarily that scary of a film, it is a fine compilation of some interesting and creepy tales.The film is a compilation of six works by the some of the best animators working today, Blutch, Charles Burns, […]
Milk
Gus Van Sant’s latest is another great film for the director and is one of the best biopics in recent memory.Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) was a closet homosexual in New York in the early seventies, picking up men on the Subway, one of which happens to change the direction of his life. Upon picking up […]
Australia
Baz Luhrmann’s long gestating epic is a solid visual feast that is a bit disjointed story wise, but remains an entertaining film nonetheless.Nullah is the films narrator and he is a young aboriginal boy who lives and helps around Far Away Downs, which is a cattle ranch owned by Lady Sarah Ashley’s (Nicole Kidman) husband, […]
Run Fatboy Fun
David Schwimmer steps behind the camera to produce a solid sports comedy that doesn’t do anything spectacularly new or unpredictable, but is entertaining nonetheless.Dennis Doyle (Simon Pegg) is a bit of a loser. About to get married to his pregnant fiancée Libby (Thandie Newton) Dennis freaks out and runs out on her and the family […]
War, Inc.
John Cusack’s in-spirit follow up to Grosse Pointe Blank is no where near as effective as that film, and while there are some winning moments, the film fails to work as a whole.Brand Hauser is a contract killer for the U.S. and finds himself working for Tamerlane on a political assassination job in Turaqistan (not […]