A sensitive loner goes undercover to infiltrate a group of skinheads and finds he may have more in common with the white supremacists he’s investigating than his FBI colleagues. Or “Donnie Brasco” meets “The Believer.” Or “Point Break” meets “American History X.” Or “Reservoir Dogs” meets “Romper Stomper.” I couldn’t help but think of other…
Named after an old chain gang work song about the light of a passing train being a symbol of redemption, Jeff Nichols’ (“Mud”) Midnight Special is an enigmatic science-fiction thriller about a boy with special powers and his parents whose bridge of love between them knows no worldly boundaries. Set in the American South, the…
Denis Villeneuve’s last film, 2013’s “Prisoners,” had everything: Gripping story; beautiful camerawork; and a great performance from Jake Gyllenhaal alongside Hugh Jackson. His follow-up Sicario only has the star-studded cast. Emily Blunt (“Edge of Tomorrow”) plays an FBI agent, Kate Macer, who enlists to join an escalating drug war between the U.S. and Mexico, in…
My friend once told me a story of how he was visiting Las Vegas in the mid-1990s. He said that the person he was with, John, introduced him to a rather sharply-dressed man who told him, “Whatever you want here, just ask for it,” and then walked away. John said, “Do you know who that…
Comb-overs, perms, cravats, disco, embezzlement and corruption — American Hustle has it all and then some. And like Scott Cooper’s film, “Out of the Furnace,” David O. Russell’s production features one of the best ensemble casts of the year. And like that movie it too utilizes Christian Bale to its advantage, but this time he…
Never trust an offshore gambling tycoon, no matter how golden his tongue may be. That’s the life lesson Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake) comes to understand the hard way after he gets lured into the fast-paced world of Ivan Block (Ben Affleck) in 20th Century Fox’s thriller Runner Runner. Supposedly inspired by true events (show me…
If ever a motion picture suffered enough schizophrenia for a roomful of Sigmund Freuds, it’s 2 Guns, the newest effort from director Baltasar Kormákur (“Contraband“) starring Mark Wahlberg (“Ted“) and Denzel Washington (coming off of his Oscar-nominated turn in “Flight“). While the running thread of the mismatched black and white partners forced to work together…
