Finally, it’s here, the film not a single person has been waiting for, Men, Women & Children, essentially Jason Reitman’s “Reefer Madness” for the digital age, is a decade late tonally conflicted mess that completely misses its mark. The first comparison that comes to mind for this film, honestly, is the beginning of “Troll 2;”…
The success of David Dobkin’s (“Wedding Crashers”) The Judge lies in its ability to sound just like every other story in which a successful prodigal son returns from “the big city” in the midst of personal turmoil to attend a parent’s funeral (“Elizabethtown,” “Garden State,” etc.) when summarized aloud, but play out on screen as…
In a moment of weakness, a middle-aged father of two tries to save himself rather than his family in a dangerous situation, an action that has deep ramifications for their relationship. Winner of the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard competition in Cannes in 2014 and Sweden’s official entry into the Oscar sweepstakes for…
Boyhood, Richard Linklater’s opus shot over a 12-year period, is utterly fantastic from start to finish. It’s a delicious slice of life about a boy from ages 6 to 18, and the spinning reality that is his life — complete with a caring mother, multiple stepfathers, a savvy sister, and a biological father who himself…
The Garrett Hedlund Dilemma: How To Avoid Outlaw Clichés and Maximize Potential. Does the above text currently exist? No, not yet it doesn’t — but the world of cinema may demand it by 2015. The opening scenes of Andrew Levitas’ feature debut, Lullaby, have Mr. Hedlund mirroring the roles of “On The Road” and “Inside…
When it comes to tales of familial strife, movies sure love to put the fun in dysfunctional. But in the dark, depressing August: Osage County, the Weston family settles for nothing less than the whole word. There’s nothing particularly fun about this group, not when it’s just matriarch Violet (Meryl Streep) screaming at patriarch Beverly…
Anyone who has been in a relationship, in one form or another, should be able to recall that sometimes uncomfortable realization when their casual dating had become something more serious. Jason (Zac Efron, “The Lucky One”), in That Awkward Moment, has dubbed that instant when a girl asks, “So, am I your girlfriend now?,” or…
