Loading...
It’s tough to find a middle ground between clever and overly artsy. Wes Anderson, for me, found this area in 2009′s Fantastic Mr. Fox. The animation was different and the writing was pretty much flawless. His newest feature, Moonrise Kingdom, isn’t as family friendly per se, but it is a great follow-up in terms of art, storytelling, and quirkiness. Doning a spectacular cast, Anderson delivers [...]
There were plenty of things working against Men in Black III before its release. First, the original sequel, Men in Black II, was a critical flop. Second, almost ten years have elapsed between films. Lastly, and probably scariest, was the fact that Men in Black III started production and filming without a final script. Production was actually stopped at one point to finish the script. [...]
The Eye of the Storm The Australian drama The Eye of the Storm is playing this weekend at the 38th Seattle International Film Festival. Based on the novel of the same name, Fred Schepisi puts a lot of emphasis on family. We all like to think our families are perfect, but we also know this sadly isn’t true. The Eye of the Storm is a [...]
Opening this weekend at the 38th Seattle International Film Festival is Matthew Lillard’s directorial debut, Fat Kid Rules The World. Based on the novel of the same name (by K.L. Going), the story uniquely focuses on male eating disorders. In this case, we get to see two extremes (the two brothers), while also presenting a story full of music, friendship, and hope. It certainly has [...]
Elena Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Russian film Elena got significant recognition upon its Cannes release in 2011. Taking home the Special Jury Prize, the film was picked up by Zeitgeist Films, where it was released in the U.S. this week. Likewise, it plays during the first week of the Seattle International Film Festival (specific screenings below). Plot-wise, the film follows Elena (Nadezhda Markina), as she tries to [...]
Hey guys, Jordan here. Luckily, I’ve had the tremendous opportunity to cover this year’s Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF). The 38th SIFF starts May 17 and spans until June 10, screening 273 features and 187 shorts from 75 different countries. I’ll only be able to catch a fraction of the films, but I will do my best to inform you which movies are worth catching [...]
There’s one thing you can almost certainly count on when Sacha Baron Cohen is starring in a movie: outrageously offensive material. For some, this makes the film an instant “must-see,” but to others it serves as a warning. With many different forms of humor, Cohen’s Borat character will probably go down as the best. His more recent Brüno personality was met with a lot more [...]
Given the nature of Tim Burton’s movies, it’s hard to expect anything “normal” for his newest one, titled Dark Shadows. Not surprisingly, it stars Johnny Depp in a visually-stimulating, styled comedy, mixed with themes of horror and drama. However, Burton has proved himself to be hit-or-miss over the years. Although Dark Shadows looks the part, it doesn’t create characters or stories worth praising. Going for [...]
It’s always a risky move to put your own fictionalized spin on something true. With every success there are bound to be failures. In the case of James McTeigue’s historical-fiction thriller The Raven, failure prevails over success. Yes, there are aspects of the film that work, but the whole is a sum of its parts. In this case, the parts are more contrived than well-conceived, [...]
Once in awhile, the stars align – from production to casting to marketing – to make a comedy that appears to have everything. You don’t have to research modern comedy to know there is a man behind most of these films – Judd Apatow. However, The Five-Year Engagement is proof that a lovable cast and funny premise doesn’t automatically make a film anything special. There [...]
