EVEN LEGENDS NEED A HERO. In 2002, a Nigerian-American doctor (Will Smith) in Pennsylvania begins looking into the deaths of several former NFL players and discovers a pattern of brain injuries. A drama that wants to be a new The Insider (1999), this time with the NFL, not tobacco companies, as villains. This reality-based film … Continue reading Concussion
“White Knife” (Adam Sandler), who’s been raised by indians, goes on a quest to save his kidnapped father (Nick Nolte), and runs into one peculiar man after another who turn out to be his brothers… The first movie in a four-picture deal that Sandler made with Netflix was released straight to the streaming service. This … Continue reading The Ridiculous 6
FAMILY IS A CRUEL JOKE. After trying to kill himself, struggling L.A. actor Milo (Bill Hader) moves in with his estranged sister (Kristen Wiig) and her husband (Luke Wilson) in New York. The director’s second feature was a hit at Sundance and provides a perfect showcase for the two former Saturday Night Live talents in … Continue reading The Skeleton Twins
LET YOUR IMAGINATION SOAR. In 1872, inventor Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan) wagers that he can travel around the world in 80 days; he’s accompanied by his recently hired manservant (Jackie Chan) who has an agenda of his own. Another adaptation of the Jules Verne perennial, one that takes a lot of liberties but not in a … Continue reading Around the World in 80 Days
THIS IS ONE SAD FAMILY. As Aaron Barnes (Chris Rock) is preparing for the funeral of his father, it is gearing up to be a disaster. Only three years after Frank Oz’s hilarious British comedy comes the remake, directed by Neil LaBute who’d already made a mess out of the Wicker Man remake. As it is very close … Continue reading Death at a Funeral
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME A MOVIE MADE YOU BEG FOR MERCY? You can count on the jackass crew; there’s always one more disgusting or dangerous thing to subject your own body (or those of others) to. The opening shot features a bull run and there’s also a scene where Chris Pontius drinks horse semen; as expected, … Continue reading jackass number two
CHANGING HIS ATTITUDE WILL TAKE A MIRACLE. Henry Poole (Luke Wilson), who believes that he is dying, buys a house in Los Angeles where he intends to spend his last days, but what looks like a miracle becomes an annoying distraction… Yes, Henry has a fatal illness. Yes, he intends to drink himself to death. … Continue reading Henry Poole Is Here
HOW CAN YOU ESCAPE… IF THEY CAN SEE EVERYTHING? When their car breaks down, Amy and David Fox (Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson) rent a room at a shady motel that harbors greater surprises than the odd cockroach. Nimród Antal must be a fan of Hitchcock; the set-up is reminiscent of Psycho (1960) and those gorgeous … Continue reading Vacancy
SOMEONE HAS TAKEN THEIR LOVE OF SEQUELS ONE STEP TOO FAR. At the same time as “Stab” (the movie version of the murders in Woodsboro) opens, a new killer with a “scream” mask torments the survivors and their friends. It only took a year for the Wes Craven-Kevin Williamson duo to crank out this sequel, but … Continue reading Scream 2
HE BROKE HER HEART. SHE BROKE HIS EVERYTHING. Matt (Luke Wilson) dates a woman (Uma Thurman) who turns out to be G-girl, a superhero; when he breaks up with her, all hell breaks loose. The return of Ivan Reitman is a disappointment. On paper, the Ghostbusters director is the perfect guy for this comedy; it … Continue reading My Super Ex-Girlfriend
THEY’RE NOT REALLY CRIMINALS, BUT EVERYBODY’S GOT TO HAVE A DREAM. Along with their neighbor Bob Mapplethorpe (Robert Musgrave), best friends Dignan and Anthony (Owen and Luke Wilson) decide to form a gang and embark on a career in crime. For their first feature film, director Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson expanded the story of an … Continue reading Bottle Rocket
FEEL THE LOVE. The Stone family is reunited for Christmas in Connecticut; son Everett (Dermot Mulroney) brings his new girlfriend (Sarah Jessica Parker) who becomes anything but a hit. Director Thomas Bezucha’s second film is reminiscent of many other Christmas movies, but it manages to overcome its predictability and turn into a funny, genuine and quite … Continue reading The Family Stone
TIME WAITS FOR ONE MAN. When outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) is captured, destitute rancher Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is paid to join the group of men who will bring him to a train bound for Yuma prison. Director James Mangold’s remake of the 1957 western classic doesn’t really do anything original that warrants a … Continue reading 3:10 to Yuma
