[6] Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci star in this southern tale of an abused nymphomaniac who falls under the tough-loving care of a recently divorced bluesman who wants to set her back on God’s path. If you can get over the fact that Jackson’s character literally chains Ricci to his radiator to keep her from whoring around, you’ll see how Black Snake Moans unfolds …
[8] Steven Soderbergh turns the directing reigns over to Gregory Jacobs for this sequel to Magic Mike, but stays involved as director of photography and editor (under pseudonyms). The sequel turns out to be superior because its infinitely more fun and far less didactic and moralizing than its predecessor. The plot is more scant than the men’s on-stage wardrobes, but for a movie like this, …
[8] Robert DeNiro directs from a script by Eric Roth this taught, engaging, mysterious, and surprisingly emotional story about the birth of the CIA. Matt Damon stars, serving as our window into a world full of secrets and deception. Damon’s reserved cool gives costars Angelina Jolie and Eddie Redmayne plenty to act against, playing the wife and son who always get second fiddle to career …
[8] It’s amazing how interesting a movie about an interview can be. Granted, the subject of the interview is the first American president ever to be removed from office, and the motivation behind the interview is to get him to admit to the American people his abuse of power. Frost/Nixon is based on a stage play by Peter Morgan and director Ron Howard (Apollo 13, …
[4] Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore star in this clunky mystery about a New York detective tasked with prying information from a distressed woman whose toddler was kidnapped in a stolen car, while also trying to prevent an escalating race riot. Yeah. Freedomland is a hot mess of a movie. Jackson’s two objectives don’t seem to have any connection to one another and the …
[6] After the success of Midnight Cowboy, John Schlesinger returned to personal storytelling in Britain with Sunday Bloody Sunday, a slice-of-life movie about a middle-aged doctor (Peter Finch) and a divorcee (Glenda Jackson) who knowingly share a bohemian lover (Murray Head). Reportedly largely autobiographical, the film is a study of three different characters’ feelings toward sex and love, and there’s no didactic message here, except …
[4] George Clooney directs, co-writes, and co-stars in this examination of famed broadcast newsman Edward R. Murrow’s attempts to thwart McCarthyism at CBS. David Strathairn brings his usual nonchalance to the role of Murrow. Clooney plays his right-hand man, Fred Friendly. McCarthyism was scary and Murrow’s victories were important, but Clooney keeps Good Night, and Good Luck so restrained, it teeters on becoming a snooze …
[6] Paul Verhoeven (Turkish Delight, RoboCop) directs this story based on the book by Neel Doff, about an impoverished Dutch immigrant who turns to prostitution to make ends meet and winds up joining the socialist rebellion. Katie Tippel‘s plotline meanders and pushes most of her character transformation to the final act. But while it takes a while to get to the point, the movie’s never …
[8] Anthony Hopkins plays filmdom’s master of suspense in this movie that chronicles the director’s relationship with his wife, Alma, played by none other than Helen Mirren, during the making of Psycho. It should come as no surprise that Hopkins and Mirren are terrific. Hopkins’ best moment comes when Mirren asks him why Psycho is to be the next film, why when Hollywood decries it …
[6] John Travolta and Debra Winger star as impetuous young lovers who meet at a Houston honky-tonk bar, get married, and struggle to keep their relationship together. I enjoyed the first half of the movie more than the second. You believe that the two characters would come together, but in the second half, Travolta’s character’s ugly side really comes out and the movie is downright …
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