Tragedy on the Commons
Jean Arthur was a charming actress, best known for her squeaky voice and comedic perfection in the screwball comedies in the 1930s. Recently I read …
Filmnotes – November 2010
I hate to tell you this, but you may be too old for “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”(Universal Pictures, 2010, 112 minutes). It’s a tongue-in-cheek …
Hambo
“The Expendables” should have been the best action film of the summer. Written and directed by Sylvester Stallone and rumored to star some of the …
Selling Out
Sometimes it’s the values filmmakers take for granted that reveal the most about cultural trends. Take “Step Up 3D,” for example, the most recent of …
Everything but “Think”
Investment guru Howard Ruff used to joke about writing the perfect bestseller. It would be titled, “How I Found God and Lost Weight while Having …
Grave Doubts
“Get Low” is about as close to perfect as a movie can get. It has mystery, romance, danger, comedy, beautiful cinematography, great characterization, and a …
Fun and French
“Micmacs” is the latest film from the whimsical and often surreal imagination of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (“Amelie,” “A Very Long Engagement,” “Delicatessen”). Jeunet likes to explore …
Thriller for the Thinker
“Inception” is one of the most complex and intelligent films to come along in quite a while. On one level it is an intense and …
Saline Dissolution
It’s always fun when Angelina Jolie makes a new movie. I just love to trash her. Her self-righteous celebrity overshadows any chance of nuanced acting. …
Galt’s Glitch
Who is John Galt? Apparently he is not going to be Brad Pitt. After waiting nearly half a century for the perfect script, perfect cast, …