Author Archive

Michael Bay has been polluting the cinematic world for well over a decade now. His films have gone from bad (Bad Boys) to worse (The Island), and he’s established himself as a sort of modern day Edward D. Wood Jr., albeit one with far more money in his wallet, and far less passion in […]

In the mid 1970’s through the early ’80’s a small group of filmmakers emerged from Down Under to create a sort of Australian New Wave. This group consisted of directors like George Miller (Mad Max)and Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career), and actors such as Judy Davis, Mel Gibson, and Nicole Kidman. All would go on […]

Wait a second. A samurai movie that focuses on relationships and family? That’s right. Yoji Yamada’s The Twilight Samurai is unlike any samurai film I’ve ever seen, and that’s a good thing. The story is set in mid 1800’s Japan, and the focus is a man named Sebei Iguchi (Hiroyuki Sanada), […]

Based on the novel by Zoe Heller, adapted for the screen by Patrick Marber (Closer), and starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal seems to be a typical bigger budget extension of Masterpiece Theater, so you can imagine my surprise after putting the DVD in. This is a film that works […]

The first thing that struck me about Stephen Frears’ The Queen is that the film is an incredibly intimate portrait of two remarkably courageous women. On the one hand, we have Queen Elizabeth II, on the other, Diana, Princess of Wales. These women are important, famous, and powerful individuals, but the film treats them both as human beings as common as you and me. This is not the story of one woman’s stubbornness as a result of centuries of tradition, but instead a battle of wills between two people who had once been related through marriage. The only problem is that one of these women continues the battle, even when the other is being prepared to go to her grave.

Those of you out there, like me, who didn’t get a chance to catch Little Children in a theater, take heed. Here’s your chance to see one of the best films of 2006. Todd Field (In the Bedroom) has returned to the director’s chair after a five year hiatus, and he delivers one of the bravest and most honest films of recent years. He has made a film that seems to go against everything that Hollywood usually offers us. This is a strong film with provocative subject matter, made for mature audiences that want to be challenged.

Back in 2002, a man by the name of Joe Carnahan hit the movie scene with a film called Narc. The film was a typical routine cop thriller, but it was done well. It was stylish, well acted, and fairly intelligent. Most importantly, it made Joe Carnahan a name to remember. This was a director with promise, a filmmaker on the rise. After the success of that film, Carnahan signed on to direct Mission Impossible III, but after months of preproduction Carnahan left the project due to “creative differences” (that’s Hollywood slang for getting canned). Now, to some filmmakers that could be a huge roadblock, but Carnahan was smart enough to know that he had to act quick in order to save his career. The result, sadly, is Smokin’ Aces.

This last year has been really great for Forest Whitaker. His performance in The Shield is one of the greatest in television history, and the same could apply to film for his Oscar winning portrayal of General Idi Amin Dada in The Last King of Scotland. The only problem is that the film isn’t worthy of his performance. The film is sometimes heavy handed, while other times it avoids its subject too much. Whitaker, however, is funny, charming, paradoxical, and ultimately terrifying, making this very flawed film a must see experience.