The Theory of Everything
The Theory of Everything is an unusual love story. It is adapted from the autobiography of Jane Wilde, physicist Stephen Hawking's first wife, who met him while he was working…
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
Hollywood can be so cruel. Splitting the third and final book of The Hunger Games trilogy into two movies feels so… unnecessary. Lucrative, in a “hey, Harry Potter and Twilight…
Rosewater
Jon Stewart's crossover from host of a hit satirical news show to feature film writer/director was slightly surprising on the face of it. But once you get into Rosewater, you…
Kill the Messenger
Kill the Messenger is based on a true story, and what a story it is! It is the tale of a journalist/whistleblower who had the guts to publish the truth…
The Best of Me
If you’ve never seen a movie adapted from a Nicholas Sparks novel, then don’t start with this one. The Best of Me is not the worst of the bunch, but…
Gone Girl
Gone Girl is very good. And, I suspect, it’s probably even better if you haven’t read the best-selling book by Gillian Flynn (which I did, about two years ago). It’s…
This Is Where I Leave You
This Is Where I Leave You starts off strong, then loses its way, despite having an A-List cast with the chops to achieve something far greater. Perhaps it was the…
Mood Indigo
Writer/director Michel Gondry brought us Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , one of the more strangely inventive stories of the 21st century. With Mood Indigo he returns with a…
If I Stay
If I Stay is a tear-inducing chick flick. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… unless you’re trying to stay in ‘happy summer mode’ a few more weeks. This movie…
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy is a good, entertaining summer flick filled with humor, sarcasm, sci-fi superhero angst, and action. But don’t make the same mistake I did… which was to…
The Hundred-Foot Journey
The Hundred-Foot Journey has all the ingredients for an arty-mainstream crossover dish, ala The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It doesn’t hurt that the film has the producer power of Steven…
Venus in Fur (La Vénus à la fourrure)
Theater lovers rejoice! And run to see this film. It is a fantastique adaptation of a play about a playwright/director and the mysterious woman who just may be the perfect…
A Most Wanted Man
There is really just one reason to go see A Most Wanted Man -- Philip Seymour Hoffman. The film, while good on its own terms, mainly serves as a reminder…
Snowpiercer
I really wanted to like this movie. It has a top notch cast with Chris "Captain America" Evans, Tilda "Chameleon" Swinton, Octavia "Oscar" Spencer, John "Gravitas" Hurt and Ed "Reliable"…
Me and You (Io e te)
There are a handful of directors whose names lead me to expect greatness. Bertolucci is definitely one of them. He has written and directed some of the most successful and…