I don’t think I’ll be submitting myself to this cinematic torture again. I guess I prefer my spirit to be uplifted, not crushed, even when the crushing is beautifully and artistically portrayed.
All in Drama
Angelina Jolie's UNBROKEN
What propels the story along are the twin realities that (a) this story is true and (b) Japanese prison camp conditions really were this horrific. Jolie’s almost documentary approach lets these things speak for themselves. You can’t help but be moved by the results. I certainly was.
Steven Soderbergh's SIDE EFFECTS
This tasty little thriller really packs a punch with frequent and unexpected twists and turns along the way. Jude Law and Rooney Mara star in an expertly crafted cat and mouse game that pits … well, explaining the story too much would spoil things.
Jaman Winan’s INK
Seeing INK reminded me of my guardian angel days as it explores the conflict between good and evil and the shadowy netherworld of dreams, nightmares, and overlapping timelines.
Ryan Coogler's CREED
CREED is easily one of the most enjoyable movies I’ve seen this year.
Steven Spielberg's BRIDGE OF SPIES
What Spielberg seems to be saying is that we must not let the very real fears and dangers of the time make us forget who we are and the freedoms we hold dear.
Kevin MacDonald's BLACK SEA
I’m a sucker for submarine movies and books. BLACK SEA delivers.
David Dobkin's THE JUDGE
Best of all you get to see Duvall deliver one of his best performances ever.
Michael Roskam’s THE DROP
But it’s the characters on display here that are the real focus. Who are these people and what are they really up to? Watching the actions of the police is especially interesting. They’re the outsiders here. Everyone goes to great lengths to keep the cops at arm’s length so they can pursue their own deals.
Darren Aronofsky's “NOAH”
While there’s a lot here that’s “true to the Bible,” the movie also make sense as a fantasy set in a time and place far far away. We can’t help but wonder about the morality of such a world where the vices of humans are met not with forgiveness but with genocide on a planetary scale.
Out of this genocide emerges a new and greener world.
Thaddeus O'Sullivan's INTO THE STORM
What would have happened had England not had a Churchill to guide it the war?
Morten Tyldum’s THE IMITATION GAME
The Imitation Game might oversimplify at times but it does represent the work of real people and that’s a good thing for modern audiences to see.
Hiroyuki Okiura's LETTER TO MOMO
What a lovely, gentle, and funny film this is!
Jonathan Glazer’s UNDER THE SKIN
It’s like no place on earth I’ve ever seen.
Spike Jonze’s HER
It’s an oddly sterile middle class urban future that’s presented here and one where all annoying visual corners seem to have been knocked or sanded off.
Gabe Ibáñez' “AUTOMATA”
This is a highly original spin on both the dystopian and the robots-becoming-human themes.
Paul Thomas Anderson's THE MASTER
The bond between the two characters is never clearly understood. Master and pupil (as the title implies)? Or two dissimilar peas in a pod, one reflecting the other?
Dustin Hoffman's QUARTET
It’s a feel-good movie beautifully produced with a heart and a conscience.
Steven Knight's REDEMPTION
This is not your typical Stathan action movie. I enjoyed it along with the excellent direction and beautiful nighttime photography. The thick English accents are a bit tough to follow at times but if you just follow the movement and the eyes you’ll be fine.
Roger Michell's HYDE PARK ON THE HUDSON
Does FDR come through as a major cad in how he relates to women? Absolutely. But also portrayed is how the women respond and adjust while still managing to pull strings. It’s a fascinating view of a time and place and reminds us that these gods of our history were human too.