September 17, 2008
Thank goodness for Samuel L. Jackson
Lakeview Terrace” is a much better movie when Samuel L. Jackson is onscreen than when he is off. Fortunately, Jackson is in the film more often than not, commanding the screen with a powerhouse performance that gets under the skin and starts to burrow. He absolutely makes the film; with a lesser actor it would just be schlock.
September 12, 2008
‘Kill’ never rises above the ordinary
The first time Robert De Niro and Al Pacino appeared in the same movie, it was "The Godfather, Part II." Maybe they should have quit while they were ahead.
This movie should be better than it is
It is easier to see what they were trying to do right with "Burn After Reading" than to determine what went so terribly wrong.
September 10, 2008
‘Elegy’ dances beautifully with unseen Death
The audience may want to stay through all the credits and beyond of "Elegy," caught up in its pensive mood.
August 27, 2008
Film is too, too solid a single, but close
Two people are credited with writing "Hamlet 2." Maybe there should have been three. The two, Pam Brady and director Andrew Fleming, came up with a brilliant idea, or an idea that should have been brilliant.
August 26, 2008
‘64 movie foretold potential of’08
It seemed almost impossible at the time. In the 1964 political-convention movie "The Best Man," a character stands in front of the delegates and gives a speech that is hopeful yet outlandish.
August 22, 2008
Put money down on ‘Longshots’
Ice Cube has never been an even passable actor, and his previous efforts to make family films have ranged from uncomfortable to unwatchable. But "The Longshots" breaks the mold in a big way.
‘Bottle Shock’ is satisfying, feel-good
Once you uncork "Bottle Shock," you'll first notice its mild yet intriguing bouquet. A sip reveals that it is pleasingly palatable and deceptively full-bodied, with a natural sweetness tempered by an undertone of dry wit, building to a strong finish.
August 13, 2008
‘Tropic Thunder’ weaves funny with the unfunny
The people worried that the now-infamous "full-retard" scene in "Tropic Thunder" is insensitive to the mentally disabled need not be concerned. The new Ben Stiller flick is funny, most of the time.
August 07, 2008
Languid pace nearly crumbles ‘Brick Lane’
The thing about "Brick Lane" is you have to stick with it. It will be slow going at times.
August 06, 2008
The pants seem a little threadbare this time out
'Sisterhood' lessons, situations and acting are all perfunctory.
August 05, 2008
‘Pineapple Express’ a long ride to nowhere
The new stoner comedy "Pineapple Express" from Judd Apatow is endless, simply endless. It wouldn't be a problem if the movie were actually funny, but it is most emphatically not.
