Top Films by Year
Top Films of 2020
Top Films of 2017
Top Films of 2015
Les Miserables – 7
The music is kind of blah, the lyrics sophomoric, and the movie played like a stage musical, with pauses for applause after every set piece. When I saw Les Mis in the theater I found it a derivative and lukewarm Phantom of the Opera. What was notable in the film version were the performances – […]
Django Unchained – 8.4
Pitch perfect. The ultimate Tarantino. Gratuitous violence has never been so fun. A miscast Leonardo DiCaprio – although not as bad as Brad Pitt in Inglorious Basterds – was my only quibble, but all the other actors were so great it hardly mattered. Samuel L. Jackson was Oscar-worthy, but Christoph Walz was on a higher […]
Flight – 6.5
Denzel Washington walked an impressive tightrope: keeping us rooting for his character while continually disappointing us with his conduct. His co-star was very appealing, and John Goodman was a pleasure, as always. In the end, though, this was strictly a one-trick pony, and that trick wasn’t all that engaging.
Anna Karenina – 7
The novel staged as a series of tableaux. At first I found it corny, like a Broadway musical sans music; but by the time I figured out, more or less, who was who, I had fallen into Joe Wright’s rhythm and had no more complaint. Keira Knightley was quite good, and lovely as usual, but […]
Silver Linings Playbook – 7.5
Jennifer Lawrence sizzled. Bradley Cooper burned. This film was at its most eloquent when neither spoke but looked into the other’s eyes. The plot points were goofily absurd, but that was just background for the onscreen chemistry between the two stars, who made you feel their longing – and their craziness. I felt a little […]