Top Films by Year
Top Films of 2020
Top Films of 2017
Top Films of 2015
Valentino: The Last Emperor – 3
A shallow movie about a shallow man. There is not much pleasure in watching a movie intended to enshrine a vain, prissy prima donna, and what could compensate – the dresses he designed – is also given short shrift: there is really only one dress we get to see at any length. Air kisses all […]
Adventureland – 7.5
The oft-told love tale – at least since Woody Allen came on the scene – of the geeky guy and the gorgeous girl, this time set, amusingly, in an amusement park run by Bill Hader and a bunch of slacker employees. Kristen Stewart should get Oscar consideration for her portrayal of the heartthrob, perfect on […]
State of Play – 7
I was glad to read in reviews that the final plot twist made no sense, because that saved the many hours I could have spent trying to reconcile the ending with the action that preceded it. As it was, I attributed my confusion to the compression required in turning a 6-part BBC series into a […]
Sunshine Cleaning – 6
Unfortunate title, since the characters are so reminiscent of the superior Little Miss Sunshine. Still, there was a good indie-feel, despite big-name actors, and the whole ride was more fun than I usually have with a bunch of losers, however lovable.
Duplicity – 4
Watchability 5. Likeability 4. Credibility 0. Even as a total fantasy, this star vehicle for Julia Roberts and Clive Owen left much to be desired. As a guessing game – when were there reactions real, when were they acting? – it wasn’t worth the effort. If you’re going to make a spy movie, bring back […]