Happy Friday, dear readers! One of the most wonderful things about film is its diversity of subject and style, the potential for variance and innovation inherent in the medium. This weekend’s release schedule displays this core trait with relish; truly, it’s a study in contrasts. We have an action-heavy neo-noir, a horror anthology, a war movie, two meditations on religion, documentaries (one that’s pretty serious, one not so much), several character-based slice-of-life pics, and (sigh) another CGI world coming at you in three dimensions. Though, to be fair, we hear this last one is actually quite well done, so maybe watching it won’t make us feel like our head’s about to spin off. In any case, whether you’re laughing, sobbing, or recoiling into your seat back (or, if you’re lucky, all three in one sitting!), go enjoy the far-ranging capacity of this century-old medium. And tell us what you’re most excited for in the comments below!
“Dead Man Down.” Directed by Niels Arden Oplev. Starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard, Isabelle Huppert, Dominic Cooper, Armand Assante, and F. Murray Abraham. Our review: “Everything about ‘Dead Man Down’ is designed to catch you off guard, and
most of the time it totally works, effortlessly mixing B-movie
aesthetics with deeply contemplative European artiness. The result is a
movie that is genuinely, totally unexpected.” Metacritic: 42 Rotten Tomatoes: 42% The Playlist: B+
long time and even the 3D is smartly utilized for key sequences
(though, you could just as easily do without). But unfortunately,
nothing else matches the technical accomplishments…’Oz The Great And Powerful’ is a valiant
attempt to build on the magic of ‘The Wizard Of Oz,’ and while it
certainly doesn’t diminish the standing of that movie, Sam Raimi’s film
provides proof that the more we know about the mysteries of our favorite
stories, the less interesting they become.” MC: 44 RT: 56% PL: C
to win over audiences that weren’t already horror fans, but it has so
much for genre fans (and short film fans) to enjoy that it’s worth it.” MC: 46 RT: 49% PL: B
its intentions in the right place. At the same time, its harmlessness and
adherence to a formulaic storytelling style means the film has no voice
of its own, and at its worst can feel like the cinematic equivalent of
making sure you get enough fiber in your diet. But Tommy Lee Jones makes
the endeavor worthwhile, pointing toward the better film that could
have been made, instead of the one we got.” MC: 49 RT: 35% PL: C
“Electrick Children.” Directed by Rebecca Thomas. Starring Julia Garner, Rory Culkin, and Liam Aiken. Our review: “The twists and happenstance coincidences that the film relies on, as
so often happens with this sort of magic realism, become actually problematic in
its third act…So, good as it is, with a catchy high concept and hip indie
sensibility, it could have been so much better. Culkin, Aiken and
Garner, however, can count the film as a pretty unmitigated triumph from
their points of view.” MC: 60 RT: 85% PL: B
“Beyond the Hills.” Directed by Cristian Mungiu. Starring Cosmina Stratan, Cristina Flutur, and Valeriu Andriuta.
Our review: “Gorgeously lensed and executed with an exacting (some
would argue dry)
aesthetic in which there are minimal camera movements and long takes,
‘Beyond The Hills,’ running at two and a half hours, is an endurance
test. But pace yourself and lean back, because the rewards are ample.
Deceivingly complex, with an emotional center that peels away like an
onion the longer it unfolds, this is a powerful effort from Mungiu in
which love and faith are both different kinds of poison.” MC: 80 RT: 81% PL:
B+
“Somebody Up There Likes Me.” Directed by Bob Byington. Starring Keith Poulson, Nick Offerman, and Jess Weixler. Our review: “Like our not-quite-hero, ‘Somebody Up There Likes Me’ walks a fine line
between casual cruelty and the grander schemes of time, evoking recent
festival favorites ‘The Happy Poet‘ and ‘You Hurt My Feelings‘ as much as the respectively funnier and farther-reaching likes of ‘The Jerk‘ and ‘Barry Lyndon.'” MC: 51 RT: no score yet PL: B
“Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey.” Directed by Ramona S. Diaz. This chronicle of Armel Pineda‘s Internet-driven rise from obscurity to become the front man for Journey is timely and involving as a contemporary fairy tale. But it’s also a little thin, at times more concert video than rockumentary. MC: 60 RT: 68%
is a mannered and in-the-pocket indie drama that might be a total
subdued winner if it weren’t for its dubious political ideologies.” MC: 53 RT: no score yet PL: B-