Category Archives: Movie Reviews

Inspirational sports movies are a dime a dozen, but only a handful are as well-crafted and memorable as “The Express.”

The film, directed by Gary Fleder, relates the life story of Ernie Davis, the first black football player to win the Heisman trophy. Although Davis was one of the finest college athletes to carry a pigskin, he isn’t widely known because he died of leukemia before he could start a professional career.

Click here for full review: http://www.rgj.com/article/20081010/ENT01/810100463/1056/ENT

An old adage urges scribes to “write what they know,” and it seems directors/screenwriters Jay and Mark Duplass have done just that. In their latest feature, “Baghead,” a group of would-be actors struggle to divine the plot for a movie. They don’t come up with great ideas, which is appropriate since “Baghead” itself is underwritten.

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When I was a younger film critic, a handful of relationship movies resonated more deeply than the standard Hollywood fare.

In particular, “Reality Bites” and “Singles” stood out. Not because they were brilliant, but because they reminded me of my own life. … at least more so than the more popular romantic comedies.

It is a compliment then that “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” reminds me of both films.

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Nothing goes better in tough economic times than a movie about people living in such abject poverty that they turn to smuggling as a means of survival. I’m being facetious, of course, but “Frozen River” does stand the chance of driving its viewers to depression, despite being a beautifully made and exceedingly well-acted drama.

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In less than 10 years as a feature film director, D.J. Caruso has established himself as a workmanlike Hollywood talent. The sort producers can turn to if they’re looking for a solidly mainstream thriller that punches most of the right buttons.

Sometimes, as with “Disturbia” — a “Rear Window” remake that was so thinly veiled it prompted a copyright infringement lawsuit — Caruso’s work results in a film that is enjoyable after multiple viewings. In other cases — think “Taking Lives” — he’s saddled with such inept screenplays that failure is the only option.

Either way, Caruso himself is competent. He is not, however, the sort of director who pushes artistic limits … at least not yet. Rather, Caruso takes the hand he’s dealt and makes the best of it.

With “Eagle Eye,” he was dealing with a story that is preposterous on almost every level, but still possesses camp appeal.

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Most people have had a dispute with a neighbor, roommate, landlord or boss. So, there’s no need to explain how uncomfortable it is to quarrel with a person who has influence over one’s life.

Imagine the increase in discomfort if the antagonist was an ultra-conservative Los Angeles cop with a vendetta. That’s the setup for “Lakeview Terrace,” the latest from Detroit-born director Neil LaBute, whose movies rarely skimp on social commentary. In “Terrace,” the themes are no less than racism, relationship honesty and abuse of power, and they’re all set against the backdrop of a raging California wildfire.

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Take a self-important CIA analyst, womanizing Treasury department officer, plastic surgery-obsessed customer service rep, daft personal trainer and religious-leader-turned-gym manager, and you’ve got the ingredients for “Burn After Reading,” a Joel and Ethan Coen film that’s the polar opposite of “No Country for Old Men.”

While “Country” — also a Coen effort — was dark, uncompromising and downright depressing, “Burn” is a sprightly affair that’s lighthearted even when the characters are engaged in blackmail, theft and murder.

Click here for full review: http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080912/ENT01/809120504/1056/ENT