 Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Animated, Drama
Opens locally Friday, January 28th 2011 (playing exclusively at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak), Rated PG Run Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Cast: Jean-Claude Donda Directed by Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville) Don’t be fooled by “The Illusionist”, a fully animated movie from France that was just nominated for an Oscar in the Best Animated Feature category. By fooled, I mean that when you see an animated movie rated PG, you automatically discard it as a “children’s movie”, but that’s far from what “The Illusionist” is. It is light-hearted for sure, but I don’t know that a kid that would sit through this film, as the film’s tone is surely skewed towards adults. But I’m not sure too many adults would want to see the picture either: It’s the kind of artsy movie that has beautiful shining moments, and wonderful hand-drawn animation, but simply is too…quiet of a film to really get into.
0 Comments
 Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Action/Adventure
Opens locally Friday, January 28th, 2011, Rated R Run Time: 1 hour, 32 minutes Starring: Jason Statham, Ben Foster, Donald Sutherland Directed by Simon West (Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) A mechanic is usually hired to fix problems…had someone like this would have been hired to work on “The Mechanic”, they would have labeled it a lemon, in immediate need of being junk-piled. “The Mechanic” is the latest film starring popular-action-star flavor-of-the-month, Jason Statham. A “mechanic” as mentioned, is someone usually hired to fix problems with your car, or other machinery. It also is the word used to describe hit men like Statham’s character, Arthur Bishop….hired by seedy business-people to “fix problems”, so to speak, by killing them in various ways  Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Horror
Opens locally in Detroit on Friday, January 28th, 2011, Rated R Run Time: 1 hour, 54 minutes Starring: Colin O'Donoghue, Anthony Hopkins, Alice Braga, Ciaran Hinds Directed by Mikael Hafstrom There’s a bit of devil inside of us all, apparently in some more literally than others. “The Rite” is based on real people but with a fictional plot, dealing with exorcisms, demons, faith and God. It nearly gets nothing rite…er, right.  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Romantic Comedy
Opens Friday, January 21st, 2011, Rated R Run Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Greta Gerwig, Kevin Kline Directed by Ivan Reitman (Meatballs, Ghost Busters, Kindergarten Cop, Father's Day) So, do you think that you can have an ongoing sexual relationship with somebody and remain only friends? That's the primary question in "No Strings Attached", and it's a loaded question...the answer is, "of course not, silly." Had the question been approached in a real way, a true examination into how relationships have changed through the years, then the movie would have been a compelling modern-day look at sex and how men and women view it. Instead, "No Strings Attached" is a raunchy and shallow rom-com, predictable in the worst of ways, but funny enough to be worthy of a one-night commitment.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama
Opens Friday, January 14th 2010 (check local listings) Run Time: 1 hour, 31 minutes, Rated PG-13 Starring: Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest Directed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus) "Rabbit Hole" is a story about loss, and tragedy, told in a surprisingly gentle and uplifting manner. Howie and Becca Corbett, played by Aaron Eckhart and Nicole Kidman, are a married couple that seemingly had the perfect life. Although we never really see this life, because when we meet the couple at the beginning of the film, we are meeting them after the tragic, sudden loss of their only child. How does one possibly cope with the loss of a child? This film portrays the overwhelming and unthinkable slew of emotions that the parents go through, and does a tremendous job of showing the different ways people cope with tragedy.  Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama
Opens locally Friday, January 14th, 2011 Run Time: 1 hour, 38 min, Rated R Starring: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan Written & Directed by Sophia Coppola (Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette) I wasn't a big fan of director Sophia Coppola's best known film, 2003's "Lost in Translation", which won the Oscar for Best Screenplay, and saw nominations for Best Actor (Bill Murray), Best Director (Coppola), and Best Picture. That movie was a slow, unnecessary exercise in self-righteousness, where nearly nothing happens and it is heralded as "art." Well, Coppola's latest film "Somewhere" is so slow and deliberate, it makes "Lost in Translation" seem like "The Fast & The Furious."  Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Superhero, action, comedy
Opens Friday, January 14th, 2011 everywhere (also in 3D and IMAX) Run Time: 1 hour, 59 minutes, Rated PG-13 Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz Directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind) There does exist great super-hero, comic book movies...Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight. There are also way too many horribly bad super-hero, comic book movies...Catwoman, Batman & Robin, Elektra. Then, there are those marginal super-hero, comic book movies that fall somewhere in-between, that aren't all-together crappy but exist if nothing else as mindless entertainment, instantly forgettable and somewhat serving as a let-down to the original material. "The Green Hornet" falls into this forgettable middle category...far from good, but with enough mediocre moments to make it a passable low-brow popcorn flick.  Rating: 5 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Romance
Opens locally Friday, January 14th, 2011 Run Time: 2 hours, Rated R Starring Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams Directed by Derek Cianfrance Great movies come in many shapes and sizes, and some are so powerful and moving that you are thankful to have seen it even if you don't think you'd be able to sit through it again. Films that touch on reality are even more moving...some are so relatable that they become more than a movie. "Blue Valentine" is both a great movie, and one that is so raw, so real, that it transcends the screen. It's at the heart of why I love movies at all...how is it possible that a bit of film can infect your mind, body, and soul? "Blue Valentine" is a tough movie to swallow, and one that dare I say may not be for everyone...but one that I think everyone should see.  Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama, Romance
Opens locally Friday, January 7th, 2011, Rated PG-13 Run Time: 1 hour, 57 minutes Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund, Leighton Meester Written & Directed by Shana Feste (The Greatest) "Country Strong" will seemingly only appeal to those open-minded enough to give country music a chance...sorry to sound snobbish, but if you describe yourself as liking all music "except country", well, you just don't know what music is all about. Country music, at it's soul, is the most cleverly written, heartfelt and relatable of all music genres, even if you don't realize that it is. Few other genres tell a story, or paint more vivid mental pictures quite like country. In this film, country music and all of it's cliched themes are present, and it's likely to only be seen by those who have already accepted country music into their lives. But just like a good country song, "Country Strong" is a surprisingly touching, somewhat depressing love story that unfolds in a steady rhythm...that's OK though, because the spirit of the thing will have you hanging on every word, even if you are able to predict the occassional beat. |
Looking for a specific movie or review?
Search Below: Categories
All
Archives
July 2024
|
tom santilli movie reviews
Tom Santilli is a professional film critic, TV personality, host and
the Executive Producer of Movie Show Plus.
He also is the featured film critic appearing on WXYZ Channel 7 Action News in Detroit,
and appeared weekly on FOX-2 in Detroit from 2016-2020.
Feel free to use the "search" below to find your favorite titles.
TOM'S GRADING SCALE:
B- and above: Thumbs Up
C+ or below: Thumbs Down
RSS Feed
Currently Airing:Check Local Listings
|
For more information on Movie Show Plus, Email: |