Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Action, Biography, Drama
Run Time: 2 hours, 3 minutes, Rated R Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer, Daniel Bruhl, Rebecca Ferdinando, Tom Wlaschiha Written by Peter Morgan (Hereafter, Frost/Nixon, The Queen) Directed by Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon, The Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Backdraft, Cocoon) Rush (opening today) is one of director Ron Howard's best films, and that's saying something. The former childhood star of The Andy Griffith Show has gone on to direct some of the most entertaining and memorable films of the past few decades, films like Cocoon, Willow, Parenthood, Apollo 13, Backdraft, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man and Frost/Nixon. With Rush, he puts the pedal to the metal and weaves a fascinating story about life lived on the edge.
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Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama
Run Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, Rated R Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson Written & Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (feature-film debuts in both areas) Rarely will you see a film like Don Jon (opening today), a film that is not afraid to tackle subjects that are strictly taboo to most people. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars, writes and directs his first feature about a guy, Jon, a ladies' man with some deep, dark and disturbing secrets. You see, he is secretly addicted to online pornography. Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Documentary
Run Time: 1 hour, 28 minutes, Rated PG Featuring: Robert Reich Directed by Jacob Kornbluth (The Best Thief in the World, Haiku Tunnel) Robert Reich was the Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton and also served in the Carter and Ford (and, he jokes the Lincoln) administrations. He is now a leading author, economist and teaches a class at the University of California, Berkeley. Add to his resume, a documentary film subject. In the documentary, Inequality for All (opening today), Reich crafts a well-structured argument to back his strong beliefs about the dwindling middle class of America. His approach is both accessible and impactful, and his expertise and reputation drives the film as it leans heavily on his political clout. Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama
Run Time: 1 hour, 52 minutes, Rated R Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim Robbins, Joely Richardson, Pink, Josh Gad, Carol Kane, Michaela Watkins Co-written by Stuart Blumberg (The Kids Are All Right, The Girl Next Door) & Matt Winston (writing debut) Directed by Stuart Blumberg (feature-film directorial debut) One person in Thanks For Sharing (opening today) describes sex addiction as: "Like trying to quit crack, only the pipe is connected to you at all times." To some, it may be surprising that sex addiction is even a real thing...says another character in the film, "Isn't that just something guys say when they get caught cheating?" Rating: 4 out of 5 starsGenre: Drama
Run Time: 1 hour, 36 minutes, Rated R Starring: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek, Keith Stanfield, Frantz Turner, Alex Calloway Written & Directed by Destin Cretton (I Am Not a Hipster) Short Term 12 (opening today) is made so effectively, you almost don't realize that it is a thinly-veiled melodrama. It's the feature-length adaptation of the short film of the same name, both written and directed by Destin Cretton. He definitely is a talented filmmaker "destined" for great things Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Run Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes, Rated R Starring: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, Tommy Lee Jones, John D'Leo, Dominic Chianese, Vincent Pastore Based on the book by Tonino Benacquista Co-written by Michael Caleo & Luc Besson Directed by Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Fifth Element, The Lady) Nobody plays a mobster quite as well as Robert De Niro. In The Family (opening today), he returns to this familiar ground, as a former mob guy now in the witness protection program with his wife, Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), his daughter, Belle (Dianna Agron) and his son, Warren (John D'Leo). This is a mob comedy in the vein of Analyze This, where being in the mafia is mostly fun and where we can count on our protagonists to be thoroughly untouchable. It's all relative...so to speak...because the movie exists mainly for the large portion of audience members obsessed with mob culture. Surely there is comedy to be found in the world of wise guys, but few gangster films have made where so little is at stake. Rating: 2 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Run Time: 1 hour, 37 minutes, Rated PG-13 Starring: Keri Russell, JJ Field, Jennifer Coolidge, Bret McKenzie, Georgia King, James Callis, Jane Seymour, Ricky Whittle Based on the novel of the same name by Shannon Hale Co-written by Shannon Hale & Jerusha Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre, Gentlemen Broncos) Directed by Jerusha Hess (Feature-film directorial debut) Austenland (opening today) is based on the 2007 novel of the same name, by author Shannon Hale. It is a story that's reverent to the legendary author, Jane Austen, whose stories - books like Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice and Emma - are considered classic works of literature. These books are universally-loved and undoubtedly appeal to women of all ages, so it is no surprise that many of her novels have been re-created as TV shows and movies for over 60 years. Many of these stories feature relatable, strong female protagonists that find romance and heart-break in 19th century Britain. Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Documentary
Run Time: 2 hours, Rated PG-13 Featuring: Gore Vidal, Martin Sheen, Tom Wolfe, Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Cusack Directed by Shane Salerno (Sundown: The Future of Children and Drugs) Sometimes a documentary is great because it is about a great subject. But other times, a documentary can be not so great, even when focusing on a worthy subject. There is no question that the famous author, JD Salinger, is worthy of a full-length documentary, but in Salinger (opening today), the methods and presentation of the film leave a lot to be desired. Rating: 1 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy
Run Time: 1 hour, 33 minutes, Rated R Starring: Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan Michael Key, Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, David Pasquesi, David Wain, Michael Ian Black, Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer Written & Directed by Robert Ben Garant & Thomas Lennon (feature-film debut) To say that A Haunted House - the Marlon Wayans comedy which would normally be considered one of the worst films of this or any year - was terrible, is a massive understatement. But it's not even the worse horror-spoof of 2013. No, that honor goes to the dead-on-arrival, Hell Baby(opening today and on VOD), a film so awful and unfunny that it makes A Haunted House feel like Citizen Kane. Rating: 3 out of 5 starsGenre: Comedy, Drama
Run Time: 1 hours, 35 minutes, Rated R Starring: Kathryn Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, Jane Lynch, Michaela Watkins, Jessica St. Clair Written & Directed by Jill Soloway (feature-film directorial debut) The problems that Rachel (Kathryn Hahn) faces in Afternoon Delight (opening today) are relative...the film even starts off with her pointing out that it's not like she's in Darfur, being raped on her way to get water for her family. And that was my take-away from watching director Jill Soloway's first feature-film: Eh, it could have been worse. |
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